Think it’ll save money? Think again.
And for those who pooh-poohed my assertion that shutting down national parks will lose a significant amount of money for certain states, the federal government collects $34 million a day in revenues just from entry fees alone, so imagine how much tourism that represents for motels and restaurants in the states that are especially heavy with national parks.
I understand there are bigger principles involved. But I would like to see the battle focus on even larger issues. I agree with this WSJ editorial that, “Since the policy stakes of this particular drama are so low, we can only assume this showdown is about Democrats and Republicans proving their relative political manhood.”
Well, there’s something to be said for that, too. Whoever blinks first and all that. But I’d rather the fight were over more than temporary funding for Planned Parenthood until the end of fiscal 2011. As the WSJ says, “We’re not opposed to a shutdown showdown, but the policy stakes ought to be worth the political investment.”
And don’t forget, Obama seems to really want a showdown. Now, why do you think that might be?
Previously a lifelong Democrat, born in New York and living in New England, surrounded by liberals on all sides, I've found myself slowly but surely 
April 8th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Shut the whole thing down for a year. For two years. America is better off overnight and by the day.
Let those who think we should pay for their services then make their cases one by one.
Screw them; the hell with them; G-D them etc. Sorry.
We quite simply DO NOT NEED OR REQUIRE the majority of the government or its employees.
We don’t.
I’m done with lying about that plain and simple truth.
They work for us. I say we remind the entire lot of them of that fact beginning today and without any cessation of that lesson for the foreseeable.
People who want government control like we have may move to China.
It’s time for reason and common sense to take the lead in our nation again.
April 8th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Obama and the democrats will have an ugly surprise waiting for them if they think they’re usual demagoguery will work this time around. Public faith in the media is at an all time low and Internet activism from energetic conservative/libertarians are going to play havoc with the liberal media narrative.
Major Garrett, a reporter who covered the first shutdown wrote how close Republican came to winning everything they wanted in his book ‘Enduring Revolution’. And Obama isn’t helping himself with this aloof persona pretending to be above the fray.
If there is a shutdown, I predict a pushback on the Democrats. Similar to the local reaction here in NYC when the Transit Workers Union went on strike a few years back during Christmas!
April 8th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
Hell, who wants to go to a national park in April anyway? Only fools I’d wager.
April 8th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Let’s see: the Postal Service won’t be shut down because they’re “self-funding”, but the parks that actually pull in money (self-funding) will be closed and their employees furloughed?
I used scare quotes in regard to the USPS because they routinely run in the red, and like certain other government-sponsored entities, get additonal funding straight from the budget.
April 8th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
“shutting down national parks will lose a significant amount of money for certain states, the federal government collects $34 million a day in revenues”
One can look at it as the government losing money, but that’s like the whole Obama scam citing SAVED jobs as evidence that the Stimulus was successful.
You can’t count a negative — i.e. projected income — as a loss if it was never income.
Another way to look at this: instead of looking at it as the government losing $34 million/day, it’s also $34 million that stayed in citizens’ pockets which they will spend and put into the economy!
Let’s see, umm, spending one’s own money in the free markets, or giving to the government who decides where to spend it; that is, whatever is left by the time it drizzles own through the bureacracy to get where it’s going.
April 8th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
Oops! At end, meant to “write drizzles down…”
(upon thinking about it, probably more appropriate would be “dribbles down.”
April 8th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
The story linked to by Neo cites by name only Democrats, I suspect, and the data therein cited against shutdown are modest and trivial.
One must not fall into the MSM trap. MSM loves a fight, no matter over what trivialities. It reports the fight blow-by-blow, but always, always omits most of the facts at issue.
I first noticed this clearly over NAFTA: who’s pro, who’s con, which fencesitters might make the difference, blah blah blah. But what’s in NAFTA, thought I? It’s pro-free trade US-Mx-Can. No details. And not one word about the thousands (literally) of side deals that really stayed secret.
Kinda like HCR.
MSM cares only about process, never product.
The nub of the problem is Repubs face the MSM with one hand tied behind the back, and the Dems have MSM license to demagogue.
The shutdown and its “problems” are BS.
April 8th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Obama’s inner dialogue:
This country needs more of me. I am the answer.
There’s been too much attention on Boehner. If you take me aaaaaand what I think theeeeeen we’ll have some solutions thaaaaat will work for the people.
Now, its a fact thaaaaat I’m a great orator aaaaand that the people love me. I am the answer.
April 8th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Margret Sanger would be proud.
April 8th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
“… Obama seems to really want a showdown. Now, why do you think that might be?”
He can step in as the magnanimous savior who balances the budget in 2525, cools the earth, lowers the seas, saves the snail darter, heals the sick, raises the dead, and multiplies the fishes and loaves to feed the hungry masses, and so forth and so on.
There is but one god, his name is Obama, and the MSM is his messenger.
April 8th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
I forgot to add: submit or lose your head.
April 8th, 2011 at 8:37 pm
Csimon: That was actually $34 million on an AVERAGE day. The big days are in summer, not now.
But let’s put it in perspective. $34 mill/ day x 30 days= $1 billion. The Federal deficit this year will be about $1700 billion, and what are they gonna do about that? This is all about chickenshit.
We gotta fund NPR and Planned Parenthood lest they lose
April 8th, 2011 at 8:41 pm
(Cont.)
less than 10% of their planned revenues? Insane. Oh,yeah, the park revs will just about cover the dole to NPR and PP, so we better keep them open: How politicians think.
April 8th, 2011 at 10:37 pm
I keep hearing about shutting down the national parks and the Smithsonian, but are they going to shut down the ATF and the DEA?
If they don’t, it’s just Kabuki theater.
April 9th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
If the parks aren’t self-sustaining as tourist attractions, isn’t it better to change the way they function in the first place?