Ben Spillman of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports today on a proposal by State Sen. John Lee (D-North Las Vegas) which would require that every automobile owner in the state pay a new mandatory $3 fee each year to register your vehicle in exchange for getting you into Nevada’s 25 state parks for “free.”
Of course, how is it “free” if you have to pay for it? Which is exactly the point made in the story thanks to some brief Muth’s Truths:
Conservative activist and consultant Chuck Muth calls the plan a tax increase. “As it is now, only people who want to use the park pay the entrance fee. That’s a true user fee,” he said. Under the car registration plan, “every¬one would now have to pay for the parks, even if they don’t use them.”
Except, of course, citizens who don’t own a car and, therefore, really do get in for free. How is that fair?
Sorry, but folks were able to enjoy Mother Nature just fine before government started “managing” parks. When it comes to government doing less with less, this is a perfect place to start.