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Congressional Hearing Into National Park Service Shutdown Process Leads To Bashing

Oct 18th - 08:23am | MikeG

You're wrong Lee... it's not about the people employed or volunteering for the NPS. It's about the PARKS, the public accessibility to them and what it costs taxpayers to operate them. There are teriffic people working as park employees and volunteers. Without the parks themselves they may as well be painters or carpenters or... community organizers....

Oct 18th - 07:28am | dahkota

Lee, thank you for the post. It is good to be brought back to center. Sara, thanks for the link!

Oct 18th - 07:12am | ecbuck

Sorry for the double post, it told me the server didn't take it the first time.

Oct 17th - 22:59pm | Sara

Yep, story about the 92-year old ranger is pretty amazing. Just like that guy at Glacier. Wash Post slideshow(Photos 1-8 are from the National Mall today)

Oct 17th - 22:38pm | Lee Dalton

Y'know, from time to time perhaps we all need to remember that all this fuss and muss and flying feathers is not at all what's really important. It's not Jarvis. It's not the high muckety-mucks in Interior. It's not the Congresscritters.

Oct 17th - 22:06pm | Sara

U.S. Government receipts through August are 13% higher YTD than the prior year($2.47T vs. $2.18T). Spending is down 3.7% YTD. NPS spending is down 11% YTD for FY13 from same point in FY12($2.65B vs. $2.98B). http://www.fms.treas.gov/mts/mts0813.pdf

Oct 17th - 21:41pm | Lee Dalton

That doesn't match what I've found. Sources please? In the meantime, try these: http://www.businessinsider.com/bush-era-tax-cuts-didnt-fix-economy-2012-12

Oct 17th - 21:16pm | ecbuck

2003 receipts (the year the major portion of the cuts took effect) tax receipts were 1782.3 billion. they grew each year through 2008 when they hit 2524 billion. you and Lee can google it.

Oct 17th - 21:03pm | Lee Dalton

No, ec, I haven't. But I've read a lot about the improvements Booker has been able to begin making there. I just hope his successor can continue them. And Zeb, you are actually correct. Ec can Google it.

Oct 17th - 20:43pm | Zebulon

Ec, my understanding from the CBO was the Bush tax cuts actually reduced tax receipts. I may be wrong.

Oct 17th - 20:32pm | ecbuck

Lee, i'm guessing you have never been to Newark.

Oct 17th - 20:28pm | ecbuck

Zeb. Its not hard at all. Tax receipts soared after Reagan's and Bush's tax rate cuts.

Oct 17th - 19:57pm | Lee Dalton

I just watched an interview with our newest U.S. Senator -- Cory Booker of New Jersey who was just elected last night -- defeating a Tea Party type.

Oct 17th - 18:34pm | Zebulon

Ec, while I'm certainly no high tax apologist, it'll be hard to raise revenues without raising rates (either through higher rates, or through removing deductions).

Oct 17th - 14:57pm | ecbuck

Zeb, we need to increase tax receipts. Raising tax rates wont get us there.

Oct 17th - 14:02pm | Rick B.

The good news is that the tea party and their ilk will be thrown out on their posteriors in the next election. The bad news is that there will still be time for them to do damage before they slink out of town.

Oct 17th - 12:19pm | Zebulon

Another 4 months before we start playing out the same exact game...

Oct 17th - 11:59am | justinh

I can certainly see the irony in one's use of the term.

Oct 17th - 11:52am | beachdumb

You know what it means, its anyone that still would be delusional enough to support this administration and think the NPS does no wrong...

Oct 17th - 11:48am | Rick B.

It is a term used by those who think the Red Queen's management style - "Off with her head!!" - is a norm.

Oct 17th - 11:40am | Lee Dalton

Justin, sheeple are those poor, pathetic creatures that actually believe what they hear on hate radio and read on extremist blogs.

Oct 17th - 10:48am | justinh

How so?

Oct 17th - 10:16am | beachdumb

Look in the mirror.

Oct 17th - 10:05am | justinh

What are sheeple?

Oct 17th - 09:15am | beachdumb

I loved hearing Jarvis's tactics being exposed, that must have been really painful for all you NPS sheeple. There is no question now that he needs to go. Its bad for all, we're all being led into the demise or "fundemental change" of the USA. This battle was lost, but fortunately some of us have enough common sense and will continue to fight the good fight.

Oct 17th - 08:25am | MikeG

it angers me too.... it angers all of us regardless of political positions. Our Federal Government is moribund. Odds are that we will re-live this past couple of weeks again just in time for Christmas. We can all look forward to that...

Oct 17th - 07:52am | Kurt Repanshek

Mike, I actually agree with you this time...kinda. I don't necessarily think there were any winners, not after 16 days of the mess that was created. And as a taxpayer it angers me that nothing was accomplished for the long run, other than to appoint yet another committee to find a solution that the majority of both parties can support.

Oct 17th - 07:50am | ecbuck

The President won this latest battle. And our children lost.

Oct 17th - 07:27am | MikeG

Lancelot, your post is nonsense. I haven't seen any GOP apologists post here. Our level of spending and our level of debt is un-sustainable. There is common acknowledgement of these facts in both parties. The President won this latest battle. The press seems to agree upon that as fact. I'm not so sure he won all the marbles...

Oct 17th - 06:14am | Countryman

While Chairman Issa may be an idiot, let's not feel too sorry for Director Jarvis. It's a difficult job to be sure, but appearing before Congressional committees is not an optional part of it.

Oct 17th - 05:10am | Lancelot

I love how blind you GOP supporters are. Let's not acknowledge NPS is federally funded. Let's pretend the local tourists income is falling out of the sky and every penny goes back to federal's pocket. GOP is responsible for both sequester and this shutdown in the name of what? ACA? Two years later? What is next? Secession?

Oct 16th - 22:17pm | rmackie

I agree Rick, thank you for your post.

Oct 16th - 20:25pm | Sara

What's the obsession with the DOD golf courses? They are not Obama's, the courses are there for the military and their guests. The golf courses do not require appropriated funds, the operation of the NPS does require an annual appropriation.

Oct 16th - 20:05pm | Lee Dalton

The idiots who shut the U.S. down can never admit their stupidity. It's much easier to try to find someone else to blame for their mess. Jon Jarvis deserves some kind of medal for what happened today. Any idea how we can sequester a bunch of Congressidiots?

Oct 16th - 19:47pm | trailadvocate

And who determines the discourse? Surely not the lowly Republicans. Being scammed folks. Using those that love the great places in dispicable ways. You might ask yourself if he might choose a golf course over say, Canyonlands or Vessey's Paradise?

Oct 16th - 19:19pm | Sara

Issa kept going on and on about the 1995 agreement with Arizona, but didn't that only partially reopen the Grand Canyon?

Oct 16th - 18:59pm | loyalconserve

Fault lies in many places. Parks are loved by democrats, republicans, independents and those from foreign nations. Our first president warned us about parties, saying that partisans will lose their own thoughts on an issue for the sake of the party. So in a hearing like this you see two lines of group think - one for and one against. A democrat can't have questions about veteran access?

Oct 16th - 18:35pm | trailadvocate

Political divisiveness is a model for community organizers but will tread softly in the discussion. One might consider the obvious reality of implementing the closure in absurdly partisan ways.

Oct 16th - 17:42pm | Mundsy

Dave, Take your nonsense elsewhere. Sane, rational discussions are had here, and we don't need your political divisiveness.

Oct 16th - 17:26pm | Rick Smith

Republicans willing to negotiate? Only if they could defund or otherwise eviscerate the Affordable Care Act or open only those parts of the government that were causing their approval ratings to drop,. The hearing today was a travesty. Rick

Oct 16th - 15:41pm | Dave O

Never before have we seen such shenanigans such as closing down the parks as we have under the 0bama regime. I suggest Defazio look in the mirror himself to see who shut the parks down. From day one, Republicans were willing to negotiate. The dems were not. Their behavior has been despicable. Jarvis should have told 0bama to take a hike.

Traveler's View: The National Park Service Has An Image Problem It Needs To Address

Oct 18th - 07:55am | Rebecca Latson ...

Ditto, Kurt. Great article. And I like MikeG's commentary too. As a side note, while I was staying on Mount Desert Island, there had been a sort of town hall meeting in Bar Harbor to address (actually vent about) the issues pertaining to the closure of Acadia National Park. I wish now I had attended but I was in Bass Harbor at the time, it was night, and I was tuckered out.

Oct 18th - 05:46am | MikeG

A teriffic piece Kurt. I think you hit all the bases necessary for the next event of this nature. I think it is implied if not stated in your suggestions but I think the plan must be a public document, subject to FOIA at least. While I don't think it's necessary or practical to have this available at units I do think it should be available through a simple public request.

Updated: National Parks Quickly Reopening After Budget Impasse Temporarily Resolved

Oct 17th - 11:44am | Rick B.

It was nice to start my morning internet surfing with the NPS Morning Report, as is my usual.

Fall In Zion National Park, Magic And Majesty

Oct 17th - 11:36am | Lee Dalton

Just close your eyes, Deby. Although if you do, you'll miss a lot of scenery. And then we probably wouldn't be able to admire your terrific photos.

A View From The Overlook: Volunteers In The Parks. Is That Legal?

Oct 16th - 22:24pm | rmackie

Lee, it was interesting to note that you have witnessed some of the issues PJ brought up as have I. Great article PJ, the book "Intern Nation" is worth the read, for those that are interested in this issue.

Oct 16th - 17:20pm | Megaera

Speaking as a former reference librarian, "I have often thought the main goal of paid employees is to rise far enough up the ladder to not have to meet visitors" makes my blood boil, especially as I ran up against that attitude over and over when I worked in libraries.

Essential Friends + Gateways: High Tech Means High Touch With National Parks

Oct 16th - 18:19pm | bhagenberg

Is it possible to have an app that tells you all the national parks, national everything close to your home (via inserting your zip code)? For example, I am located in Chicago - what is the nearest national treasure I can visit? and the next nearest? It would be a great tool!

Reader Participation Day: How Will The Temporary Opening Of Several Parks Impact The Shutdown?

Oct 16th - 17:02pm | Megaera

My state's government (Washington) has decided not to fund our national parks. It's unfair, but as my mother told me on a regular basis, "the world isn't fair."

Around The Shutdown: Which National Parks Are Open Today?

Oct 16th - 16:25pm | ecbuck

Sara - dollars for maintainance aren't dollars for operations. The farm can operate on a short term basis and defer the maintenance.

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