One of the first items cut to shreds by the Trump administration's "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) was the National Park Service. Why?
The National Park Service is the caretaker for our national parks, historic sites, and monuments. These belong to all Americans, with access for all, including visitors from other nations. While these public assets were not created to be money makers, the NPS brings in more money than it spends. However, the hyper-corporatism currently running amok in the United States today has no room for such things. Everything is a commodity. So chop down the trees! Drill drill drill! Fish the rivers and oceans! Build factories on those old buildings! Most importantly for the capitalist class, make a profit - a profit for the billionaires, not for the people.
Public ownership of anything, not just national parks, is deplored by the billionaires whose boundless greed demands that everything be run to give them profits, and give us misery. The Peace and Freedom Party favors social ownership and control of our resources and our economy, for the benefit of the working class.
California has 9 national parks, including the flagship, Yosemite, 142 national historic sites, and 21 national monuments. The cuts to the NPS, and closure of these sites is an attack on the working class. California cities have areas for camping for residents in national parks. National parks have free days, when visitors can see some of the most spectacular sites on the planet. Even without the free days, families camp in our national parks. School children can learn about natural history, ecology, and the history of our nation.
The workers of the NPS are dedicated to their jobs. They teach, keep visitors safe, help those visiting the national parks, historic sites, and monuments, and so much more. Save this valuable resource for working class Californians. Save the National Park Service! Save our state and country from the billionaires!
-- Kevin Akin, California State
Chair, Peace and Freedom Party
