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The House and Senate just voted to increase the fee for the lifetime Senior Pass to mirror the annual federal lands pass. The Senior lifetime pass is currently $10, but as soon as Obama signs the bill it will increase immediately to $80, and then the federal agencies will get to increase it as they see fit every year.
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(Sec. 102) The Department of the Interior (for a federal land management agency) and the Department of Agriculture (for the Forest Service) shall make the National Parks and Federal Lands Pass available to any U.S. citizen or person residing in the United States who is 62 years of age or older for:
- a period of 12 months from the date of issuance at a cost of $20; and
- the lifetime of the passholder at a cost (currently $10) equal to the cost of the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass."
And a 7 day pass to the Tetons and Yellowstone will cost me $50. If I take a 2 week trip up there it will cost me $100. It seems to me that a lifetime pass for $80 is a deal. It has been $10 for 25 years (set in 1993). Don't you think it is time for an increase? They have to pay for the upkeep and maintenance somehow.
Of course if you think that $80 is too much you could find something better that is cheaper, right?
Edited December 20, 2016 by Big5er
And a 7 day pass to the Tetons and Yellowstone will cost me $50. If I take a 2 week trip up there it will cost me $100.
Of course, if one takes a 2 week trip up there they could just buy an annual pass for $80 and get into all national parks at no additional cost for the next 12 months.
Don
This :
"the average person is still making the same amount of money when accounting for inflation, prices for many of the daily necessities have gone up considerably, which means that each dollar earned does, in fact, buy less than it did 20 years ago."
So , the 70 dollar increase has to come from a pocket that has less ... Wonderful .
And a 7 day pass to the Tetons and Yellowstone will cost me $50. If I take a 2 week trip up there it will cost me $100. It seems to me that a lifetime pass for $80 is a deal. It has been $10 for 25 years (set in 1993). Don't you think it is time for an increase? They have to pay for the upkeep and maintenance somehow.
Of course if you think that $80 is too much you could find something better that is cheaper, right?
Well stated!
So , the 70 dollar increase has to come from a pocket that has less ... Wonderful .
Well not exactly. Your whole argument is based on inflation. The cost of the senior pass hasn't increased in 25 years. If you could afford the $10 pass 25 years ago, then you should still be able to afford a pass that has 25 years of inflation attached to it with only a slight increase using your inflated dollar. So the only equation that is applicable is what is 25 years of inflation on a $10 senior pass?
Edited December 20, 2016 by Big5er
Well..........If you have visit a National Park in this country. you soon find out that most of the people in the park......are not from the good old USA. So the park pass increase will in pack very few citizens. The Increase will not prevent us from enjoying our National Parks. We may have to take up a foreign language. I have noticed that several states have increased there out of state park usage fees, in the last few years. The increase, just makes for more tax money...... So we can be taken care of by Uncle Sam..... (I'll stop now) OU812
Well not exactly. Your whole argument is based on inflation. The cost of the senior pass hasn't increased in 25 years. If you could afford the $10 pass 25 years ago, then you should still be able to afford a pass that has 25 years of inflation attached to it with only a slight increase using your inflated dollar. So the only equation that is applicable is what is 25 years of inflation on a $10 senior pass?
According to this CPI based calculator, A $10 item bought in 1990 would cost $18.47 today...
This has absolutely nothing to do with inflation, and I think a few of you have totally missed the point.
As taxpayers we already own the all the federal land under federal management. After working hard all your life and paying your taxes, upon retirement the government rewards you by charging you to enter the lands that you, the taxpayer, already own.
And most people using the Senior Pass are using it to receive half off the campground fee at USFS campgrounds. Campgrounds that used to be free when we were younger.
National Parks is just an afterthought.
But hey, if you think the feds need more of your money, by all means feel free to make a donation to their coffers, but don't come out and say all retirees need to pony up on the lands they already own.
This has absolutely nothing to do with inflation, and I think a few of you have totally missed the point.
As taxpayers we already own the all the federal land under federal management. After working hard all your life and paying your taxes, upon retirement the government rewards you by charging you to enter the lands that you, the taxpayer, already own.
And most people using the Senior Pass are using it to receive half off the campground fee at USFS campgrounds. Campgrounds that used to be free when we were younger.
National Parks is just an afterthought.
But hey, if you think the feds need more of your money, by all means feel free to make a donation to their coffers, but don't come out and say all retirees need to pony up on the lands they already own.
I don't see how ownership has anything to do with it. I always owned my own home, but I've paid a lot of money over the years for the privilege of using it.
I've never had to pay a fee for using federal lands, still don't. However, there are fees to use the areas which have infrastructure and upkeep to pay for. I can only imagine how unusable these areas would be without regular maintenance. Somebody has to pay for maintaining the national parks and recreation areas. I'm not opposed to having a user fee. To me, $80 for a lifetime of access is a bargain. JMO
Considering how much it costs in fuel to get to the National Parks, and the cost of fuel to drive around in the park, also the cost of my RV has to be considered: If I can afford to get to the parks a $70 increase in the life time pass should not be a problem!
Well not exactly. Your whole argument is based on inflation. The cost of the senior pass hasn't increased in 25 years. If you could afford the $10 pass 25 years ago, then you should still be able to afford a pass that has 25 years of inflation attached to it with only a slight increase using your inflated dollar. So the only equation that is applicable is what is 25 years of inflation on a $10 senior pass?
I probably wouldn't be saying anything if the pass increase was only that of inflation . Dutch has it at $18.47 . Worth it or not , 80 dollars is a long stretch from 18.47 .
I don't see how ownership has anything to do with it. I always owned my own home, but I've paid a lot of money over the years for the privilege of using it.
I've never had to pay a fee for using federal lands, still don't. However, there are fees to use the areas which have infrastructure and upkeep to pay for. I can only imagine how unusable these areas would be without regular maintenance. Somebody has to pay for maintaining the national parks and recreation areas. I'm not opposed to having a user fee. To me, $80 for a lifetime of access is a bargain. JMO
This is exactly how we feel.
This has absolutely nothing to do with inflation, and I think a few of you have totally missed the point.
As taxpayers we already own the all the federal land under federal management. After working hard all your life and paying your taxes, upon retirement the government rewards you by charging you to enter the lands that you, the taxpayer, already own.
And most people using the Senior Pass are using it to receive half off the campground fee at USFS campgrounds. Campgrounds that used to be free when we were younger.
National Parks is just an afterthought.
But hey, if you think the feds need more of your money, by all means feel free to make a donation to their coffers, but don't come out and say all retirees need to pony up on the lands they already own.
So you dont believe that National Parks should charge anyone anything to use the Parks?
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