Thankfully, there are just two weeks left to go in the 2016 general election. Which begs the question: Which nominee would be better for the National Park System and National Park Service?
While Democrat Hillary Clinton did put forth a statement outlining her intention to create a trust fund for the parks, not much has been heard from Republican Donald Trump on the parks specifically.
There have been reports that Mr. Trump would support the transfer of some federal lands in the West to states, a position the Republican Party adopted at its convention this past summer. And how would his proposal to build a wall along the U.S. - Mexico border impact border parks such as Big Bend National Park, Chamizal National Memorial, Coronado National Memorial, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument?
Which candidate do you think would be best for the park system and Park Service?
Comments
Oh gosh, here comes the tin foil hat brigade.
I dunno, Alfred. What about those angry young liberals who signed the Declaration?
Am I wrong to believe that the people who made this country are really a mix of all kinds? Isn't that diversity one of the strongest parts of our democracy? Trying to hand all the credit -- or all the blame -- to any single group of people ignores our history. Our history has been one long, endless, tug of war in which the rope has pulled backwards and forwards, but has somehow managed to achieve a sort of tenuous balance. A very fragile balance, and a balance that shifts from day to day. In the end, however, it generally seems to somehow remain at least sort of in the middle of the stream of history.
In my mind the current explosion of extremism on both sides is a terrible danger to all of us. It has led us beyond mere disagreements into outright hate and an awful potential for violence. That, and politicians of all stripes at all levels of government who seem to have forgotten that they should be serving their constituents instead of trying to enrich themselves in various ways.
And if this thread seems to be straying from the subject of national parks, it's probably because our parks are only one very small part of a much larger picture.
Secretary Clinton.
Bankruptcy is a legitimate and common business practice. I would hope we would have a president that would exploit every arrow in his quiver to serve his constituency.
Not even close. Secretary Clinton. Trump would sell off the parks to private industry as soon as he had the chance, including mining rights if he could.
So MichiganRunner, what policy statement has Trump made that indicates he would sell off the parks to private industry?
He won't sell them. He'll just buy them.
I can see it now. Advertisements enticing us to visit Trumpowstone or Yosetrump or Donaldsbad Caverns. He'll probably update the Statue of Liberty, too, with a bikini and Miss Universe Tiara so she won't be only a 4 any more.
Just think, all our national park money woes will be instantly solved by adding casinos to all the visitor centers. If that doesn't work, there's always that legitimate and common business practice to fall back on.
Wow. I'd never have thought of all those possibilities! Maybe America really can be great again!
Trumpty Dumpty is all over the place. One day he says he doesn't support transferring lands when he's being interviewed by a outdoor oriented magazine, then in another state at another venue he says to the contingency that wants to hear he would sell them that land - that he should do just that. So, I guess it depends on whose listening at the time. In the end, it's obvious he has no real set plans. I think that became evident during the presidential debates. He's all boisterous chatter, with no real plans. He'll be the wing-it wingnut.
http://www.denverpost.com/2016/09/21/sportsmen-conservationists-candidat...