Demand that our state parks remain open

Difficult economic times are nothing new to the north country. We deal with downturns, recessions and stagnation with our celebrated stoicism, a reserve of prudence we are often surprised to find, and, even more surprisingly, a good bit of common sense supplied by various village, town and city officials. In essence, we deal with it in the moment and move ahead. Decisions, popular or pragmatic, are made with an eye toward solving our problems, not exacerbating them. Albany, the sobriquet commonly used to include the governor and the state Legislature, is wallowing in a desperate rather than merely difficult economic position, and seems to purposefully ignore any of the abovementioned approaches to this immediate crisis. Opinions of Gov. David Paterson's character aside, his assessment of the likelihood of increasing state budget deficits bringing about further ruin to state coffers and crippling the state economy should not be ignored.

That said, neither should one of his specific solutions aimed at deficit reduction be ignored either. Here in the north country the closing of state parks and historic sites, part of the governor's "throw it at the wall and see what doesn't stick" approach to budgeting, will be a catastrophe for tourism and small business, certainly, but more importantly, these closings will be a catastrophe for families responsibly watching their budgets.

State parks and historic sites offer people a chance to get away locally to participate in recreational activities and learn about the significance of their past. Those outlets provide inexpensive and practical alternatives to more costly amusements and less edifying diversions. The state parks and historic sites targeted employ our friends and neighbors in seasonal and full-time jobs. Doing away with essential leisure, educational, and employment opportunities for hard-working citizens at a time when these opportunities have never been more important is not a manifestation of good government policy.

Please contact anyone remotely connected or influential in the state budget deliberations, even, or especially, our regional representatives in the state Legislature, and demand that our state parks and historic sites be allowed to remain open to continue to serve a vital need of the north country.

Kenyon Wells

Sackets Harbor