Report: 10 Long Island Parks May Close By Summer‎

[nitestrikes]

This is a rip-off. If they want to trim money from the budget how about they start looking at the pensions of the state and municipal public employees. I don't mind a guy making a good salary, but the pension payments are unsustainable. Total BS.

www.newsday.com (http://www.newsday.com)


As many as 10 Long Island (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY) state parks from Valley Stream (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Valley_Stream%2C_NY) to Orient Beach could close by summer to make up for a proposed $29-million budget cut, according to park sources.

The state might also raise the cost of ocean beach admission and a round of golf. Sources said admission fees at venues such as Jones Beach would rise 25 percent from $8 to $10.

Sources said special events or programs such a 5K runs and the annual performance of the New York Philharmonic (http://www.newsday.com/topics/New_York_Philharmonic) at Heckscher State Park might also be cut - unless they pay for themselves.

PHOTOS: See images from Heckscher State Park (http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/photos-heckscher-state-park-1.210383) and Orient Beach State Park, (http://www.exploreli.com/beaches/orient-beach-state-park-1.210423) two of the LI parks that could close this summer

MORE: Explore LI's look at Long Island's favorite parks (http://www.exploreli.com/recreation/parks)
Word of the proposed cuts drew immediate criticism. "This will have an unacceptable negative impact to our quality of life and to our tourism and recreation industry," said Assemb. Steven Englebright (D-Setauket), chairman of the parks and tourism committee. "The public needs to communicate its displeasure in a very forceful manner to their elected representatives and the governor."

Last year, more than 2 million people visited the 10 parks, according to parks statistics.

Eileen Larrabee, spokeswoman for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, declined to confirm the proposed list of closures. "We continue to consider all aspects of our operations," she said. "I can confirm that we are looking at some fees increases, including ocean beach admission and golf fees statewide."

Sources said contracts for most special events have been held up by officials waiting to see if there will be money.
The list of proposed cuts is still subject to change, even before the Legislature tackles Gov. David A. Paterson's proposed budget. But Commissioner Carol Ash has said some parks will close under the budget plan. No parks official has made such a statement since 1991, when a budget crisis brought a threat to close Robert Moses State Park (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Robert_Moses_State_Park%2C_NY) and others upstate.

"There have been numerous lists and analyses that have emerged out of this process," Larrabee said. "This week, the governor proposed changes. Language was added in the Environmental Protection Fund to allow the agency to take $5 million in capital spending and transfer it to operating expenses. That, along with fee increases, would reduce the number of closures and service reductions."

Sources said more than 10 of Long Island (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Long_Island%2C_NY)'s 28 state parks were on the closing list before the fee increases were proposed. They added that the $5-million transfer would save four of the 10 targeted parks: Brentwood (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Brentwood%2C_NY), Heckscher, Hempstead Lake and Valley Stream (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Valley_Stream%2C_NY).

But that transfer requires legislative approval, which parks advocates and elected officials say is highly unlikely.
Al Caccese, executive director of Audubon New York and a former parks official, said the $29-million cut - on top of $45 million in reductions in the last two years - means that "more than 100 parks and historic sites will be closed statewide. I think the people will speak loudly through their representatives, as they have in the past," he said.

Robin Dropkin, executive director of Parks & Trails New York, an advocacy group, said, "It's the first time in the history of the parks system, which is the oldest in the country and one of the most diverse, that parks are going to close. They didn't close during the Great Depression (http://www.newsday.com/topics/The_Great_Depression)."

Dropkin said her group usually doesn't favor higher fees, "but people would probably rather absorb a couple of extra bucks as long as they can go to a park."

Parks and the budget
The state parks department, handed a $29-million cut in the governor's proposed budget, has put several reductions or closures on the table.

POTENTIAL PARK CLOSURES:
Brentwood (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Brentwood%2C_NY)
Brookhaven (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Brookhaven%2C_NY)
Caleb Smith
Cold Spring Harbor (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Cold_Spring_Harbor%2C_NY)
Heckscher
Hempstead Lake
Nissequogue River
Orient Beach
Trail View
Valley Stream (http://www.newsday.com/topics/Valley_Stream%2C_NY)

Other proposed cuts:
Closure of pools at Jones Beach, Heckscher and Montauk Downs.
Connetquot: Would close weekdays.
Elimination of cultural, recreational and environmental programs and events.
Bethpage: Eliminate winter sports such as sledding, reduce polo and picnic operations and reduce golf course maintenance.
Eliminate assistance to Walt Whitman Birthplace

[rockhopper]

That sucks!http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon13.gif

[7deadlyplugs]

OK so if they have to do it just cut out the winter activities. That would suck but at least they could save some money that way.

[finchaser]

If it's anything like Jersey they will close them, brag about the great job they did saving money and give themselves raises:burn:

[Frankiesurf]

So what are they to become? Will they just be left alone to be overgrown? Will they be sold off to the highest bidder?

They want to stop assistance to the Walt Whitman birthplace also? That place will not survive on it's own. It is a pretty important piece of history as far as I am concerned. Hopefully someone will take it over. I would hate to see it close.

[stripercrazy]

This is a rip-off. If they want to trim money from the budget how about they start looking at the pensions of the state and municipal public employees. I don't mind a guy making a good salary, but the pension payments are unsustainable. Total BS.



I don't think they should only focus on pensions. A cousin of mine is a teacher and she works hard. She earns her money. There are a lot of people working for the state where the job is redundant, overlaps another position, or where 2 jobs could be combined. They won't go against the state unions because they have too much power. All I know is there are quite a few state employees goofing off during the day. You need a controller or someone who is willing to look at those jobs and eliminate them, unions or no unions.

[Frankiesurf]

So instead of someone retiring after putting in 30 years of service and making a barely living wage, would putting them on public assistance work better for you? If so I will quit my civil service job right now and live off of your dime for the rest of my life.

Sound like a more feasible option?

[stripercrazy]

All I know is there are quite a few state employees goofing off during the day..


So instead of someone retiring after putting in 30 years of service and making a barely living wage, would putting them on public assistance work better for you? If so I will quit my civil service job right now and live off of your dime for the rest of my life.

Sound like a more feasible option?

I think you are reaching here by making that assumption. I have buddies who work hard every day, they are in the carpenters union. But the guys are humps, excuse the expression. They are the guys in the middle and the bottom who work hard so the guys at the top can goof off.

I don't know if you are a guy at the top or not. If you are, I am sure you can point to at least one person in your field who doesn't work hard and goofs off and makes over $100k. Those are the people I am talking about. If you make $100k or more yearly in a state job and can honestly tell me no one there is skating, you are delusional. I hear stories from my cousin all the time. No one does anything or rats people out because people are afraid. Besides, even if you did, in a lot of state jobs it's about political connections. Even if you gave evidence of people working 10 hours a week at 40 hour jobs, the people wouldn't get fired anyway.

If you are not part of those folks at the top I apologize. Anyone who is part of that group can go to hell, no apologies. :2flip:There is too much waste at the top with the executives. It's about time they stop trying to place the blame on regular workers. My .02.

[Frankiesurf]

You are assuming a whole lot about something you don't know about.

When I built subway tracks for a living our working time on a weekday was about 5 hours. This was due to rush hour train traffic. You can't disrupt rush hour. In those five hours of work I would be dodging trains, working next to 600+ volts/ 10,000 amps and be working a few stories underground or a few stories above the street. On the weekends would be from 12 to 23 hours a day building tracks. Yes , 23 hours on a Sunday after a 15 hour day on saturday on way too many occasions than I could count. I made somewhere near 100k one year. I worked my a$$ off for every cent.

Right now I work for a municipal water company. I bust my a$$ at work along with most guys I work with. There may be one or two slackers but there always are. I make pretty decent money, I am not rich but I make more than quite a few people I know. There are two guys that make over $100,000 there. Both of them work, for the most part, seven days a week. They have both been working here for over 20 years and have the necessary knowledge to keep the place running. We all have to go to state board of health required classes on our own dime I might add. Them more than me. They have to be up on all codes and new technologies in the field which are very vast and ever changing so you, the people, get healthy drinking water. You assuming that anyone who makes over a hundred grand is laying back and counting their cash is ridiculous.

You talking about union carpenters is a joke. Those guys are making $75,000 a year based on showing up to work. Most union guys that just have to go buy their book are a bunch of dirtbags. There are some good guys in these unions but I know that favoritism reigns supreme in who makes the money there. Local unions are a whole different ballgame than civil service which is what nitestrikes was attacking in the first place. Local unions have annuities based on the stock and bond market. I have a pension that I earn. I am investing in my own future by learning what I need to to actually earn my paycheck instead of skating by on someones nepotism or coattails.

So the question still begs. Should I quit my job and rely on the taxpayers dollars to fund my "retirement" from now till I'm dead?

My father is on a civil service pension after 27 years of commuting to the city to feed his family. You want to take that from him and my mother?

Over my dead body you will.

[stripercrazy]

There are a lot of people working for the state where the job is redundant, overlaps another position, or where 2 jobs could be combined. .


I think you are reaching here by making that assumption. If you are not part of those folks at the top I apologize. Anyone who is part of that group can go to hell, no apologies. :2flip:There is too much waste at the top with the executives. It's about time they stop trying to place the blame on regular workers. My .02.

I don't think you really read what I originally wrote. I was talking about waste, political appointments, executives, those kiinds of jobs, what you would call white collar. The kinds of jobs you went on to describe are what you might call blue collar, where guys have to produce every day, including yourself. You all bust your humps, I know that and stated that.
Then you went on to infer that because of my statement, that I wanted you out of a job, and you brought your father into it, who worked hard his whole life, and certainly deserves his pension. I am on the same page about that, I don't think it was fair that you made this about your father losing his pension. Nowhere in my statements was this inferred or implied, yet you chose to make that your rallying point.
Why would I imply something like that, I don't even know you or your father? I think that was uncalled for.
The real point of this was the closing of the parks. You and I both agree we are upset that is happening. I stated there was waste at the executive level that needed to be addressed. As I said, there are a lot of political appointments and people in high level do nothing executive jobs that should be looked at. That was one of my solutions. Why would you not agree with that?:huh:

I am hoping you would re-evaluate what I said, and you said, and might have some ideas how they would resolve this. My answer would be to cut waste at the highest executive levels. Someone else suggested to cut hours. Since we are both on the same page about not wanting the parks to close, would you have any other suggestions, instead of us arguing, which solves nothing at all?

[Pebbles]

So instead of someone retiring after putting in 30 years of service and making a barely living wage, would putting them on public assistance work better for you? If so I will quit my civil service job right now and live off of your dime for the rest of my life.

Sound like a more feasible option?

Are you trying to tell us that someone who works 30 years in the government barely makes a living?

I would love to have one of those civil service jobs and come home at the end of my career with a pension and medical benefits.

I know that there must be some government workers who work very hard. I do know of many postal workers who run through their route just so they can go sit in a bar for the afternoon or go to the gym. Some even go home and take a 2 Hours NAP. :beatin::beatin::beatin:They get paid with our money. At the end of their years of service what happens...They go home with a big fat pension and excellent medical care. :burn::burn:

When I go to retire what do I get? I get nothing but worries about my SS and if it will even be there and supplemental payments up the ***.

Put me in that government job ring. I'd be Whistling Dixie all the way to the bank.

[Frankiesurf]

Stripercrazy, I was not attacking you about my fathers pension. I was responding to the first post with the original question. The one about the pensions.

The two top guys at my job are executives. But hands on executives. There is certainly plenty of waste in top government. I am not sure that our congressmen and legislators deserve what they get. If they were so concerned then they would take pay cut and drop the free lunches. In the town I work for, a couple of the town council actually gave back their ridiculous raises. Absolutely unheard of but certainly praiseworthy.

I don't have the answers. I am not an economist and my spare money is spent on fishing crap. Budget Surplus? I need a gold SS darter.

Pebbles, just about anyone can get a civil service job. Depending what you apply for. Check your states civil service website, stop by your town hall or even go to the unemployment office, they will all have civil service lists. They normally come out at the beginning of each month.

Most civil servant make a barely honest wage. The pensions do not leave them whistling dixie all the way to the bank. I would say 90% do not carry over medical benefits into retirement. Government workers are not in Shangri-la. Retirement is normally 30 years service at age 62. That is alot of working. Granted there are benefits to it but don't think for a minute that there is much enjoyment in it.

I don't know how old you are, most likely 29 like my wife always is;). It is never too late to start something to secure your future. Even if you don't pull a full pension something is better than nothing and you can always be a wal-mart greeter when you start collecting those checks.