If Federal Parks were converted to a Governmental Corp., good or bad?

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FreddyS

FreddyS

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In theory, it is possible, look at TVA.  What would it mean though?  Self-sustaining and not subject to being shut down by Federal budget, but would be run like a business corporation.  A corporation is designed to maximize profits for it's shareholders which would be the American taxpayer.  Would rates and fees go up at National parks?  Personally, I think it would be a bad idea, but what do I know.

Your thoughts?
 
There is little wrong with the National Parks system as it is.  Now, maybe a couple of amendments as to how Congress functions might be in order. :)
 
I don't think it would matter in this case, there is a report that the state of Arizona would pick up the expense of keeping the grand canyon open but the regime has declined the offer and closed it anyway. Another report claims a privately funded park on federal land was closed also. I don't know how true they are I wasn't there.
 
the government is self governing... don't think you're going to change that.
 
I am also inclined to believe a commercial venture would not be as good as the government running the parks.

While it is true the government gets shut down every couple of decades for a bit.  Fact is so do companies, and far more often.
 
John From Detroit said:
While it is true the government gets shut down every couple of decades for a bit.  Fact is so do companies, and far more often.
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    Companies compete in the open market - and as such have to keep costs down and present a good product to stay alive and get bids. Not true with the government, John. Tons of government run projects could be better run by private industry. NASA is a good example.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/4263233

I like this quote -- "The spirit of private enterprise is crucial to the future of space exploration. . . ". It applies, IMO, to most functions of the government.

 
    Bob, although he claims that this was a common comments among all the astronauts, John Glenn used it a number of years ago when being asked about how he felt prior to heading to space in the Mercury Program.  ""How do you think you'd feel if you knew you were on top of two million parts built by the lowest bidder in a government contract?"

Ed
 
jim,
I do not think the post office is a good analogy. There have been too many other things--the internet--unions--competition--government controlled retirement packages  that have affected the post office.

But, a corporation will charge all the market will bear. Look at private parks near large attractions and California state parks. Both are priced out of my market. I think that a business would do the same to the federal parks. As far as looking out for the American taxpayer, I think we all know how that works.
 
The problem is that the National Parks are owned by all of us and we all should have access. What do you do when the prices go so high that not all of us can afford to visit? Now, I've always thought that letting corporations "adopt" parks might be a good idea, maybe something like the highway litter signs "adopted by" but corporations pay to say "we adopted Yellowstone NP".
 
Historically the parks have not been a profitable operation. If it was owned by a private corporation they would have to raise the prices and attendance would drop. Sounds like a good idea to me.
 
Hfx_Cdn said:
    Bob, although he claims that this was a common comments among all the astronauts, John Glenn used it a number of years ago when being asked about how he felt prior to heading to space in the Mercury Program.  ""How do you think you'd feel if you knew you were on top of two million parts built by the lowest bidder in a government contract?"

Ed
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Yes, I've read that, Ed. Thanks!

However, as a former government manager posting and evaluating bids at both the Bureau of Reclamation and the Office of Personnel Management -- and a bidder on State and Federal government contracts as a self employed vendor, can verify that low bid is only one criteria selection is based on. And the weight applied to low bid is usually relatively small. A much higher weight is applied to proven skill and degree of positive vs. negative feedback.
 
halfwright said:
But, a corporation will charge all the market will bear. Look at private parks near large attractions and California state parks. Both are priced out of my market. I think that a business would do the same to the federal parks. As far as looking out for the American taxpayer, I think we all know how that works.
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Exactly my concern!  Right now, you may have to make your reservations a full year in advance, but the cost is still reasonable.  So they become governmental corporations and the market says that what used to be a $ 50 fee can now be a $ 500 fee because that is what the market will bear.  A whole lot of people including myself get priced out of visiting a Federal park.  That just does not strike me as being right.  All citizens should have reasonable access to them.  JM2C.
 
utahclaimjumper said:
At least the system, if corp. run would not be a victim of politics as is now.>>>Dan
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Alas, that is not the case.. It has been what, A decade and a half or more since the Government went into shutdown.

Companies. often do a couple weeks off ever 1-3 years.  On this issue you'd be jumping out of the frying pan directly into the fire.

Unless, of course, you think MANAGEMENT can run the business all by themselves.
 
utahclaimjumper said:
At least the system, if corp. run would not be a victim of politics as is now.>>>Dan
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I can't imagine the NPS being "sold" to private enterprize(s), so if it were privatized, it would likely be in a similar fashion as the Postal Service and politics have nearly destroyed that service.  And we sure as heck wouldn't want the parks to be sold off without any controls or stipulations on their future.  Otherwise, they would likely be sold off piecemeal by the purchasers for high profit and the public be damned.  No, the government has done a decent job in maintaining the National Parks so far.  It's our job to put representatives in office who will see to the parks future the way we want.
 
Save National Defense, I've seen few things that the private sector can't run more efficiently than a govt entity.  That said, the govt could award say a 5 year contract to run the parks to private concessionaires.  Best of both worlds.  And with cancellation clauses for egregious violations of the overall mission statement.  Every 5 years, a different company gets to bid on running things.  And one company wouldn't be allowed to run all of the parks simultaneously. 
 
Molaker said:
. . . , so if it were privatized, it would likely be in a similar fashion as the Postal Service and politics have nearly destroyed that service.
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    As has on line communication. I used to get tons of bills, letters from friends and family, plus advertising in my physical mailbox almost daily. Now I rarely receive anything. About a month ago I bought a postage stamp - the second one this year. Cannot remember the last time I paid a bill by writing a check and sending via mail.  Earlier with my SW business I would send demo versions, final copies and updates via CD via USPS. Now everything I do is on line. If it wasn't for the fact that on-line shopping has given them added income, I doubt they would be able to exist.

I "do" get good service from USPS when ordering on line. I shop a lot at Amazon and most of my stuff is delivered standard 3-5 day - and that has never been more than 4 days. So for the most part, it appears they have done an OK job of reinventing themselves.
 
Bob Buchanan said:
    As has on line communication. I used to get tons of bills, letters from friends and family, plus advertising in my physical mailbox almost daily. Now I rarely receive anything. About a month ago I bought a postage stamp - the second one this year. Cannot remember the last time I paid a bill by writing a check and sending via mail.  Earlier with my SW business I would send demo versions, final copies and updates via CD via USPS. Now everything I do is on line. If it wasn't for the fact that on-line shopping has given them added income, I doubt they would be able to exist.

I "do" get good service from USPS when ordering on line. I shop a lot at Amazon and most of my stuff is delivered standard 3-5 day - and that has never been more than 4 days. So for the most part, it appears they have done an OK job of reinventing themselves.
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Hmmm.  Guess you didn't notice the recent reduction in service, particularly the reduction of post office hours or even closure in some cases.  Yes, they have done a fairly good job considering the burden congress placed on them with their retirement program.  That's where the politics came in.  Now the USPS is just short of bankruptcy thanks in a big part to congress.  And you can bet your booty politics would play a negative roll if the parks management was contracted out.  There would be too much money to be made for them to keep their grubby hands out of it.  At least, with the way it is now, the temptation to raid the cookie jar is minimized.
 
Bob Buchanan said:
    As has on line communication. I used to get tons of bills, letters from friends and family, plus advertising in my physical mailbox almost daily. Now I rarely receive anything. About a month ago I bought a postage stamp - the second one this year. Cannot remember the last time I paid a bill by writing a check and sending via mail.  Earlier with my SW business I would send demo versions, final copies and updates via CD via USPS. Now everything I do is on line. If it wasn't for the fact that on-line shopping has given them added income, I doubt they would be able to exist.

I "do" get good service from USPS when ordering on line. I shop a lot at Amazon and most of my stuff is delivered standard 3-5 day - and that has never been more than 4 days. So for the most part, it appears they have done an OK job of reinventing themselves.
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Agree...but keep in mind the cost of shipping.  Their rates are a little lower than FedEx and UPS because they are subsidized by the American Taxpayer.  The same go for Federal parks.......they too are subsidized.  If they were not, fees and concessions would go up quite a bit and a lot of people would be priced out of visiting them.
 
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