Issue 364 National Parks and Government June 24, 2014

So here I ask the question, should the parks be State run rather than federally run?  There are a number of Federal parks in the country, but they exist in State territory. Since when can the Federal government use land in the States without their permission for the purpose of a park?

Federally Unconstitutional: This issue came up back when the government shut down occurred last year.  It is already known that the Federal government has zero authority to run national parks.  Reason being is that nowhere in the United States Constitution does it allow for the Federal government to run a national park, let alone mention the word park in the first place. As such, despite the parks costing very little to no money in many cases to run, the Federal government continues to operate them and even use them as a political bargaining chip (as was the case with the government shut down).  So why do we not return these parks and the monuments that exist inside some of them to the States?  

The return:  Well, it is because of two reasons that the parks have not been given back to the States.  The first and most obvious was revenue.  These parks are a tourist traps and have gift shops that the Federal government (in the same manner as the State governments with their parks) get revenue.  The more people come to spend money the more profit is to be had.  

The other reason is fear.  We have naysayers claiming that the State governments will close the parks or harm the monuments.  Essentially the argument is that only the Federal government can protect and maintain these parks.  But, if you know your history, economics, or government, you know this is a bogus argument that inspires fear only in the less informed.  In truth, the States will get the money from these parks instead of the Federal government and to keep people coming the parks will be maintained by them.  No State government wants to destroy a money generating source, nor do they want to be known as the State that closed down a historic landmark.

Conclusion:  So yes, we can return this land to the States so that the States can profit from them and we the people can continue to enjoy them.  No more will we have to worry about these parks being shut down artificially by the Federal government to sway public opinion or the Unconstitutionality of it.  As such, give the States their land back, the Federal government has no right to it.