Saving Michigan State Parks

[ComputerJoe]

No doubt about it. If your favourite State Park is in a quiet rural area and is seldom full, it will not be open for long. Michigan's legislature and Governor seem to be having difficulty in agreeing on how to get more out of it's residents to keep the Government in business and current services delivered. The DNR, in trying to work within their budget, is planning to close many parks that don't have the numbers of visitors.

Then along comes the first thing that comes close to making sense to come out of Lansing in some time. I hear they are looking at raising the State license plate fee $5-$7 each BUT then allow any vehicle with a Michigan plate free day use access to any State Park. Makes sense and we might even use our State Park system more often if we're not charged $5 every day we want to go out and visit friends who are camping.

I can see objections from those who never care to visit a State Park and for them I might suggest my "vanity" license plate idea instead. The extra fee would help support State Parks and if possessed you can drive right through those Ranger check stations.

 

[JEScholz]

I wouldn't mind paying for a "Support State Parks" specialty plate if it came with an annual pass to the parks. For that matter, I would also support a "Shipwreck Preserve" specialty plate if the proceeds would go to the preserves.

 

[ComputerJoe]

Can we get one plate for the front and another for the rear?

I like the idea of user fees and having these State Businesses pay their own way. Then mis-management and any potential cost savings from having them privately operated or operated differently can be fairly judged.

Sometimes it dosen't work out as in the Lottery and Public School funding. Any thing the Lottery generates is simply not matched with general funds.

 

[alpenadiver]

I second the Dive plate / State Park idea, as long as the money is used for a specific purpose - ie, promote all the great dive opportunities we have in Michigan. Not lining the pockets of some special interest group or committee supposedly looking out for the greater good, and nothing ever gets done but money is always being spent

I for one don't understand why we (the State of Michigan) do not have any commercials running on TV promoting all tourism, I sure see a lot of commercials for Texas, California, Utah and many other states on local TV why not Michigan...

 

[caymaniac]

I second the Dive plate / State Park idea, as long as the money is used for a specific purpose - ie, promote all the great dive opportunities we have in Michigan. Not lining the pockets of some special interest group or committee supposedly looking out for the greater good, and nothing ever gets done but money is always being spent

Hey computer Joe, I see you are from Alpena. The Thunder Bay preserve is the site of one of the best wrecks that I have dove, the "Grecian", the viz was over 50feet when I dove her, but it was over 10 years ago. Is the wreck covered with zebra mussels now?

 

[alpenadiver]

The Grecian has Zebras, but it is still a great dive. I guess I have a love / hate relationship with those little buggers, although they cover the wrecks the vis can be equal to some of the warm water resort dives in the Caribbean with 80 to 100 foot visibility.