Public meeting on Winter Operations, Mt. Rainier

.  More on that later.

What? Don't keep us hanging like that. We need more paranoid rantings.

I attended the public meeting in Enumclaw yesterday, December 12. Here’s a brief summary. [see reply 15]

I was there as well. Bird Dog did a commendable job of summarizing the meeting.

Oy, tough crowd!  Just trying for a bit of humor in grim times; maybe TAY should have sarcasm or satire emoticons.  Remember that the lack of a sense of humor about one's beliefs is almost a diagnostic cult characteristic (hint-google Danish + cartoon + fatwa).

Besides being a lame comedian, I think I've also probably been careless about language is some previous posts.  For the record and the future, my 'rants' against 'they' or 'them' or even 'the NPS', target the overall secretive, wasteful, self-serving bureaucracy that is so much less than the sum of its parts.  I mean the national part of the National Park Service that is strangling our parks.  I mean the high-rolling A-holes in DC and the Regional Offices who think locking out the taxpayer is a legitimate tactic to extort more money for their empire-building schemes:  www.downsizinggovernment.org/interior/re...al-land-management#4

Most people overestimate the power of a Park superintendent.  I'm certain they have many more layers of bureaucracy above them than the number of layers their assistants supervise.  For about the past twenty years, park supers have been mostly PR figureheads who often spend little time in their parks because they are busy lobbying the food chain above them.  I think Supt. King and I have this in common:  we're both just the messengers bearing bad news.  I don't share his hope that full weekday openings will be restored in the future, because I honestly don't think that is within his power. 

These closures are not really about budgets either; how else to explain the NPS refusal of Clallam County's offer to plow Hurricane Ridge for a fraction of what ONP claims it costs them?  It's about control and twisted priorites at the Regional Office and DC levels, and it will continue until the American people rise up and take back their parks from this sick agency.

Sorry paranoia fans, the history lesson is just going to have to wait until after the Holidays.

vogtski - I can't say I disagree with your (humorous) rant. I used to be in the land development industry and was the president of an building industry trade association; as such I have been to more public meetings than I care to count. I was impressed by the way this particular meeting was conducted. Could NPS be run more efficiently? Yes, as could most gov't agencies. However coming out of this meeting I am hopeful for some positive changes at MRNP. For right now I am giving Randy King the benefit of the doubt.

ron j - nice meeting you!

Thanks Bird, and once again, thanks for attending.  I too have attended quite a few of these type meetings in the past, tho mostly at ONP, and also seen some of the extensive preparations from the inside.  Sounds like there was even less time than usual for public input at these recent meetings.  A very annoying aspect of NPS upper-management is that they see themselves as the holders of some revealed truth that they labor to impart to the masses; the communication tends to be largely one-way. 

A pessimist is just an optimist with experience; I can't think of any examples where public meetings resulted in policy reversals or other than their "Preferred Alternative'' being adopted, tho there must be at least a few.  I'll believe the secretive, top-down NPS authoritarian culture is changing when they start passing out copies of their budget at these meetings.

Shifting gears, I need someone to double-check my caveman search skills.  This is the only listing I could find advertising the "critical vacancy" mentioned at the meeting:  www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/PrintPreview/330446200  
Note it was open from Nov 5-20 only.

It's a bit unusual for a vacancy like this to be open to any citizen, so that is a hopeful sign that 'they' are really trying.  Usually only 'status-applicants' can apply to the NPS, a classic Catch-22 where only permanent employees can apply for permanent jobs.  I'm not clear why the position is apparently not being readvertised, if it's so "critical".  I couldn't find any trace of the reported companion plowing vacancy in a couple hours of searching; the job title should be Motor Vehicle Operator.

Did anyone else see the commercial on tv regarding Mt Rainier access this winter?
It showed a  woman on a sled/toboggan.  The heading said "Come enjoy Mt. Rainier's recreation this winter Friday -Sunday".  Almost as if there were no other dates available...
Are they merely encouraging the public to go ahead and come on the days they're most likely to come...or setting everyone up for weekends only?