This is the new normal, since the 1980's or so when "tax cuts" the politicians can brag about, then require back door "tax increases" through fee harvesting, an

This is the new normal, since the 1980's or so when "tax cuts" the politicians can brag about, then require back door "tax increases" through fee harvesting, and public/private partnerships (another word which in practice is just corruption) took over. Maybe instead of fee harvesting those that can afford it, we actually make "public" lands public instead of trying to keep out the riffraff via fees they can't afford. The federal Gov is more than capable of hiring a couple engineers and creating a reservations website that doesn't require paying $$ everytime you want to get a back country permit, which were free (and first come first served) for the first 100 years of a parks existence. The insanity is, that at least here in TX, its frequently less expensive and just as nice to find one of the many ranches that have recreation structures setup and go there rather than the state parks. The price is about the same, with the bonus of actually paying the owners instead of some corporation shaving off their slice of the pie of what my parents and grandparents already paid for.