monkey44 wrote:
I believe RA priced itself out of the contract. Was once $3, now about $8 ... and that counts for short or long reservations. So, it adds $8 onto even a one or two day site. And, I never had a good experience with RA, and find them sometimes courteous and sometimes rude, and often knew little about the site.
California, and probably these other states, decided the $$$ it was losing for the reservation was a nice bundle - and personally, I've always been of a mind that RA was doomed as soon as states figured out a way to charge a camper for the reservation.
Again, personally. I'd rather employ a local group to earn the $$$, and at least anything left over goes into the park system (well, we hope that anyway) instead of some foreign entity...
I think every state will eventually set up its own system, and generate the revenue for itself.
Watch what you wish for. When the bureaucratic establishment takes on something they have little experience with, (RE; specific software for a certain task such as a reservation system) you can almost never expect a better and cheaper solution. Its not in the cards and could very well cost a lot more in fees you can see, as well as fees you dont see as in taxes.The end user is going to pay for it no matter who operates it and the private sector is simply more efficient. The only thing bureaucrats are good at is taking from A and giving to B, where B usually deserves nothing. The undesirable issues can only be compounded in a lib bastion such as CA.
