delete

[Curly]

saw a Clint Didier (running for commissioner of public lands) said he would make state lands accessible again.  Could just be empty promises, but we know goldmark screwed us hunters with the discover pass.  Anyone who says he didn't do it, and the legislature did, is in the dark.

Cool.   I was hoping Didier would say that.  Now I will just have to cross my fingers that he gets elected and actually helps do something about the discover pass.  Then I can actually use DNR land again.

BTW - I was going to vote for Didier anyway, even if he hadn't said anything about the DP.  I also think that with a little leadership from Goldmark, the DP would have been limited to only being req'd at Campgrounds and improved trailheads/rec areas.

[Cap.Silver]

I for one don't want to buy DP .The state has to have some sort of accounting system,right? It should be transparent and we should be able to see .........like quickbooks - you hit a button and you can see where funds went ,how much etc..... I would like to know ,what happens if one of us has to go to court because of the fine ,what would happen ? Last time I went to court it didn't play well ..........got Nazi judge .....

[BOWHUNTER45]

The Dis Cover Pass is another act of desperate DEMOCRATS ... I never bought one and never will ...Democrats can only think of ways to take money from us and also look up more state lands ...Just like DNR ..It was designed for recreation and for all to enjoy ..but lets lock it up So no one can use it .. I hope the people have enough brains to sheet can the whole pile of these idiots in Seattle !! I pray every night 

[Highcountry360]

Anyone who thinks that $30 goes to state land is blind. This is just an excuse for them to reallocate funds to pay for the TOP HEAVY government in this frickin state, Democrats have all these programs and no way to pay for them!!!!!!!!

[KenPCPilot]

Anyone who thinks that $30 goes to state land is blind. This is just an excuse for them to reallocate funds to pay for the TOP HEAVY government in this frickin state, Democrats have all these programs and no way to pay for them!!!!!!!!

I don't mind paying for use of state land.  with that said i agree we need to be in charge of allocating

[jtw]

I for one don't want to buy DP .The state has to have some sort of accounting system,right? It should be transparent and we should be able to see .........like quickbooks - you hit a button and you can see where funds went ,how much etc..... I would like to know ,what happens if one of us has to go to court because of the fine ,what would happen ? Last time I went to court it didn't play well ..........got Nazi judge .....

I believe all financial data is open to public disclosure.

[fireweed]

News Tribune Interview:
Should the state continue to require drivers to pay for a Discover Pass to park on DNR recreation lands?


Clint Didier: Candidate response is not yet available.

Peter J. Goldmark: Absolutely. With the state budget in its current situation, we need our users to help share the costs of keeping our all state lands open for recreation.

Read more here: http://c3.thevoterguide.org/v/tacoma12/race-detail.do?id=10638901#storylink=cpy

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Saw this over the weekend!

[33 Winchester]

So far, it seems almost everyone responding to the post has complaints about the Discover Pass.

Me too.

It is a regressive tax.  Chump change to folks with money but punitive for poor people and seniors on fixed incomes. 

Fees are perturbations; they constrain use.  They can serve as a government social engineering tool, along with subsidies for favored groups and activities.

Pay to play programs have a poor performance record.  If you follow the history and court cases of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, you know the problems with the America The Beautiful Pass.  Fees work where you have turnstiles or toll booths, but public lands agencies have inevitable trouble administering a broad access program such as the Discover Pass.  I too have noticed several land users without passes. 

In the free market, prices are agreed upon between buyer and seller by definition.  Competition protects a range of options and moderates prices.  No such mechanism exists in the public sector.  For instance, in British Columbia some of the moving waters require a Classified Waters fishing license in addition to the nonresident alien license.  In the cutthroat waters of SE BC the daily CW license for nonresidents started out at $20 per day, but went to $40 per day just because government has the power to charge anything they want to charge.  Government fees are coercive by nature.

As far as I can recall, every state, province and country I have been in claims to be supportive of recreation and tourism.  Recreation user fees are the greatest threat ever to those activities.  Washington might as well hang out a NOT WELCOME sign at the border.

Here is the real question:  If someone launched an initiative to kill the Discover Pass and require the state to adequately fund state lands, would you support the initiative?

[Knocker of rocks]

Clint Didier: Candidate response is not yet available.

The Didier campiagn in a nut shell. 

[Mudman]

Yes.

[Curly]

Here is the real question:  If someone launched an initiative to kill the Discover Pass and require the state to adequately fund state lands, would you support the initiative?

Yes.

[JakeLand]

I think the discover pass is a waste of money where i hunt (wet side) this year they put discovery pass signs all over the place alot of them are located in the WRONG areas if you have your hunting license you should not have to buy the STUPID discovery pass and I for one will not contribute to a fund that I see nothing is kept up and maintaned.I also think we pay enough in licenses and tags that our wdfg parking pass is more than good enough.  Sorry it pi$$es me off (discovery pass) that is. Wow that felt great

[cuzsis]

 I think making people pay to use public land is terrible.

 It's not like "Well, some people use it and some don't." Just about everyone uses public land at some point in their life, whether it's a trip to the park, to the beach, to the woods for a hike, going hunting, going fishing....

 Public land is also the last recreation poor people have. I don't know how many other folks have been there, but when the only entertainment you can afford is a gallon of gas to get you to the lake (with your pb&j sandwiches) suddenly forking over another $10-$30 can put an end to the trip just like that.

 The state has frittered away money on lots of useless and stupid ideas. Now they threaten to close things people use in order to twist their arms into paying more for stuff they already pay for through taxes! 

 I hate the Discover Pass and what it represents. 

[villageidiot]

Just another step toward Government Tyranny!