http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills info@washingtonwatch.com http://www.pjdoland.com/chai/?v=0.1 http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_617.html#39638 ...They didn't, which is good, because a father of two would have died in front of me (and similarly dozens of others who get hurt, sick or lost every year.) This is what the Parks & Forests squabble over every budget year, after the vast lion's share goes to the bloated Fire services. Do some real oversight & auditing of the Forest Service (and its deep lumber ties - sometimes they sell the trees for half the price of surveying & building the roads to reach them), before bleeding the Parks' few income sources. We should also be equals on our most 'natural' lands - flat rate. If you want to improve military personnels' lives, fix the VA & drop the stop-loss.... 39638@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:48:26 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_SN_617.html#39637 "The legislation would require the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to make the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available at a cost of $10 to any veteran separated from military service under conditions other than dishonorable" - KATHERINE H. STEVENSON, N.P.S. I'm not sure how this saves taxpayers any money, other than taxpaying Veterans. It is a nice gesture for Veterans. Something about it rubs me a weird way though. NPS & the Forest Service are always hurting for funds - when I worked in Kings Canyon Sequoia NP on a volunteer trail maintenance crew, the Park Directors almost withdrew the back country rangers, to keep money in the front country for busting drug cartel squatting pot farmers.... 39637@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:46:58 EDT