Stop this madness!

If you've been paying attention to the news you may have heard of our govenor's drastic budget cut plans, slashing funding for education and state parks. Below is some info from the LA Times:

"Joggers, surfers, artists and other avid users of California's state parks and beaches expressed outrage and disbelief as they absorbed word of Schwarzenegger's proposal, which would shutter even famed San Simeon State Park near Hearst Castle. In addition to the 48 closures, the governor suggested cutting back lifeguards at 16 state beaches. Of the state's 278 parks, those slated for closure are the least used, produce the least revenue and are the easiest to secure, according to parks officials. If the budget takes effect as written, gates would be put up at the entrances to 43 of the parks, which would be patrolled and maintained but would not be open to the public."

Number One: A majority of my family works for the the Lompoc School District, and they are under the horrible stress of feeling that they may lose their jobs. There is talk of entirely shutting down VMS, the jr. high my sister is a counselor at. I'm really angry that education always suffers when it's one of the worst places to cut - by denying kids a decent education you create innumerable problems for them down the line, for all of us really, because you create less informed people who can't function in society.

Number Two: One of the parks slated to shut down is La Purisima, where I was planning on getting married in August, but could possibly now be closing - but no one will know until July 1 for sure. (This on top of the Rancho Miranda zoning dissapointment!) Besides that inconvienient fact, La Purisima is a very special place to me; I have so many memories of my grandparents taking me there as a child, making candles on historical days, visiting with friends I brought home to see my home.


I urge you to protest the closure of Ca. State parks wherever you can, here is one such easy link that you can use.

And here are a list of the parks we'll be losing:

Anderson Marsh SHP
Armstrong Redwoods SR
Austin Creek SRA
Benicia Capitol SHP
Benicia SRA
California Citrus SHP
California State Mining & Mineral Museum
Candlestick Point SRA
Clear Lake SP
Del Norte Coast Redwoods SP
Estero Bluffs SP
Fort Ord Dunes SP
Fremont Peak SHP
George Hatfield SRA
Governor's Mansion SHP
Great Valley Grasslands SP
Grizzly Creek Redwoods SP
Harmony Headlands SP
Henry W. Coe SP
La Purisima Mission SHP
Limeklin SP
Los Encinos SHP
Los Osos Oaks SR
Malakoff Diggins SHP
Manchester SB
McConnell SRA
Montana de Oro SP
Morro Strand SB
Mount San Jacinto SP
Petaluma Adobe SHP
Picacho SRA
Pio Pico SHP
Plumas-Eureka SP
Portola Redwoods SP
Providence Mountains SRA
Railtown 1897 SHP
Salton Sea SRA
San Simeon SP
Santa Susana Pass SHP
State Indian Museum
Sutter's Fort SHP
Tomales Bay SP
Topanga SP
Wassama Round House SHP
Will Rogers SHP
William B. Ide Adobe SP
William Randolph Hearst Memorial SB
Woodson Bridge SRA