I had planned on posting about my coastal time on Wednesday, but there is panic over California State Park closures. Almost every state park in Big Sur is on the block, according to the SF Chronicle. (See: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2009/05/30/stateparks.DTL)
I may be wrong, and I certainly have been before, but the panic I am seeing may be premature. California is facing some tough decisions, it is true, but these proposals are just that. Some state parks will almost certainly have to close, but I am not convinced that all Big Sur Parks will. Those that approach a cost-effective analysis may not have to. Pelican Network is forming a group to go to Sacramento to plead the case for the Big Sur State Park, so if you are interested, please contact Jack at: Rocinante@PelicanNetwork.net
State Parks are not the only ones “on the block.” Those that will suffer the most are seniors, the mentally ill, the disabled, and children. Those who have the least political “clout.” Many will mobilize to save our state parks, our prison guards, our teachers, and others. All have the ability to mobilize members and political influence. Our elderly, mentally ill, disabled, and children do not. Yet, these groups face the biggest impact on services.
Let’s keep things in perspective. Yes, it is important to keep Big Sur viable. Yes, we have suffered, and will suffer even more if our State Parks close, but we are not the only ones. Let’s keep our eye on the broader picture. We cannot continue to function in the bubble we have created. And let’s stop “blaming” our elected officials. They are us. We elected them. We set up the “rules” under which they operate. We need a complete and total overhaul, and it MUST start with each of us.
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