Possible Closing of Long Point State Park

[Snookman]

Found this link for those interested. List of parks had only one in NYC. Imagine that.
http://www.nynjtc.org/issue/new-york...me-state-parks

Looks like there is a link to tell these folks what you think.

[doctariAFC]

On Friday I will post my letter to the Governor, Budget Director, Parks Dept and DEC.

I will also be sending this to the Assembly and Senate EnCon committees, and everyone else, like all my press contacts too.

Once up, you may all feel free to read it over, and if you agree with what I state, simply print your name and address on it, and then sign and mail to the people I will also list.

Its deja vu all over again.

[doctariAFC]

with all due respect to THE DOC,,,i have to disagree, the money is never spent where it should no matter who.s there. with a few exception. politician is spelled the same no matter what affiliation,, in my book.. not sayin there arent a couple who try. the machine is just to big..it eats up the little to feed the big. just my observation. as for the state parks i feel the parks were set aside to be wild and untouched so our kids could see what wilderness used to be like not what we think it should be like. again just my opinion , great website thanks for the welcome zenrider

At the moment I am not cocnerned about where potential timber revenues would be spent. Not the focus at this point. Besides, we would have a battle with the tree huggers before it gets to the point of who spends what where. Cart before the horse.

What I am concerned about are the continually rising wildlife/ human conflicts, directly caused by habitat changes (grassslands to forests), and the resulting food and cover changes, along with our own development habits of everyone wanting to live by a little pond and have woods around their houses with super landscaping that is a delicacy for the wildlife, drawing them closer to our residences, couples with lack of hunting/ management in many of these areas, and we have what we have. Compounding this is the ever escalating 24-hour nature of our transportation system, exacerbating the road collisions.....

But we have to see beyond the parks. The direct $$ and costs of the parks themselves. To save $6.5 MILLION in the budget, in an effort to reduce the deficit, this move will jeopardize nearly half of at least $412.5 MILLION of tax revenue to the General Fund. I peg it at $195 MIL that will be lost, or the majority will be lost with the loss of the opportunity to take a day trip or a weekend to enjoy the treasures bought and paid for with our own money.

nd the ultimate question still stands... How do you close a budget deficit through reducing your incoming revenue? You don't.

To save $6.5 Million, the NET effect will be a $188.5 MIL LOSS

That doesn't sound like closing a deficit to me....

[youngster]

im a simple guy and this seems simple as you stated.''the loss of the opportunity to take a day trip or a weekend to enjoy the treasures bought and paid for with our own money,,,,, its happening everywhere . we pay for a service they take the service away and we keep paying. not complicated . just stop haha the budget should read if you aint got the money dont spend it it... not if,, we think we can get the money in 100 years therefore we can spend it now. my opinion

[hunterdeneugene]

the problem is that they are spending way too much on those that are too lazy to fend for themselves.....

[mikeymjr23]

The state is spending too much on a LOT of things. Apparently the government agrees with that statement. However, they believe we are spending too much on things that MAKE us money...

[hunterdeneugene]

put all those on welfare in the county to work in the parks, road crews ect, ect.....make them pay for their own cell phones....allow them to use welfare as intended, to get back on their feet....not raise their families generation after generation on it.

[John Lorenzo]

amen brother amen!!!!!!!!!

[mikeymjr23]

HDE for Governor!!!

[hunterdeneugene]

this is how bad welfare has gotten....

I went down this morning to sign my Dogs up for welfare.
At first the lady said, Dogs are not eligible to draw welfare.
So I explained to her that my Dogs are unemployed, lazy, can't speak English and have no frigging clue who their Daddy is.
So she looked in her policy book to see what it takes to qualify.
My Dogs gets their first check Friday.
Damn this is a great state.

[hunterdeneugene]

and my first act as governor.....I would disband the NY State Police. That's all I have to say about that other than in a state like NY where every county has a sheriff's dept with law enforcement powers, I feel they are not needed. Ok, I will make them the Thruway authority police, cut their pay in half and be done with that.

[mikeymjr23]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Tell your dogs to share...

[Snookman]

put all those on welfare in the county to work in the parks, road crews ect, ect.....make them pay for their own cell phones....allow them to use welfare as intended, to get back on their feet....not raise their families generation after generation on it.

HDE it gives me great pleasure everytime I see a road gang. Florida still does it old school. 10 or so inmates cleaning the roadside ditches dressed in orange being watched by a sheriff with a slug gun over his shoulder. Taxes are a little less painful that way.

[mikeymjr23]

I like it. I even liked when I worked at the Boy Scout Camp and we would have groups from Brocton come down and set up our tents. A) Mikey didn't have to lift those god awful pallets and B) I saw something out of those inmates.

That place sends them all over though. If they do not work, they do the full time. It is a shock center...they might get a reduced sentence, but they will WORK for that time in there. Plus...it's a one time deal. Screw up again, you don't get that option.

[Game Hog]

Should do that with the well fare also.

[Snookman]

If they close them then they won't let you on the properties at all. Probably have to hire somebody to patrol them. Any improvements made like shelters/facilities/roads etc will detiorate quickly or be vandalized. A few years from now they'll figure out they made a mistake and have to redo everything, and will raise fees and taxes to cover it.
At some point the residents of New York purchased these lands. Unbelieveable.

[mikeymjr23]

I agree. There are plenty of worthy causes that could use the help. Then I wouldn't mind so much about giving a little.

[John Lorenzo]

so let me get this straight if Long Point is closed the boat launch is closed? What about all the tourneys that are supposed to go out of there this summer?? I just don't see how they can close the launch.

[Game Hog]

kinda like the campers that have prepaid for sights at other state parks. they are getting a refund without interest.

[doctariAFC]

Letter to Governor Below:

Honorable Governor David Paterson
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

RE: NY State Parks Closings

Dear Governor Paterson;

New York State continues to face daunting fiscal challenges, and I wish to commend you for your efforts in tackling our tremendous budget deficits and reign in irresponsible spending in Albany. The task is unenviable, and you continue to demonstrate incredible courage in pursuit of righting our fiscal “sinking ship.”

However, I must vehemently oppose your proposal to close or sharply curtail services surrounding 100 of New York’s 213 State Parks, as the intended “savings” you project will actually result in astronomical and breath-taking losses to an already suffering revenue stream to the NYS General Fund. Your claims of this move saving $6.5 Million taxpayer dollars is a classic case of “penny-wise, pound-foolish,” and indicates the advice your are receiving in these matters is extremely flawed, at best.

According to the NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the parks system attracts approximately 55 Million visits each year; working families traveling to wild lands conserved through taxpayer dollar purchases, assuring NYers and non-residents of NY wild treasures for all to enjoy, and learn about the natural world we share. Through this invaluable opportunity, NYS realizes a gigantic economic impact.

According to US Fish and Wildlife, NYS Survey on Hunting, Fishing and Outdoors-related Recreation, NY residents who enjoy outdoors recreation activities spend anywhere from $40 to $60 per person, per day, depending upon the activity enjoyed. Non-residents, which represent the tourist dollars, spend far more per day seeking enjoyment of our wondrous natural treasures.

Simple math belies the truth of exactly how powerful the NYS Parks System is economically. Using a very conservative average spend per person of $50.00 per visit (an amount that could be spent solely on gasoline to travel to and from a taxpayer-owned park), the economic engine of our parks system equates to $2.75 BILLION to the state’s economy every year. From this activity, hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs are sustained, with working families able to earn their living and raise their families as a direct result of our incredible and historic parks system.

Expenditures made by NYers include some form of tax, fee, surcharge, etc. Using a simple formula of 15% (again, very low) we realize the return on the $6.5 MILLION investment from NYS totals approximately $412.5 MILLION in general fund receipts. We have yet to examine the income tax receipts from the jobs sustained through these activities, which I suspect will push the total tax revenue much higher than stated.

You are proposing to close or cut services at 47% of the taxpayer-owned state parks and historic sites, which will directly jeopardize $194 MILLION, or more, in tax revenues to state and local coffers.

Mr. Governor, through your efforts to save taxpayers $6.5 MILLION, you will actually COST NY 30 TIMES the savings or more in losses to general fund receipts. In other words, cost NY nearly $200 MILLION that goes in the bank and is used to pay the People’s bills.

Could you please explain how a budget deficit is balanced through eliminating revenue streams that returns 30 times higher than what is being projected as “saved”? With respect, Mr. Governor, one never closes a deficit by eliminating income.

This State can ill-afford a government-imposed reduction of economy, which will eliminate jobs, cripple wildlife-related goods and services consumption, and even handicap our own abilities to care take and steward our natural resources, wildlife and fisheries – a Constitutional charge and duty.

Your proposal will widen the deficit, not help close it, and place even more burden upon taxpayers through loss of jobs and the resulting unemployment spending needed when this occurs.

In light of this information, I respectfully demand you immediately reverse this decision to close any parks and historic sites and restore the $6.5 MILLION investment, as it translates into income and benefit on behalf of the people of NYS.

NY is the National leader in wildlife, fisheries and natural resource conservation. In fact, the entire National Parks System is modeled after the NYS Parks System. Green space saved and protected, important factors in dealing with climate change also would be damaged.

Reverse this decision to close or curtail NYS Parks forthwith.



Sincerely Yours in the Great Outdoors,