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A 'Dangerous' Precedent

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 30, 2008

To meet Gov. Charlie Crist's request for a 10 percent reduction of its budget, Florida state parks recommends closure of 19 state parks with low attendance and the "return" of three state parks to their original owners, including Egmont Key.

In 2007 Florida state parks' attendance was 20.7 million, adding an estimated $1 billion to Florida's economy. Although tourism is down in most sectors, visits to parks and campgrounds are up, according to reports given at the December 2008 Visit Florida board meeting.

Closing parks is a dangerous precedent to set. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich attempted to do the same this year and backed off after angering the public.

Closing these 22 Florida state parks would only save a very small fraction of the $66 billion state budget. Better to raise entrance fees or cut hours statewide to cover the need for expense reductions than close parks entirely.

SANDRA FRIEND

Ocala

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