Terminator raises Park fees.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will raise state park fees to their highest levels ever, making California one of the most expensive places in the country for a family to spend time outdoors in a government-run park.
State officials disclosed Tuesday that beginning July 1, the daily cost for a family to camp at a state park will nearby double, from a maximum of $13 to $25. As part of a new sliding scale, fees will be higher during times such as the Memorial Day weekend when demand is greatest.
Asked to comment on how the increases square with Schwarzenegger's campaign promise not to raise taxes, aides said that there was a technical difference between fees and taxes, and that the governor had not broken his no-new-tax vow.
"This is not a tax," state parks spokesman Roy Stearns said Tuesday. "People have no choice but to pay a tax. People have a choice as to whether they want to pay this fee. It's like going to the movies."
User-fees are the most democratic form of revenue raising. It allows people to vote with their checkbooks. Calling this fee hike a tax is ridiculous. Parks cost money. Why should the larger expense be made by people who don't use them? I would be happy to see all government services take a user fee approach.
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