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[pct-l] Fees
In Washington we don't have a state income tax, but are still the 5th highest
taxed state in the nation when you add all our little here and there fees
plus kill property and sales taxes. This doesn't matter much in reguards to
federal user fees in national parks and forest service area. We have aways
been a test area to the nation in the area of user fees starting with Mt.
Rainier park in 1980 with a 5 dollar entree fee. ( the first in the nation )
We then got a first with the forest service trailhead parking permit plan. If
people don't swauk, they soon shove them down the rest of the nations
throats. Each year the fees in place are slowly raised or new fees are slowly
added. Like the frog in hot water plan. ( If you throw a frog in very hot
water, he quickly jumps out. If frog is put in luke warm water and slowly
heated, he will sit and cook to death, true story!! ) So back to my question,
how much is too much with user fees?? Bill Gates won't have any problem
paying , Monte Dodge won't have any problem paying, for NOW!!! The deal is
most american's are slowing being squeezed out of federal land. Second
question is quota's, how many people is too many. Forest service is looking
to set large area quota's in some Washington national forest, like Gifford.
Once again we get another first!! This isn't Mt. Whitney on a summer day,
but a very large area. Reported quota numbers are far to low for this area
and add up to , in my book, a public lockout. So where do you draw the line??
How much is too much?? Private contract fee collectors have no place in our
federal lands. ( they are your's and mine ) And thirdly, there is no
accountablity with user fees and the forest service and very little with the
park service. Forest service dumps millions into vistor centers, but little
anywhere else. It just keeps getting better!!!!! THE FLEECING OF HIKERS
POCKETS YA!!!!!!
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