Proposition 21 is a ballot measure that will decide whether to fund California’s State Parks with a $18 surcharge tacked on to the annual vehicle license fee.

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A coalition of business groups, including the California Travel Industry Association (CalTIA), NTA (National Tour Association), and a bunch of Northern California CVBs have officially endorsed Prop 21 and are advocating for its passage.

Every year, CA state parks get 80 million visitors who spend around $4.32 billion in park-related expenditures. Every dollar spent on state park upkeep creates another $2.35 for the state treasury. Even so, there is a $1.3 billion backlog in maintenance and repairs for California’s 278 state parks.

So, in theory, California is sitting on a $3 billion goldmine of untapped revenue - if they can find adequate funding for the parks, which is what Prop. 21 (see yesforstateparks.com) is all about. But California being California, the state has instead been busy trying to shut down the parks for 2 years running.

In 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted to plug a budget shotfall of $14 billion by closing 48 state parks, which would have saved a paltry $13.3 million. Given the insignificant savings and protests that followed, the parks got a reprieve. In 2009, 150 parks were shutdown part time and their budgets got slashed.  

Prop. 21 aims to separate parks funding from the state’s broken economy. The $18 surcharge will be collected by the DMV and transferred to the State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund. This fund, if approved, is expected to pile up around $500 million each year from the 28 million registered vehicles. 85 percent of this revenue will be allocated to state parks.

In return, California vehicles will get free day-use admission to the state parks. Out-of-state vehicles would still be paying the full admission fees. It’s a fair bargain for state residents, and at this stage it looks like Prop. 21 will pass.

But the real problem is that California’s economy is broken and there are other problems waiting for a similar ‘tax fix.’ For example, Half Moon Bay is planning to disincorporate due to budget problems. They have a 1-cent sales tax increase measure on the Nov ballot. If it doesn’t pass, Half Moon Bay will hand over the keys to San Mateo County and will cease to exist as a city.

It would also mean the end of the city’s independent tourism promotion efforts, and one can only imagine how that will affect tourism businesses. To be noted that the Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce is one of the organizations that have endorsed Prop. 21.

On a statewide level, how does all this publicity about the dysfunctional economy impact tourism? A CTTC spokesperson tells Reason.com that “Certainly, there has been coverage of the state’s financial state… but when people come to California, they’re coming for the beaches, they’re coming for the mountains, for the attractions and the resorts and the sunshine.”

And the parks.

Photo – Mike Baird

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