I have friends, family and colleagues in California... for all their hard work, this is devastating to watch.
Decades of hard work by regulators and environmental protections agencies thrown away in one term. CA is dumping environmental and energy goals at a biblical pace.
It is my prediction that - like leading our nations 'fiscal fall' California will also be the beginning of our environmental fallings
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget cuts could mean the closing of up to 220 state parks, among them the home of the world's tallest tree and other attractions that draw millions of visitors. Schwarzenegger this week recommended eliminating $70 million in parks spending through June 30, 2010. An additional $143.4 million would be saved in the following fiscal year by keeping the parks closed.
What's puzzling about the decision is the relatively small savings this would provide-- California's the 6th largest economy in the world, remember. A couple hundred million seems like an awful small amount when considering the gain: state parks draw tourism revenue every year, and are a beloved institution to many Californians. It seems like the political loss alone--the move is sure to be deeply unpopular--wouldn't be worth the minor gains to the budget.