Arizona’s Republican leaders, known for picking fights with the federal government, are seething again now that the Grand Canyon is closed because of the budget crisis in Washington.
Gov. Jan Brewer wants the state’s signature national park reopened and has offered to pay for it with state money, but her proposal was rejected Thursday by a park official who said that as long as the federal government remains shut down, such a plan isn’t an option.
“I appreciate the support and I thanked them for the offer, but it’s not an offer we can accept,” said park superintendent Dave Uberuaga.
The shutdown that began Tuesday has led to furloughs for about 2,200 people who work at the Grand Canyon National Park and its hotels. “And that’s not counting the economic impact in the gateway communities, all of the related businesses, the bus tours, hiking companies, the jeep tours, all of those associated functions are suffering economically as well,” Uberuaga said.
Many of those businesses also have offered to chip in to pay to reopen the park.
There is a precedent for keeping the park open, so the “it’s not an offer we can accept” bit is a lie.
Just remember, it’s more important to Team Lightbringer to make sure this underwhelming success sputters forward rather than have the rest of the government funded.
Again…despicable.
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