- NEWS
- How will Whitney Houston's death affect the Grammys? 1 hour ago
- O.C. surfers doing battle at Upper Trestles 49 minutes ago
- OCVarsity Hot Shots: The week in pictures 48 minutes ago
- 3-car crash closes lane and slows traffic on 405 27 minutes ago
- SPORTS
- OCVarsity Hot Shots: The week in pictures 51 minutes ago
- Lakers' options: tweak now or bleak future 2 hours & 3 minutes ago
- Griffin, Paul lead Clippers' rout of Bobcats
- Flawed UCLA falls short vs. Cal
- BUSINESS
- Tax tips: Save on IRA fees 3 hours & 23 minutes ago
- 142 big O.C. buildings are ‘distressed’ 1 hour & 30 minutes ago
- Seal Beach home prices fell 23% in crash 34 minutes ago
- 12 surprising things made in O.C. 1 hour & 31 minutes ago
- ENTERTAINMENT
- Whitney Houston and others who died young 2 hours & 1 minute ago
- How will Whitney Houston's death affect the Grammys? 1 hour & 3 minutes ago
- O.C.'s Most Interesting People
- Feb. 12 celebrity birthdays
- LIFE
- TRAVEL
- OPINION
Proposal: Save parks by imposing $15 vehicle license fee
June 16th, 2009, 11:20 am · 67 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, science, environment editor
California could avoid shutting down 220 state parks, including Chino Hills in north O.C., by charging a $15 vehicle license fee to all the state’s drivers. 
The proposal, adopted by Democratic lawmakers in a joint budget committee struggling to close California’s $24.3 billion budget gap, was one of several offered as alternatives to sharp cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Democratic legislators hope to make up the shortfall by increasing revenue and adding some new taxes and fees, and rescinding some corporate tax breaks; Republicans oppose the plan, saying the state’s economy could not support more tax increases.
Last month, the 14,000-acre Chino Hills State Park, a portion of which is in northern Orange County, appeared on a list of 220 state parks proposed for closure by the governor. The parks would be placed on “caretaker” status, not sold; no other Orange County parks appeared on the closure list.
The proposal drew a flood of responses and alternative suggestions, from Orange County readers.
Late update: Beach writer Laylan Connelly says the vehicle fee could mean free parking at state beaches.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Register photo of biker in Chino Hills State Park by Bruce Chambers.
Related posts:
- Should Chino Hills State Park be shut down? Readers respond
- Chino Hills State Park proposed for closure
Latest posts:
Reader Comments
Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreement.- Keep it civil and stay on topic.
- No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks.
- People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
67 Comments
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
-
-
-
16th annual People’s Choice
From your favorite restaurants and shops to the best day spa in town, here are your choices for the number one places to eat, shop and play in O.C.
Browse the 2009 Best of Orange County winners-
ADVERTISEMENT
Didn’t they get the message to stop taxing us. We ” the people” have said no. They already increased our vehicle tax once this year.
More fees, higher taxes, less service. I’m going to another state where the taxes are low and people work for a living. Tell ya what folks, as much as I hate the “Governator” at least he holds his finger up and checks the polls. If you get rid of him and the liberals in the big cities keep the dems in, look out if that idiot from San Fran gets in. The dems don’t listen to the people except the far left. All I hear from the media is that the republicans destroyed the economy for the past 8 years. It sure is funny how states like Cal and NY are the worst. Aren’t they run by liberals with lots of taxes and spending. Keep it up dems and liberal republicans. Hey lets all learn to speak Mandarin see’in how China is about to own us outright.
Are these people up in Sacramento BRAIN DEAD. How about they start slashing the money they are given for perks for being elected officials. come on people (Democratic Lawmakers), start using some common sense here. We the people are tired of paying for your lack of economics 101. Start getting back to the basics of balancing the budget. We have way too many social services in this state that we are paying for. get rid of them. Remember we put you into the office and we the people can vote you out of office. Enough is Enough.
What the hell is going on? Another $15 added on every familly in california.
I think we should think about this stupid governor.
No way to this fee increase, we have more than enough taxes and fees as it is. The legislature needs to reform the way the budget system is structured and reform the way it spends. The Dems appear to have the attitude that more taxes is the solution to everything, rather than more frugal spending and revamping our state’s financial system.
Didn’t they just double our registration fees? Now they want to add another fee to it?!? Forget that.
What? More fees…they must be out of their minds…they should stop spending more than what they have…enough is enough…maybe some of them should stop getting their salaries and allowances…so, arnold, you thought it’s easy to run california…no way…just quit…
Why doesn’t the State charge the people who are actually USING the parks. For example: If the entrance fees are now $7, charge $20!
I am sure the day use people would be ok with that and the multi-day campers/users would still be getting off cheaper than many other options.
On holidays at the beaches (Labor Day, 4th of July, etc.) the State doesn’t seem to mind gouging, I mean raising the rates by double if not triple the usual going rates. People still seem to pay and the parking lots are always full. Why not employ the same strategy at all of the State parks?
Just a thought…
Agreed. Let’s not forget that they’re not getting rid of every State Park, they’re getting rid of, from what I can tell, about 70% of them. There will still be plenty of parks left to visit. Those who visit should simply be asked to pay higher fees.
Sounds fair to me!
Sorry I didn’t elaborate more. I don’t usually submit comments, but this subject has me fuming! I was responding to the suggestion made by D.S. Baldwin and I am also in agreement with many other people who have submitted their comments in that enough is enough already!
I knew that they would eventually start this manure back up again. Didn’t they get our message on May 19? How much more clear could we have been? Don’t even talk to us about more taxes. Cut your payments to the illegal foreigners. Cut the pensions and salaries to the state workers. Get rid of all the good ‘ol boy appointments on the commissions. But don’t you dare raise our taxes. We spoke loud and clear. Take the plugs from your ears.
Mike, I’m a Dem, and I oppose the tax. Lets not be too quick to judge, huh? If the parks have to close, so be it. Its good for them to regenerate for awhile anyway. We’ve run them ragged. I will only approve new taxes when we quit paying for the southern freeloaders.
BS! Close the parks OR simply open them as public land. DON’T TAX ME BRO!
close them we can’t AFFORD it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought we already had a tax increase that will fix everything… now they want more…
Im in favor of cutting the welfare spending… maybe then some of the societal sponges will move to other states… we should include free bus tickets to other states in the letter we send telling them that they are cut off.
The May 19th election apparently fell on deaf ears in Sacramento.
Cut services to illegal aliens (annual savings $13 billion), eliminate unneeded and redundant agencies. Make the legislature part-time, so they have less time to waste drafting unnecessary bills, and they would be required to actually work on present problems, instead of creating new ones.
My car TAX has already doubled. It’s not a fee, it’s a TAX. They still think we are stupid. Cut what needs to be cut, money to illegals and union contracts. We have nothing more to be stolen from us.
Just got my vehicle registration bill last week for $500, what’s another 15.
The only thing the state of California is going to achieve is drive all the intelligent people out and be left with nothing but welfare leaches.
Fred;
That happened a long time ago.
These Democrat Legislators are out of control!!!!! As for the parks, I always thought we could maybe be open to a volunteer program to run some of the parks. What nerve to raise registration fees!
this is BS! do not tax me you have done that enough you have already dinged my car tags and they went up 375.00 more than they were last year so i say close the freeken parks
Heck no, instead of spending all that money in LA for the lakers, the corps should have donated to a good green issue.
You jerks in Sacramento are killing us with the fees/taxes. We need a special election just to kick all these clowns out of office.
Given that the number of “cars” in California is roughly 19.6 million (registered) That is $294 Million dollars they want.
If you include trucks and busses the total is more like 32.5 million (registered) for a total of $487,500.000.
I doupt they are looking at the parks for that money. CUT CUT CUT
This is such B.S. This is what they are going to do, ” well if you just agree to pay a little over here, and a little over there we wont have to close parks and all the other things you want”. These are taxes plain and simple, not fees. These D-BAGS just dont get it, the party is over, cut illegals benefits cut the commisions cut the the unions pensions we are done paying for all this ****. I make a decent livivng and I along with several of my friends have had it and are ready to bail to a state that appreciates us and wont take our money give it to people who dont deserve it and then ask for more. Bunch of complete losers.
How about we save the parks by eliminating welfare, food stamps and all the other freebies we hand out to people who don’t work?
Worst idea ever. Have people volunteer.
Let’s see. I haven’t received any pay increases from my privite employer in the last 8 years. This month we’ve getting a 10% salary cut beacuse of the bad economy. My employee health care premiums have doubled in the last 5 years and most of our employee benefits have been drastically reduced. And the stupid democrats in Sacramento don’t have a clue about the real world worker’s struggles. I’m not talking about the cushy government jobs with huge pensions. Every time the Sacramento democrats propose solving the fiscal crises with more taxes on the hard workers. It’s now time to cut the fat with a chain saw. N. Korea knows how to solve the illegal immigrant problem – twelve years of hard labor.
Why don’t these Demoncrats vote to cut their salaries to support their cause? It’s easy to write up stupid laws when it’s not their money.
The state collects more than enough money to pay.
I have an idea! Let’s take the money from all the legislators first, since they do the spending, and when that’s all gone take away all their perks and if we still owe more, THEN and ONLY THEN will we consider more taxes. What do you think about that!
Close the parks or tax the people? State parks should be making money, afterall they charge fees. If someone wants to use a park they should pay a fee equal to the upkeep of said park and staff. If the park is not financially self sustaining then perhaps we should look at selling it. Don’t tax the masses for the benefit of a few. Beyond that this is complete BS. I don’t believe for one second that this suggested fee/tax would not be used to directly keep the parks open .
I’m with everyone who said cut welfare, food stamps, and medical for freeloader and illegals!!! I but we would be surprise at the amount of money that would be saved.
I agree with your comment, Michelle, that a good place to start is stopping the services to illegals as well as other freeloaders.
I must say I am completely shocked to be on the wrong side of this issue. To me $15 is not a lot of money to keep the parks open for those that need it. I live in San Berdo and this summer the public pools have been shut down because of the crash in revenues. I’m anticipating riots when the temperatures reach over a 100 for a week or so. $15 to keep the parks open to keep people from rioting is cheap social insurance. I may be wrong.
Im with the others…until they start talking about cutting services to illegals any additional taxation or fees proposed should not even be considered. Its not rocket science-if you want to balance the budget a good place to start would be stop funding and paying for services that go to non-citizens. At the minimum would to be too much to ask for proof of citizenship before we start handing out rewards?
$15 dollars to keep parks open… that’s a no brainer! these parks offer endless cheap activities for people, and access to nature that we don’t get round these parts
The states needs to reduce spending.
Stop all social services to the illegals!
I just don’t’ know what it’s going to take for politicians to understand that they don’t have an option to raise more money through taxes and fees – THERE’S NONE LEFT! We don’t have any more money to give you… GET IT?! There’s so much wasteful spending that’s not being cut while there’s BILLIONS still going out to services for people that shouldn’t even be in the country. OK, you can debate the usefulness of spending that money when there’s plenty to go around, but we don’t have any extra. I’m tired of being told that I have to pull MORE money out of my pocket to keep our state government afloat when they’re still spending money like drunken sailors. It must take a special kind of idiot in Sacramento to not understand this. We’re one of the most heavily taxed states in the union. You can’t keep coming back for more because you’ve already taken everything there is to take. CUT THE FREAKIN’ SPENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#1 – I don’t even use the state parks why should i have to pay a freaking additional tax on them
#2 – Stop all benefits to ILLEGAL ALIENS and our budget crisis would be over.
#3 – Get rid of our pathetic government officials who keep coming up with all these freaking additional taxes to cover state expenses.
#4 – Cut all wages to the standard wage in California for all government officials and Cut out all retirement benefits to all government officials and make them retire on social security just like we have to. Watch how fast things start to change when they have to survive like we do.
Why don’t they just take some of my blood? I can’t afford to spend more money, I am barely making it as it is and I still haven’t received my vehicle registration to find out the damage.
I may just stop driving all together and sell my car. These people are mad, why don’t they learn to cut expenses like I do when I can’t pay my bills?
No more Fees!!! No more taxes!!!!! We already are taxed and charged for everything we really already own!! we paid for all this along time ago. Stop all the damn free hand outs to those that don’t deserve it. A.K.A you didn’t pay in you, you don’t get help!!!!
Tax the bus riders instead! They pay no VLF, registration fee, gas taxes…
Somebody has got to be kidding. Another $15 on top of the “garbage fees” they’ve tacked onto vehicle registration fees over the years?
In the early ’90s the base vehicle registration fee stood at $10. Now it’s nearly seven times that. Don’t forget the car tax just doubled!
I’m glad I had the foresight to plant a couple of money trees in the back yard after February’s historic state tax hikes. They should be in full bloom by the time some proposal or other sails through the Legislature, so I can go out back, pick off a few bills, and send them in.
Really now, with everything from water rates to Southern California Edison going through the roof, where do they expect us to get the money? Our so-called representatives in Sacramento should be ashamed of themselves.
How about stopping expired license vehicles? Chances are they are not Insured also. By the way there is a new cheet the system: But a Paper Advertizement over your rear license plate, that way the Law can’t see you do not have currant tags. It might also serve to get more cars off the road and save the Planet!
We should have check points every day, just like DUI check points, only don’t advertize them in advance. Check for valid CDL, insurance and current registration. Impound all vehicles that have drivers with suspended CDL or no insurance. Citations do not work. They keep on driving.
If $15 keeps the parks open, and entry fees are waived then it’s more than worth it.
If they want to charge the $15 for vehicle registration AND charge $10 to park at Crystal Cove State Beach, or any other state facility… then I say suck it.
Does this mean that we get “free” admission to all of the state parks? If not, they can stick it up their ____.
really Les? Admission to those parks helps pay for upkeep / maintenance, and supplements CA’s income… so $15 is just too much to ask? wow.
what you people dont understand is that its tax cuts that got us into this mess.
so.. here’s a big thanks a lot to all you upper tax bracket whinners calling for no more taxes.
We have one of the highest tax rates of any state. What tax cuts are you talking about? We spend over $12 billion a year on services and benefits for illegal immigrants. Do you think this might be part of our budget crisis?
Where in the …. are the legislature’s priorities? $15 to keep parks open while children, regardless of where they are from, don’t get basic PREVENTIVE health care.
I’m not in the “upper tax bracket” and I’ve had enough! It wouldn’t be half as bad if the idiots in Sacramento could manage to do something other than bitch and moan and screw things up!
hell NO! enough already with raising fees,find another way and find another job Arnie!
I think it is time for all the people in California to start voting and take our state back or pack up and leave it to the liberals and the illegals.
I believe that in return you get free admission to the parks for the day if you have a CA license plate. A 10 dollar value per vehicle.
Pat Brennan forgot to mention that so that you would be irrate and start posting comments to his blog.
Go to the park twice and you would be saving money
Over my dead body!
This is crap!!!!!
I don’t even use the stinkin’ parks – charge extra for those who want to use it as an entry fee.
STOP PROPOSING NEW TAXES ON US!!!! WE’VE SAID NO!
Question: What is the open borders socialist democrats and RINO’s answer for everything!
Answer: New taxes, I’m sorry let me rephrase. “New revenues.”
If you want fees, why not stop people driving cars with expired license plates? I can count a dozen or so every day I am on the street and I wonder why I have to, not only register and licenses my vehicles, but insure them when the police ignore those who don’t! Am I alone in this?
WTF, the State Parks aren’t bankrupting the state!!!!!!!!!! Why are they always the threat the governor uses? Close every single park and it would not do a thing towards helping the deficit. Stop services to illegal immigrants, limit welfare, and for God Sakes, pass a budget and then follow it. Thats what individuals are doing, why can’t our legislators????? Hope they are reading this. And LONG LIVE STATE PARKS
F the parks, down with taxes… I mean “fees”
Hey Tean F-YOU!!!!! I pay way to much already, I dont have kids in school, I have my own insurance, the only thing I use are the roads and as far as I’m concerned I pay way more than enough for that.
The State is going to do everything it can, to protect the services and benefits for illegal immigrants. There isn’t a single state official that is willing to step up to the plate and talk about it. It is far easier, to sneak these small taxes, disguised as fees, past us, and hope that we won’t notice. I just got my registration renewal bills in the mail.for over $600. for two used vehicles A huge increase over last year.
Or maybe we could just give all our money to the government and they could decide how best to use it…
State revenues have gone up nearly 50% while spending has gone up 100% since Davis’ regime. Inflation and population have been less than half that. What are we getting for our money if everything is closing or cut back?
Hey Arnie, cut the government and Cali will be fine.