Proposed state parks fee should be 'opt in' option

It's a hard time for Arizona's state parks. Budget cutbacks forced by a precipitous drop in state revenues is forcing officials to consider closing parks.

In fact, a state task force assigned to study the problem concluded in a report to Gov. Jan Brewer that the parks system "is threatened with extinction and cannot survive under a roller coaster of financial support."

The Yuma Territorial Prison State Park might eventually be impacted, although it continues to be popular with visitors and is able to cover most of its expenses through entry fees. The other state park here, the Yuma Quartermaster Depot, has struggled and is less popular. It was recently taken over temporarily by the city of Yuma in an effort to ensure it will stay open.

The task force's answer to the problem is to suggest that automobile registration fees be increased by as much as $15 a year with the money designated for state parks.

It is estimated the added surcharge, if approved by the Legislature and governor, could raise as much as $40 million a year for the parks.

Payment of the parks fee would not be required. Motorists could "opt out" of paying it. Those who paid would get a special tag that would give them free entry to state parks.

While we like that it is not a mandatory fee, there are better ways to handle this than tacking it on auto registrations with an "opt out" provision.

Instead of using the auto registration system, why not put the option of paying a fee to support the state parks on the state income tax forms, as is a already done with some other agencies and services? Those who agreed could still get a special permit to allow free entry to all state parks. Those who did not would still have to pay a park entry fee.

The panel did not like the "opt in" idea because they know many people do not pay attention to opt out plans, allowing the fee to go through unnoticed by them. That is a less honest way to get support for the parks.

This "opt in" approach is better because it requires an active step by the taxpayer for it to happen.