Unbelievable. New York State, in financial straits after decades of idiotic tax-and-spend policies, is considering closing down some state parks!

State considers closing 100 parks, including Clark Reservation, Verona Beach

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is considering closing more than a dozen Central New York state parks and historic sites because of a $29 million budget cut proposed by Gov. David Paterson, according to a former parks executive.

Clark Reservation State Park in Jamesville and Verona Beach State Park are named on draft lists of nearly 100 parks the parks office is considering closing, said former parks Deputy Commissioner Albert Caccese, who now is executive director of Audubon New York. Glimmerglass State Park in Cooperstown and Bowman Lake State Park in Chenango County were also on the list, he said.

Those were the only names Caccese would reveal, but he said there were “more than a dozen” parks on the list in the Central Region, including all of the region’s historic sites. The region holds 19 parks and seven historic sites. Of the 25 parks and historic sites in the Finger Lakes region, Caccese said at least 10 are on the list.

The state denies creating such a list of closures-- everything is very hush-hush probably because of the vicious backlash the state will get about this-- so I'm not 100% sure what will close.

STILL. If they even close ONE park.... IDIOTIC!!! Us taxpayers are in dire straits, too! We can't afford to pack our bags and go to Paris or Rome for a week (like the politicians can)! The state is going to shut down our most beloved parks because they can't stop taxing-and-spending?! Not to mention-- the NYS tourism industry rakes in big bucks for the state. They want to stop it, now, after they've been promoting it for decades?!

Well, the thing is not a done deal. It's still being worked out. I'm flabbergasted that the state would consider such a thing, though. Maybe it'd be better to close some of the school swimmming pools or saunas or clinics with free hemorrhoid treatment or something? I mean, if New York is serious about cutting WASTE, then cut the dang WASTE. Our state parks and historic sites are not waste-- they are the backbone of every community-- it's something that EVERY citizen benefits from. To take that away would be viciously nasty.