NYCgrrl wrote:
monkey44 wrote:
TO follow up on above - the saving money part. We lived on Cape Cod for years, and camped in Nickerson State Park often (415 sites). Cost $18 a night, no HU, but water and showers and dump ... Great Park, worth every nickel. Packed from April-Nov - closed winter. Generates over $1.5 million a year revenue.
We'd go in, sign up at the desk, get a site, pay - and camp. Three rangers worked in the office, taking walk-ins and phone reservations. During non-busy times, one would circle the park, checking things out.
Recently, after years in-house reservations, the park changed to RA. THe RA price added $9 to the call. Now, when we go in, the same three rangers sit in the office. The phone rings, one answers and says... "Yes, we have sites open, call RA." The other two sit and chat. Occasionally, two call at the same time - so, two rangers answer and say the same thing. When you ask at the desk for a reservation, you get a finger-sized piece of paper with the RA phone number on it. The rangers all three, check in campers as they arrive, but it's never that busy except right at 3-5PM ...
SO, my point it -- we have the same three rangers, so no pension/benefits saved. And we have now a charge at RA for our reservations. That makes NO sense, and I've seen it work exactly that way in many campgrounds over the years.
The park had other rangers for park patrol (check fishing license, etc) and enforcement - and volunteers for site clean, bathhouse clean, and general work as needed.
Love Nickerson!
When I used to bicycle camp being there meant we were at the start or end of the trip. Not sure whether the 3 park employees are seasonal (thus no pension and probably no other benefits) or full timers and even less sure what's been going on statewide to MA's civil servants so I defer to your local knowledge:).
In Jersey and NYS there's a "war" on the civil services and although I have no problems with some of the reforms made others seem guaranteed to keep the remaining workers disheartened.
Fact is, regardless of part-time, volunteers, pension, retirement, whatever, these folks sat in the same seats where they once took reservations, but now referred campers to the RA system.
SO, no money saved, but we paid $9 more for a reservation. So, even for a weekend, it was $21 per day, not $18 per day. We have no issue with the park raising its rates to keep it as beautiful is Nickerson is (great park) - but the three bucks does not stay in the park - it disappears into RA.
Now, last time I was there - couple years ago, since we moved out of state - they initiated a 'day-fee' of $3 per car. Never had that in all the years of its existence, and since Nickerson family donated the land to forever be available to the residents of Brewster. Then, later if became a state park but under a charter Nickerson wrote that it can't ever be developed except as a natural and wilderness area.
The three bucks in gathered at a bottleneck on the road as you enter the park, and volunteers collect it - so this new fee does not interfere with the admissions/camping office and clog it up ...
And, here we have another issue -- residents of Brewster can buy a $30 annual sticker for access. But, the residents and the campers and the day-use folks must all fill a line at the bottleneck so the day-use people can pay. So even if you are camping (includes day pass) or have a sticker, it's now often a fifteen-thirty minute wait in line because there is no other entrance to the park.
Been much better here, and probably in every other park too, just raise the fees (I know, it takes legislation, so what, meet and raise it - no brainer) and let the park keep and use that $3 or $9, or whatever it decides it needs. I'd rather pay the fee to the park than pay a fee to RA ... RA does nothing the park rangers and volunteers can't do, and at least the rangers and volunteers know and care about the park, and do the right things with the funds.
