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Travel Forum / Travel Types / RV Travel / July 2009Notice of Price Increases for Florida State Parks
Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. http://www.floridastateparks.org/  SignatureLee (in Florida) Georgie Boy Cruise Master > Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. > > http://www.floridastateparks.org/ Everything else goes up, why not the park fees? Expect other states to follow suit. Mr. or Mrs. Arlington, you sound as if you're giving up. I'm not inclined to simply shrug my shoulders and accept my fate. I will assess the costs versus amenities of the Florida parks based on other choices and reassess if the state park is appropriate for my need. It might be that they've overpriced themselves. I have found that as inflation takes hold some things I have been paying for aren't worth their price. I used to get the NY Times delivered. They increased their price. In assessing that the paper is printed at my local facility, delivered by those same carriers and yet costs ten or fifteen times more than the cost of my local paper, I dropped it. If the price comes down to that of the cost of my local paper, I'd resubscribe. It's a better paper than the one in town. It is these types of assessments that could be hurting more than helping those increasing prices. If your park is full, go for it. Adjust to the occupancy that maximizes your profits. That's what state parks are for, after all, right? Making profit? If they aren't at their occupancy, their increase will likely drop their profit to levels they did not expect. They end up tripping over their own feet. Steve www.wolfswords.com under the motorhome link >> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Everything else goes up, why not the park fees? Expect other states to > follow suit. > I will assess the costs versus amenities of the Florida parks based on > other choices and reassess if the state park is appropriate for my need. > It might be that they've overpriced themselves. The biggest problem they have is Sunday afternoon to Friday afternoon the State parks are almost totally empty. The campers roll in on Friday and out on Sunday. They need to find a way to encourage more campers or activities during the week. It is nice for those of the gray headed club but it is hard for the parks to subsist on just a couple of campers. Just my opinion of course! SignatureLee (in Florida) Georgie Boy Cruise Master >> I will assess the costs versus amenities of the Florida parks based on >> other choices and reassess if the state park is appropriate for my [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > club but it is hard for the parks to subsist on just a couple of > campers. Just my opinion of course! My opinion of MN state parks is that they are overloaded with staff. Parks that would be run by a middle-aged couple in the private sector have a staff of 20 taking care of the grounds, facilities and office. Jacking up the rates and cutting the season short will never solve this problem. LZ >> I will assess the costs versus amenities of the Florida parks based on >> other choices and reassess if the state park is appropriate for my need. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >headed club but it is hard for the parks to subsist on just a couple >of campers. Just my opinion of course! Lee, that Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon frenzy is exactly what we have been witnessing in COE parks. They are almost empty during the week then full on the weekends. It is hard to make a go of it on just 2-days a week during the season. I would like to see Florida drop the rates during the week and increase them on the weekends. It seems to me that dropping the rates during the week would increase revenue and that is what the state park system needs. On the bright side, Florida does have a great State Park system, it really does. mike -- > Lee, that Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon frenzy is exactly what > we have been witnessing in COE parks. They are almost empty during [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > On the bright side, Florida does have a great State Park system, it > really does Hi Mike I agree whole heartedly I like the State Parks and that is where we stay most of the time. We seniors don't help much but better us than completely empty. I counted 4 Rvr's in one park with 179 spaces if I remember correctly. But then someone has to work during the week I guess. I don't know that even dropping the rates would help as most of the people have children and jobs and still would not be able to come. I do give Florida A+ on their parks, did you ever try Stephen Foster Memorial State Park or National Forest Salt Springs Parks they are really great, also Silver Springs State Park is not bad but not up to the first two. --- Lee (in Florida) Georgie Boy Cruise Master >> Lee, that Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon frenzy is exactly what >> we have been witnessing in COE parks. They are almost empty during [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >are really great, also Silver Springs State Park is not bad but not up >to the first two. Lee, I have not tried any of those but I have sure stayed in a bunch of Florida State Parks those are just located in a part of the state that we do not visit. We do pass through on occasion. I will keep those in mind in case we pass that way and need a place to overnight. mike Signature>--- >Lee (in Florida) >Georgie Boy Cruise Master >> I will assess the costs versus amenities of the Florida parks based on >> other choices and reassess if the state park is appropriate for my need. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > but it is hard for the parks to subsist on just a couple of campers. Just > my opinion of course! There are obvious answers, but the bureaucrats in Tallahassee just don't get it. 1. Major discounts to folks who live/vote in Florida and have a FL drivers license. 2. Big surcharge for visitors from Canada like Stan Birch, who don't appreciate FL state parks anyway. 3. 1/2 prices Monday through Thursday nights. We live next door to Bill Baggs State park/Cape Florida and use it almost daily for cycling. Have a family pass that costs about $80/year. At $120, I think I'll pass and just buy a single for $60. SignatureCarl A. in FL http://sky.prohosting.com/chainfl/ >I have found that as inflation takes hold some things I have been paying >for aren't worth their price. I used to get the NY Times delivered. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >the price comes down to that of the cost of my local paper, I'd >resubscribe. It's a better paper than the one in town. Of course, you just identified ther reason _why_ it costs more. Whether it is 'enough better' to justify the cost difference is your decision to make. >> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >> Parks. >> >> http://www.floridastateparks.org/ > > Everything else goes up, why not the park fees? Soooo, explain Viagra........ LZ Expect other states to > follow suit. >>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Soooo, explain Viagra........ With the help of Viagra of course........... > LZ > > Expect other states to >> follow suit. >> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. >> >> http://www.floridastateparks.org/ > >Everything else goes up, why not the park fees? Expect other states to >follow suit. ----------- California is closing many of theirs. mike -- >>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. >>> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > mike But that is mostly to make folks miserable like Clinton did during the government shutdown in 95-96. The National Parks spent MORE keeping people out of the parks than they normally spent looking after the visitors. I got that straight from the Rangers in Big Bend. LZ >>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. >>>> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >visitors. I got that straight from the Rangers in Big Bend. >LZ What I read about California was that the parks were going to be closed and the employees laid off. I do not think California can afford to "keep people out" if it cost money to do so. mike -- >>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > >mike One of the problems CA, NY and probably many other states have is that they have run up the pay of the unionized government workers while the non union private sector has been using downsizing and outsourcing to reduce the pay of the folks left. The cycle has been going on for years. It is now hittng thepoint where the overpaid over intrusive government is too expensive to manitain. The problem is the same unions are big contributors to the Democrats who are blocking any action to freeze or reduce pay. Interesting to watch, probably not going to be fun to live through. >>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. >>>>> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > mike As I said; the goal is to make people miserable so they support the side that does not want to cut the budget. LZ >>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. >>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >that does not want to cut the budget. >LZ Won't change the numbers. The folks who are living high are the one's already profiting from the current budget plays. They already support the status quo. The one's tha tdon't are already miserable. Park fee's are peanuts compared to paying taxes and keeping a vehicle on the road to get to work with. >>>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State Parks. >>>>>>> [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > fee's are peanuts compared to paying taxes and keeping a vehicle on > the road to get to work with. The state parks were built so low and middle income people could afford to vacation in a rustic setting. Those living high can afford a posh resort now. They won't even notice that the parks are closed. LZ > The state parks were built so low and middle income people could afford > to vacation in a rustic setting. Damn that's me! Thanks y"all !!! (grin) Poor but happy!!! SignatureLee (in Florida) Georgie Boy Cruise Master >> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >> Parks. http://www.floridastateparks.org/ [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Everything else goes up, why not the park fees? Expect other states > to follow suit. Not exactly. California is going to close 200 parks in response to the budget deficit. SignatureFrank Howell >>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>> Parks. http://www.floridastateparks.org/ [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Not exactly. California is going to close 200 parks in response to the > budget deficit. or not, if they close em, the federal gov't has said it will seize/take/steal them..... maybe they are run by union employees? >>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>> Parks. http://www.floridastateparks.org/ [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Not exactly. California is going to close 200 parks in response to the > budget deficit. Why not just raise the fees to the point the parks are self supporting? A certain amount of our taxes support the parks. Between that and raised fees the parks should self-support. > Why not just raise the fees to the point the parks are self supporting? > A certain amount of our taxes support the parks. Between that and raised > fees the parks should self-support. They you would have to close all parks. The state does certain things no one else wants to do. For example, when you poop in your toilet, there are no private entities who want to deal with what goes down the pipe. The state is doing it at the lowest cost. The only reason to bring in a contractor, at a higher cost, is to generate campaign contributions. Privatization is a synonym for corruption. Parks cannot self-support, at least not and compose huge lakes involving dams, flood control, wandering roads to secluded areas, hiking trails, pavilions, beaches, scenic picnic areas and other amenities. A model supporting a commercial enterprise, a model supporting a Wal-Mart or KOA, just doesn't fit a state's attempt to provide recreational land. Unless you put a meter on a picnic bench, put a quarter in for twenty minutes, you can't regulate the fee to the cost of the item. Entry fees would be in the hundreds of dollars as a picnic must also support a dam. Steve www.wolfswords.com under the motorhome link > > Why not just raise the fees to the point the parks are self supporting? > > A certain amount of our taxes support the parks. Between that and raised [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > Steve > www.wolfswords.com under the motorhome link Thank you for that information. >> > Why not just raise the fees to the point the parks are self supporting? >> > A certain amount of our taxes support the parks. Between that and [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Thank you for that information. It's bogus. LZ >>> > Why not just raise the fees to the point the parks are self >>> > supporting? [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > It's bogus. ????? It is? > LZ >>>> > Why not just raise the fees to the point the parks are self >>>> > supporting? [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > ????? It is? Yep, no one expects a park to pay for the operation of a Dam or pay for flood control. There are small exceptions, but dams are seldom built solely to create an attractive park. They usually have more important purposes. Unlike private campgrounds, which generally do operate at a profit, public parks don't pay property taxes. If you squeeze out the government bloat all but the smaller and more lightly used parks should be able to operate on user fees. There are times and places where this is probably appropriate. There are also times and places where it probably isn't. This reminds me of when I was working for the BLM. The man in charge of maintaining their few small parks and campgrounds in our district explained his philosophy of work to me. "The more work you do the more likely you are to make a mistake and get in trouble, so the safest course is to do as little work as possible." He really lived by it. TB > Yep, no one expects a park to pay for the operation of a Dam or pay for >flood control. There are small exceptions, but dams are seldom built solely [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >TB Typical Liberal Union worker! -- Liberals. You can't talk to them and bullets are just so damned expensive! Chuck Norris >>>> > Why not just raise the fees to the point the parks are self > >>>> supporting? [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > >> LZ I've stayed in many private campgrounds that were superior to state parks and cost less. New Mexico is one of the few states where we still stop in many of their parks. Still $14 for water and electric. In MN the total bill for my MH and toad in an electric spot is now $32. No sewer or water. A private campground we stop at in MN has large, shaded lots, water, sewer, electric, cable and wifi for $28. The old managment charged $24. It also has a laundry and small store, even though those can be found less than a mile away. Few state parks have laundries and a store. Lots of wildlife, pheasants, wild turkey, squirrels, rabbits and the occasional deer. The state parks Steve mentions are NOT paying for the upkeep of any dam or large property. The taxpayers pay for those, whether there is a campground there or not. LZ > I've stayed in many private campgrounds that were superior to state parks > and cost less. That may well be the case where you live. Most of our camping has been in the NE and TN. New Mexico is one of the few states where we still > stop in many of their parks. Still $14 for water and electric. In MN the > total bill for my MH and toad in an electric spot is now $32. No sewer or > water. A private campground we stop at in MN has large, shaded lots, > water, sewer, electric, cable and wifi for $28. The private CGs we've stayed at had small lots, little privacy and shady spots were already taken even during the week. The old > managment charged $24. It also has a laundry and small store, even though > those can be found less than a mile away. Few state parks have laundries > and a store. Those things are not really important to us. It depends on how you camp perhaps and for how long. Lots of wildlife, pheasants, wild turkey, > squirrels, rabbits and the occasional deer. > > The state parks Steve mentions are NOT paying for the upkeep of any dam or > large property. The taxpayers pay for those, whether there is a > campground there or not. Thank you, that's what I thought but wasn't sure. > LZ >Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >Parks. > >http://www.floridastateparks.org/ Lee, thanks for posting this. We are big users of Florida's SP campgrounds because they are such bargains. Even with a $4 a night increase they will be bargains compared with commercial campgrounds in the area. Last winter we spent a lot of time in Panama City Beach and had a hard time getting a site in St. Andrews State Park. The place was packed all winter. It surprised us, but it was. We ended up dry camping much of the time since commercial campgrounds there start around $50 a night and go up. We looked into staying in state parks during our recent Kansas visit but decided against it because of cost. They want to charge $18 for a site then add $2 for electricity and water, then add an entrance fee for each vehicle (motorhome & tow vehicle) and I think an entrance fee for both of us. Hell, I got dizzy with all they were adding and stopped listening since the COE park down the road was $8 a night with water & electricity (same as state park). The COE parks were heavily used especially on weekends. I can not tell you about the state parks. I think Colorado State Park campgrounds are similar. I will know in a few day since we will be looking for a site after the 4th of July. mike -- >> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > mike In CO, we found that the COE parks had been gifted to the state back during the Clinton years.....so bend over. LZ >>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > during the Clinton years.....so bend over. > LZ Map'n'Go 5 came out around 1999, and it gives rates for COE and NF CGs. The rates have doubled since then, but with my geezer discount, it's still accurate for me. Signaturebill Theory don't mean squat if it don't work. >>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > The rates have doubled since then, but with my geezer discount, it's > still accurate for me. The Geezer Pass is no longer honored by the former COE parks in SD & CO. There may be some COE parks in those states that weren't gifted to the state......but we didn't find any. LZ >>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > that weren't gifted to the state......but we didn't find any. > LZ damn. You'd think geezer discounts would be - if anything was - grandfathered in. Signaturebill Theory don't mean squat if it don't work. >>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida >>>>>> State Parks. [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > damn. You'd think geezer discounts would be - if anything was - > grandfathered in. Sorry. The lifetime guarantee is still good; the places you can use it have become fewer. Does that constitute fraud? LZ >>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] >damn. You'd think geezer discounts would be - if anything was - >grandfathered in. ----------- The geezer discounts still apply to COE parks. Once the Fed Gov "gifted" certain parks to States they became state parks not COE parks. We found that in SD a few years ago. There were some COE parks, some may have been in Nebraska others in SD that honored geezer cards. But the ones "gifted" to the states no longer honor geezer cards. I am not happy about that and do not know who pushed for this. Was it Dems or Republicans? I want to be pissed at one or the other. mike -- >>>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>>>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > mike Check the books. Under what administration did the COE lose the most employees? LZ >>>>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>>>>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] >employees? >LZ Linus, what is the legislation that directed this. Now when was it implemented. Who sponsored the legislation, Who voted for it. When it is implemented don't mean squat. mike -- >>>>>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>>>>>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 56 lines] > Linus, what is the legislation that directed this. Now when was it > implemented. Who sponsored the legislation, Who voted for it. Do your own homework. > When it is implemented don't mean squat. So why did some states get the COE parks and others didn't? I think Daschle was paid off..... LZ > mike >>>>>>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>>>>>>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] > >Do your own homework. That is a fair response but I do not have time. We are on the road. It will have to wait until we are back at the stick & brick and I am bored to death. But I sure would like to know. Am I the only one that wants to know who to direct our anger at? >> When it is implemented don't mean squat. > >So why did some states get the COE parks and others didn't? I think >Daschle was paid off..... Damn good question. It did not take place in every state. Thankfully. mike -- >LZ >> >> mike >>>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>>>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] > >mike Be pissed at both - they have earned it. >>>>>>>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>>>>>>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > >Be pissed at both - they have earned it. Good point & I am. But I do not have an alternative as of yet. mike -- >>> Thought this might be of interest if you are visiting Florida State >>> Parks. [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >during the Clinton years.....so bend over. >LZ You know we found that COE parks in South Dakota had been "gifted" to South Dakota ------ they said during the Bush years. I was pissed with Bush but now you are saying Clinton. Who knows something about the Federal Government "gifting" COE parks to the states? What law prompted it? Was it a presidential decision, if so what president? Whoever it was it pisses me off because the cost to camp in one goes up drastically when the State takes over. mike -- |
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