Zinke Defends Plan to Raise Park Fees Amid Flap Over Travel
Source: nytimes.
WASHINGTON Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke bristled Tuesday under questioning by Democrats about his travel spending as the Trump administration seeks deep cuts to conservation programs and fee increases at national parks........................
He has proposed doubling entry fees during peak seasons at some of the nation's most popular national parks to help make up for an $11 billion backlog in needed maintenance. Meanwhile, he has proposed cutting royalty fees paid by energy companies to drill for oil and natural gas on public lands.
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"I resent the fact of your insults, I resent the fact they're misleading, I resent the fact of the doors," Zinke said to Cantwell, the tone of his voice growing sharp. "And I'll go through line by line. ... To allege that it's a private jet is inappropriate, ma'am."
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Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., told Zinke he has fallen far short of his self-professed role model, Theodore Roosevelt, a renowned conservationist who protected about 230 million acres of public lands. By contrast, Zinke "pushed the largest reduction of ... treasured public lands in American history," proposed opening most of America's coasts to offshore oil drilling and "played a shell game" with wildfire budgeting during the most expensive wildfire season in U.S. history, Wyden said.
Wyden, who has served in Congress for nearly four decades, called his vote to confirm Zinke "one of the biggest regrets of my time in public service."....................................
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/03/13/us/politics/ap-us-congress-zinke-spending.html
So, Zinke bristled. ha ha. He needs to RESIGN! And no, the park fees should NOT be raised.
Citizens for Ethics
?Verified account @CREWcrew
"Insults and innuendos are misleading. I never took a private jet anywhere," Zinke said, adding that all three flights he had taken on private planes as secretary were on aircraft driven by propellers, not jet engines. The engines are not the issue here.
Link to tweet
Docreed2003
(16,858 posts)Sell off lands, raise entrance fees to price out the average citizen which will reduce attendance, then sell off more lands to make up the difference...this guy isnt worthy of standing in the shadow of Theodore Roosevelt.
DemoTex
(25,393 posts)Raise the fees for Public Land access (I cap that because I substitute it for National Parks, National Forests, National Monuments, etc.). Drive visitorship down. Justify lower visitorship numbers to close/privatize our PUBLIC LANDS.
Look at the Trump rape of the Bears Ears (Obama) and Grand Staircase Escalante (Clinton) national monuments. I am totally insane over this.
Can I scream any louder?
Willis Creek Slot Canyon
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
Utah
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,994 posts)National Parks are now free for children in Canada.
CrispyQ
(36,457 posts)Making the People pay more to enjoy our Commons, while letting the corpos profit off of our Commons.
Craven, assholes of the highest order.