What's happened to our money?

In our recent visit to the Yellowstone NP we learned that the Park was
essentially run by a "concession", a privately-owned for-profit outfit
called Aramark. This huge multi-national corporation basically owns the
big wheels in the Department of the Interior, or at least has these
corrupted politicians in its pocket.

I had thought the National Parks system is suppose to be managed by the
tax-payers supported organization called "the government". But it's
turned out that it cost taxpayers much more to enjoy the NP system now a
day. Everything in the park, such as gifts and food and transportation,
is more expensive than it should be because we have a FOR-PROFIT
organization sits between the people and the beautiful nature with one
objective in mind: MONEY and lots of it. What I don't get is the
national parks belong to everyone in the US - not just for a few rich
and powerful corporations to exploit the park visitors and to capitalize
on what suppose to be free in nature.

The presence of these blood-sucker corporations in national parks has
made it almost not worth it to visit NP any more as these exploitive
hard-core capitalists could easily drain our pockets every time we try
to enjoy the nature, one that God has given us for free!

It's so clear that there is a huge difference between the park rangers
and those who are working for the blood-sucker private corporations in
the parks. The park rangers love their jobs and love what they are
trying to preserve: the beautiful nature. On the other hand, the
explotive private scums do all they can to make money at the expense of
the endangered species. And park rangers are among these endangered
species. Budget cuts have led to a huge reduction on park ranger staff
while the private corporation, including the timber industry, are
beefing up their army of blood-thirsty scums scavenging on all good
nutrients of nature that are important to the survive of good people and
beautiful nature.

There must be some kind of serious corruption going on in the Department
of Interior starting with the Chief named G. W. Bush, who has been known
to the world as the evil leader of the century. This idiot Bush has
funneled hundred of billions of dollars into the pockets of his friends
in the oil industry such as Halliburton while depleting and endangering
the natural resources of the very country he has sworn to protect.

Isn't it time that the American people take back this country before
it's too late???

"Winabagel" wrote in message
...
I had thought the National Parks system is suppose to be managed by the
tax-payers supported organization called "the government". But it's
turned out that it cost taxpayers much more to enjoy the NP system now a
day. Everything in the park, such as gifts and food and transportation,
is more expensive than it should be because we have a FOR-PROFIT
organization sits between the people and the beautiful nature with one
objective in mind: MONEY and lots of it. What I don't get is the
national parks belong to everyone in the US - not just for a few rich
and powerful corporations to exploit the park visitors and to capitalize
on what suppose to be free in nature.

And how do you know that Aramark didn't get the contract through bidding and
promising to provide the most return to the National Parks Service to
maintain the facilities? Have you done an audit? Have you contacted the
General Accounting Office to see if they have done one? Have you searched
Google for one? [http://www.gao.gov/archive/1998/rc98238.pdf]

Tell me, did you have to pay to hear any Park Ranger's give a talk, tour,
first aid? What makes you think that no part of the National Parks should be
paid for by the people that choose to use them? It would be wonderful if
everything in life was free. I pay taxes, too. When I go to a National Park,
(especially one like Yellowstone where goods and employees need to be
trucked in many miles), I expect I'll be paying for that in any meals I
choose to buy. Last time I went I brought my own cooler full of food. I
didn't expect cheap meals miles from civilization and I didn't expect the
government to subsidize my meals or lodging either. They don't while I'm at
home, and I don't expect them to on vacation.


The presence of these blood-sucker corporations in national parks has
made it almost not worth it to visit NP any more as these exploitive
hard-core capitalists could easily drain our pockets every time we try
to enjoy the nature, one that God has given us for free!

Did God build the roads, hotels, restaurants? No. Then don't use them and
you won't have to pay these awful companies for the privilidge.


It's so clear that there is a huge difference between the park rangers
and those who are working for the blood-sucker private corporations in
the parks.

Brilliant observation. It's clear there is a difference between soldiers and
civilian employees at a military base. What's your point?

The park rangers love their jobs and love what they are
trying to preserve: the beautiful nature. On the other hand, the
explotive private scums do all they can to make money at the expense of
the endangered species.

Really? Your visiting the park is at the expense of the endangered species.
Want to protect them? Get the parks closed and returned to nature.

And park rangers are among these endangered
species. Budget cuts have led to a huge reduction on park ranger staff
while the private corporation, including the timber industry, are
beefing up their army of blood-thirsty scums scavenging on all good
nutrients of nature that are important to the survive of good people and
beautiful nature.

How much logging is going on in Yellowstone?


There must be some kind of serious corruption going on in the Department
of Interior starting with the Chief named G. W. Bush, who has been known
to the world as the evil leader of the century. This idiot Bush has
funneled hundred of billions of dollars into the pockets of his friends
in the oil industry such as Halliburton while depleting and endangering
the natural resources of the very country he has sworn to protect.

Isn't it time that the American people take back this country before
it's too late???

Ahh, the real point of your post is clear now. It has nothing to do with the
parks.

--
McWebber
No email replies read
If someone tells you to forward an email to all your friends
please forget that I'm your friend.

"Winabagel" wrote in message
...
In our recent visit to the Yellowstone NP we learned that the Park was
essentially run by a "concession", a privately-owned for-profit outfit
called Aramark. This huge multi-national corporation basically owns the
big wheels in the Department of the Interior, or at least has these
corrupted politicians in its pocket.

First, you're wrong. SERIOUSLY wrong - the park itself (both
Yellowstone specifically, and the National Park System in
general) is NOT run by a "concession" - it is run by the Park Service.
The concessionaire runs such things as gift shops, snack bars,
lodging in the park (if any), etc.. (And, by the way, the
concessionaire for Yellowstone, and a number of others, isn't
Aramark - it's Xanterra, based in Aurora, CO.) Second, it has been
that way for YEARS - practically all of the National Parks will have
SOMETHING in them run by one or more concessionaires. Sorry
you were so late in finding out about this, but it's hardly anything
new. (If you want another great example, look at Grand Canyon
NP, where pretty much everything of that nature was run by the Fred
Harvey Company - and they'd been there since the very early 1900s.
The "Harvey Girls," the hostesses hired by Harvey to work in his shops,
hotels, and restaurants there, became legendary. The Harvery Co. was
purchased in 1968 by Amfac, and later by Xanterra.) You don't pay
the concessionaire for admission to the Park (any fees charged there
are to the Park Service, and you can still get a pass good for
admission to ANY U.S. National Park), so this little gem of hysteria:

The presence of these blood-sucker corporations in national parks has
made it almost not worth it to visit NP any more as these exploitive
hard-core capitalists could easily drain our pockets every time we try
to enjoy the nature, one that God has given us for free!

....is complete nonsense. You can enjoy any National Park and not pay
the concessionaire there one thin dime, if you so choose. Why do I
suspect that what we have here is yet another example of why
economics really SHOULD be a mandatory course in American
high schools?

Bob M.

"Winabagel" wrote in message
...
In our recent visit to the Yellowstone NP we learned that the Park was
essentially run by a "concession", a privately-owned for-profit outfit
called Aramark. This huge multi-national corporation basically owns the
big wheels in the Department of the Interior, or at least has these
corrupted politicians in its pocket.

First, you're wrong. SERIOUSLY wrong - the park itself (both
Yellowstone specifically, and the National Park System in
general) is NOT run by a "concession" - it is run by the Park Service.
The concessionaire runs such things as gift shops, snack bars,
lodging in the park (if any), etc.. (And, by the way, the
concessionaire for Yellowstone, and a number of others, isn't
Aramark - it's Xanterra, based in Aurora, CO.) Second, it has been
that way for YEARS - practically all of the National Parks will have
SOMETHING in them run by one or more concessionaires. Sorry
you were so late in finding out about this, but it's hardly anything
new. (If you want another great example, look at Grand Canyon
NP, where pretty much everything of that nature was run by the Fred
Harvey Company - and they'd been there since the very early 1900s.
The "Harvey Girls," the hostesses hired by Harvey to work in his shops,
hotels, and restaurants there, became legendary. The Harvery Co. was
purchased in 1968 by Amfac, and later by Xanterra.) You don't pay
the concessionaire for admission to the Park (any fees charged there
are to the Park Service, and you can still get a pass good for
admission to ANY U.S. National Park), so this little gem of hysteria:

The presence of these blood-sucker corporations in national parks has
made it almost not worth it to visit NP any more as these exploitive
hard-core capitalists could easily drain our pockets every time we try
to enjoy the nature, one that God has given us for free!

....is complete nonsense. You can enjoy any National Park and not pay
the concessionaire there one thin dime, if you so choose. Why do I
suspect that what we have here is yet another example of why
economics really SHOULD be a mandatory course in American
high schools?

Bob M.

Winabagel wrote:

There must be some kind of serious corruption going on in the Department
of Interior starting with the Chief named G. W. Bush, who has been known
to the world as the evil leader of the century. This idiot Bush has
funneled hundred of billions of dollars into the pockets of his friends
in the oil industry such as Halliburton while depleting and endangering
the natural resources of the very country he has sworn to protect.

Isn't it time that the American people take back this country before
it's too late???

Mr. Clinton had 8 years to toss them out.
You need to explain why he didn't before you have any credibility at all.

Winabagel wrote:

There must be some kind of serious corruption going on in the Department
of Interior starting with the Chief named G. W. Bush, who has been known
to the world as the evil leader of the century. This idiot Bush has
funneled hundred of billions of dollars into the pockets of his friends
in the oil industry such as Halliburton while depleting and endangering
the natural resources of the very country he has sworn to protect.

Isn't it time that the American people take back this country before
it's too late???

Mr. Clinton had 8 years to toss them out.
You need to explain why he didn't before you have any credibility at all.

"Bob Myers" wrote in message
...

"Winabagel" wrote in message
...
In our recent visit to the Yellowstone NP we learned that the Park was
essentially run by a "concession", a privately-owned for-profit outfit
called Aramark. This huge multi-national corporation basically owns the
big wheels in the Department of the Interior, or at least has these
corrupted politicians in its pocket.

First, you're wrong. SERIOUSLY wrong - the park itself (both
Yellowstone specifically, and the National Park System in
general) is NOT run by a "concession" - it is run by the Park Service.
The concessionaire runs such things as gift shops, snack bars,
lodging in the park (if any), etc.. (And, by the way, the
concessionaire for Yellowstone, and a number of others, isn't
Aramark - it's Xanterra, based in Aurora, CO.) Second, it has been
that way for YEARS - practically all of the National Parks will have
SOMETHING in them run by one or more concessionaires. Sorry
you were so late in finding out about this, but it's hardly anything
new. (If you want another great example, look at Grand Canyon
NP, where pretty much everything of that nature was run by the Fred
Harvey Company - and they'd been there since the very early 1900s.
The "Harvey Girls," the hostesses hired by Harvey to work in his shops,
hotels, and restaurants there, became legendary. The Harvery Co. was
purchased in 1968 by Amfac, and later by Xanterra.) You don't pay
the concessionaire for admission to the Park (any fees charged there
are to the Park Service, and you can still get a pass good for
admission to ANY U.S. National Park), so this little gem of hysteria:

The presence of these blood-sucker corporations in national parks has
made it almost not worth it to visit NP any more as these exploitive
hard-core capitalists could easily drain our pockets every time we try
to enjoy the nature, one that God has given us for free!

...is complete nonsense. You can enjoy any National Park and not pay
the concessionaire there one thin dime, if you so choose. Why do I
suspect that what we have here is yet another example of why
economics really SHOULD be a mandatory course in American
high schools?

Bob M.


Bob: Thanks for the very educational post. But I am afraid it's all a
waste of your time, for the OP anyway. He/she isn't interested in NP's, how
they are run, or anything about economy. But it's certainly interesting for
me to read your post.

"Bob Myers" wrote in message
...

"Winabagel" wrote in message
...
In our recent visit to the Yellowstone NP we learned that the Park was
essentially run by a "concession", a privately-owned for-profit outfit
called Aramark. This huge multi-national corporation basically owns the
big wheels in the Department of the Interior, or at least has these
corrupted politicians in its pocket.

First, you're wrong. SERIOUSLY wrong - the park itself (both
Yellowstone specifically, and the National Park System in
general) is NOT run by a "concession" - it is run by the Park Service.
The concessionaire runs such things as gift shops, snack bars,
lodging in the park (if any), etc.. (And, by the way, the
concessionaire for Yellowstone, and a number of others, isn't
Aramark - it's Xanterra, based in Aurora, CO.) Second, it has been
that way for YEARS - practically all of the National Parks will have
SOMETHING in them run by one or more concessionaires. Sorry
you were so late in finding out about this, but it's hardly anything
new. (If you want another great example, look at Grand Canyon
NP, where pretty much everything of that nature was run by the Fred
Harvey Company - and they'd been there since the very early 1900s.
The "Harvey Girls," the hostesses hired by Harvey to work in his shops,
hotels, and restaurants there, became legendary. The Harvery Co. was
purchased in 1968 by Amfac, and later by Xanterra.) You don't pay
the concessionaire for admission to the Park (any fees charged there
are to the Park Service, and you can still get a pass good for
admission to ANY U.S. National Park), so this little gem of hysteria:

The presence of these blood-sucker corporations in national parks has
made it almost not worth it to visit NP any more as these exploitive
hard-core capitalists could easily drain our pockets every time we try
to enjoy the nature, one that God has given us for free!

...is complete nonsense. You can enjoy any National Park and not pay
the concessionaire there one thin dime, if you so choose. Why do I
suspect that what we have here is yet another example of why
economics really SHOULD be a mandatory course in American
high schools?

Bob M.


Bob: Thanks for the very educational post. But I am afraid it's all a
waste of your time, for the OP anyway. He/she isn't interested in NP's, how
they are run, or anything about economy. But it's certainly interesting for
me to read your post.

"Bob Myers" wrote in news:1FvUc.8230
:


First, you're wrong. SERIOUSLY wrong - the park itself (both
Yellowstone specifically, and the National Park System in
general) is NOT run by a "concession" - it is run by the Park Service.
The concessionaire runs such things as gift shops, snack bars,
lodging in the park (if any), etc.. (And, by the way, the
concessionaire for Yellowstone, and a number of others, isn't
Aramark - it's Xanterra, based in Aurora, CO.) Second, it has been




While I don't agree with the original post 100% I think it had some good
points.

First, a for-profit concession operating in a public-service sites such
as national parks could easily mean higher cost to visitors. The very
nature of a business is to make money. Much of this money should be and
could have been directed to operating budget of national parks instead
of some private corporation's bank accounts.

The drastic reduction in park ranger staff is another real issue
affecting the quality of the park management. And this may consequently
lead to the eventuality of a 100% privatization of national parks. A
possible argument, which could be "designed", is that management of
national parks by government agency is "inadequate" and "ineffective".
Therefore, greedy corporations would take over and exploit the hell out
of national treasures such as endangered woods and other natural
resources.

This perhaps is "the plan" slowly taking place. So, it could very well
be that national park system would become an endangered species itself.

"Julie M." wrote in message
...
First, a for-profit concession operating in a public-service sites such
as national parks could easily mean higher cost to visitors. The very
nature of a business is to make money. Much of this money should be and
could have been directed to operating budget of national parks instead
of some private corporation's bank accounts.

First, why is "profit" necessarily a bad thing? Yes, the nature
of a business is to make money. Properly regulated and
inspected, etc. (in this case, under the supervision of the Park
Service, and with the danger of the concessionaire losing their
concession), this encourages efficiency and customer satisfaction.
I seriously doubt that the costs would be lower if the Park Service
was running things themselves; that's not what they're set up to
do, and government agencies are notoriously poor in terms of
running "a business" efficiently. (For instance, please compare
the U.S. Postal Service vs., say, FedEx in those areas where
they compete directly.) Nor is there any guarantee at all that
the "profits" in such a case WOULD, in fact, go to the benefit
of the park in question. (The U.S. Gov't. has a nasty habit
of redirecting such funds into unrelated areas.)


The drastic reduction in park ranger staff is another real issue
affecting the quality of the park management. And this may consequently
lead to the eventuality of a 100% privatization of national parks. A
possible argument, which could be "designed", is that management of
national parks by government agency is "inadequate" and "ineffective".
Therefore, greedy corporations would take over and exploit the hell out
of national treasures such as endangered woods and other natural
resources.

I think this is vastly overstating the case. Do you REALLY
believe that there is a danger of ANY private business "taking
over" the national park system in such an unregulated, unsupervised
manner? Again, the present concessionaire system has been in
place for a LONG time - almost as old as the park system itself.

Bob M.