User Fees are good things - and rather democratic - if you use it, you pay for it! A rather conservative notion.

I can tell you haven't spent much time in the National Parks, Monuments and Seashores to understand the value of passes. Passes gets people motivated to actually go to more places. They bring people with them. They spend money at campgrounds and restaurants and lodges and gift shops. They bring far more money into the park than the measely entry fee. Even more so with Seniors, who bring grandchildren who leave with hats and t-shirts and geegaws.

The kids were bored to tears by being drug around - there was no awe, no magic - not in those kids, or perhaps, in this generation. At the Grand Canyon, the youngest was bored to tears - she was off by herself playing with her hat most of the time, while the oldest interrupted the ranger to give her 'history' of the canyon, receiving fist bumps from her mother and a hug from her father.

Interesting that Obama managed to shut down two different parks for his personal pleasure on one of the three fee free weekends. Wonder how many people had their vacations ruined by that?