Hidden California state parks funds spark outrage

The Sacramento Bee ^ | Juy 21, 2012 | Matt Weiser and Kevin Yamamura

[Cincinatus' Wife]

California state parks Director Ruth Coleman resigned and her second-in-command was fired Friday after officials discovered the department has been sitting on "hidden assets" totalling nearly $54 million.

The money accumulated over 12 years in two special funds the department uses to collect revenue and pay for operations: $20.4 million in the Parks and Recreation Fund, and $33.5 million in the Off Highway Vehicle Trust Fund.

The money accumulated, state officials said, because the parks department had a pattern of underreporting the actual size of the funds in its regular dealings with the state Department of Finance.

....Advocates for the state parks system reacted with alarm and dismay. The money would have been enough to cover – twice over – the $22 million in state budget cuts imposed on parks in 2011. In response to the cuts, the department moved to close 70 of the state's 278 parks, an unprecedented act. Virtually every other park has had its hours and services cut to save money.

.....One swift fallout was that Sonoma County park advocates on Friday canceled a local sales tax ballot measure planned as a long-term funding solution for parks in the region. The news of financial mismanagement at the state level, Hart said, was "just too much" to overcome in a campaign for the measure.

"We were on the brink of doing something transformative in Sonoma County when this happened," Hart said. "This has so many layers of destruction."...

[GunsAndBibles]

Their mantra has been vote for the tax increases or college tuition will be raised, the school year shortened, fire fighters laid off, police laid off and state parks closes.

Couldn't be truer, the CA politicians have always threatened to "punish" the populace if their tax increases weren't approved. There is never, ever any talk of cutting the bureaucracy.

BTW - CAMPING FEES IN CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS ARE $25~$35 per nights. WHAT ARE THE FEES IN YOUR STATE?

[vette6387]

From the Article:

“Why and how this occurred remains a mystery and will be the subject of investigations launched Friday by the Department of Finance and the state attorney general’s office, said John Laird, secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, which oversees the state Department of Parks and Recreation and who announced the discovery of the funds on Friday.”

You begin to see the layers of buraucracy. We have a California Natural Resources Agency, with a “secretary” who “oversees” The State Parks Department!” We went to Van Damme State Park in Mendocino last year just as the park closures were beginning to take place. Several minor day use places where one could actually go out on the coast were being closed. The restrooms at Van Damme were a disgrace, The only thing that the “rangers” did was collect the $35/day fee. Everything else was closed. This guy Laird needs to go too and be replaced with a couple dozen PLO’s*

(*Permanent Latrine Orderly’s”)

[vette6387]

Have a look at the passel of “RAT Turds” who are running this scam! The RAT Patronage System is alive and well in CA!

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/21/4646523/key-players-in-parks-scandal.html

[Popman]

Nobody in state government audited their books in 12 years ?

Makes one wonder how much money is "hidden" by the thousands of other California depts.

Also makes one wonder if these were actual slush funds to skim off the top by politicians to fund various nefarious crapola...

One thing for sure....it wasn't an oversight....

Oops' we forgot we had 54 million dollars...Right...

[af_vet_rr]

“Most of those park closures were avoided because numerous nonprofits and local governments put up their own money to take over parks or subsidize state operations. This made the revelations of “hidden assets” even harder to stomach, because all the heartache and fundraising might not have been necessary.”

It's not a complete waste, it got some of those parks into the hands of local government, who can probably do a better job than the State of California.

[Monorprise]

Indeed, instead in government they fire people for saving money. It seems their intention is to milk from the Taxpayer as much money as possibly for the sake of milking from the Tax payer that money.

[dragnet2]

The California state government LIED to us.

It's what corrupt, out of control government does.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

“This guy Laird needs to go too and be replaced with a couple dozen PLO’s*

(*Permanent Latrine Orderly’s”)

I’m very glad you clarified that!