Going camping in the face of a government shutdown
Jun 27, 2017, 10:26 AM
Gov. Inslee said last week he’s wasting time now preparing for a government shutdown that could happen July 1 if legislators can’t agree on a new state budget. He’s not the only one.
We have been told that released prisoners will be under minimal supervision, disease prevention programs will be hobbled, lottery tickets won’t be sold, and baby salmon could die, so having to cancel my family camping trip at a state park seems pretty minor.
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I received a warning email from Washington State Parks:
STEPHANIE KLEIN
We value you as a customer and want to let you know about the unlikely possibility of a government shutdown that could require us to close parks on July 1.
The state parks department sounds pretty optimistic the Legislature will figure this out. And if not, I get my money back with, hopefully, a simple phone call.
Even though we are optimistic that a shutdown will not occur, we want to be sure you are informed of the possibility. We also want to assure you that if parks were to close, you would receive a full refund for any reservation days you are not able to use due to a shutdown.
My family and I will bet on the fact that the Washington state government hasn’t shut down in the past over budget negotiations. That despite multiple special sessions and warnings from governors, it’s business as usual. But don’t think, deep in my overtired-please-let-me-find-the-bug-bracelets-I-stashed brain that I won’t be a wee bit concerned that I’m spending the entire week before prepping an entire family’s worth of gear only to be told to turn around on I-90 and head back west.
“The gates will be locked. There will be no skeleton crew,” Virginia Painter with Washington State Parks told KIRO Radio. “There will be nobody to provide services. There will be no electricity. There won’t be water.”
However, Painter encouraged campers to keep their existing plans until further notice. So far, I haven’t received an update.
And again, I know there are bigger issues at stake, but breaking a kid’s heart – especially when he’s cramped up in the back seat with the dog – isn’t easy either.
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