CLOSING PUBLIC PARKS

[Yodrak]

Heard on NPR this morning - a mayor of a city in, if I recall correctly, Michigan, talking about selling off many of his city's public parks as one of the steps being taken to keep the city's budget under control. Not an exact quote, but he said something like "We don't need 26 neighborhood parks anymore, we only need 5. People used to walk to a park, but they drive now - it's a different world."

I guess this guy isn't interested in reducing gasoline consumption and promoting healthy exercise, just the opposite in fact - force people to drive.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

ya, budget cuts. instead of having enough parks to where nearly every citizen has a park close enough to walk or bike to, we will force them to drive across town.

i moved from my previous house which was on a street that encircled a park to one where i actually have to walk about 2 blocks to get to the entrance and another 3 blocks to actually get to the park itself.

that is pretty typical for Olympia.