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Issue: Utah State Parks
Date: April 3, 2004
Author: Ken Larsen
Recently, I received a questionnaire from the Utah State Park Officers
Association. After presenting a convincing argument that they are seriously
underpaid for the work they do and the responsibilities they carry, they
summarized with these two paragraphs, followed by 5 questions:
"To say the least, we are quite disappointed at the way that we have been
treated by the Governor and the Legislature over the last five years. We
realize that the economy has been poor, but we have been asked to sacrifice
more than many of the other state agencies. Fellow employees have been laid
off, parks have closed, funds have decreased, fees have increased, and
salaries have remained stagnant, losing ground to inflation.
"We have encouraged all of our members and their families to get involved in
the political process. You will see State Park Rangers at the political mass
meetings on March 23, and we anticipate that many will be elected as
delegates. In preparation for the campaign that lies ahead for you, please
answer the following questions and reply to us in writing.
"1. How will you demonstrate your support for State Parks and the employees
of the Division?
"2. How will you demonstrate your commitment to the State Park system?
"3. How will you demonstrate to the great employees of the State Parks that
they are valued?
"4. What are you willing to do to ensure that State Park Rangers make enough
money to no longer qualify for food stamps, WIC, and other subsidies?
"5. What do you see as the future for the State Park system?"
My answers:
In the first place, I do not think your participation in the political
process should be relevant to this discussion. You should receive a fair
wage because you earn it, not because you can buy candidates with your
promise of support. Nor should I alter my campaign rhetoric to garner your
support.
I agree with Thomas Jefferson and the other Founders that the only just
purpose of government is to protect life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness
and other inalienable rights of equal individuals. I do not think it should
be the purpose of the government of the State of Utah to take food out of
the mouths of taxpayers in order to subsidize entertainment, recreation,
tourism and other leisure activities.
I think the State Park Rangers should be paid what they are worth and I
think they should earn their pay. Rather than drain the State economy, I
think the Parks should produce a profit. I see Utah's wilderness and
recreational areas as a vast, untapped treasure. I think the State could
hardly have managed this treasure more badly. There should be ways to find a
reasonable balance among all the users of these areas so that water sheds
are preserved, or improved, pristine environments are protected, reasonable
mining, logging and grazing are provided and it is all coordinated by a
system that returns a healthy profit to the State, while paying its
employees a competitive wage.
At the founding of the State in 1896, school lands were allocated to the
State with the theory that they would produce sufficient revenues to finance
all public education within the state. If these lands had been managed
reasonably, that vision might have been achieved. It still might. This great
treasure has been virtually ignored, with a few shining exceptions. I would
hope to find ways to lease vast areas to private management firms that could
then entice private investors and turn a handsome profit, while respecting
the environment. I doubt the problem has been a lack of intelligence or
creativity, but rather a lack of sufficient motivation on the part of
politicians and their surrender to special-interest groups.
My vision for the State Park system would be to transform Utah's Parks into
a system that generates sufficient wealth to be able to afford to pay its
employees, including Park Rangers, enough to entice the very best qualified
applicants from across the nation. I think it's high time we make reasonable
and profitable use of this untapped renewable resource right here under our
feet.
Finally, I see no constitutional basis for surrendering to the National
Government so much of our land. Article I, Section 8, of the US Constitution
authorizes the national government to "exercise like authority over all
places purchased *by the consent of the Legislature of the State in which
the same shall be*, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals,
dock-yards and other needful buildings;" Notice that the feds cannot take
state land without our permission, and then they have to buy it at a fair
price. Notice also that there is no mention of National parks, recreation or
wilderness areas. The Tenth Amendment says these things belong to Utah. My
job as Governor, will be to find a reasonable and peaceful way to put the
Federal Government back in its constitutional box and liberate these lands
for the people of Utah. I realize the Native-American lands are a separate
issue I will not address at this time.
And, I have a question in return: Why don't the Park Rangers find other,
better-paying jobs? Is there nothing else? Are there other non-salary
benefits that keep them? How do you manage to hire them at such shameful pay
scales? Are there too many people seeking these jobs?
Thank you,
Ken Larsen, Candidate for Governor
Personal Choice Party
PS I must add the disclaimer that as a candidate in the Personal Choice
Party I am personally responsible for whatever I say. The Party takes no
side on any issue.
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