Alabama's Amendment #2

Just one of the falls you'll see when you hike the Falls Loop at DeSoto State Park.

I really don’t like getting political (you lose a lot of friends:)) but I have been asked by MANY people this morning about the upcoming vote on Amendment 2, the amendment that would guarantee funding for Alabama State Parks.

For me personally I am voting yes to Amendment 2. First of all, I love Alabama’s state parks. To me they are some of the finest around with amazing landscapes, trails, and outdoor recreation. They are a treasure.

The question is whether the amendment would also allow the parks to be privatized. I think an article by Conservation Alabama (view the article here) answers that question quite nicely. One line in the article says it all, “If [the amendment] passes, the only thing Amendment 2 would change about how parks are operated is to allow facilities that were paid for by a state bond issue to also use contractors.”

As I said, my personal feeling is that the state parks are a treasure for Alabama and need to remain open for tourists and residents to safely enjoy and explore the wonders of Alabama’s natural settings without the worry of having the rug (funds) pulled away by the state at a moment’s notice like last year when several parks were forced to close. The state has dug itself into a financial hole and instead of fixing the problem they have become comfortable with moving money from critical services such as education and health to put a band aid on the problem. Without this guarantee state parks will continually have an unsure financial future. They survived the funding fiasco last year, they may not be as lucky next year.

I think the article outlines what the amendment is all about quite nicely. The parks need to have a solid future for the hundreds of people who work for the park system, for all of us who love the parks, and for our kids and future generations.

Just my humble opinion.