Parks plan intended to 'rattle the cage' By Judy Lin Sacramento Bee January 17, 2008

"The budget is always a proposal, that's why it's called a budget proposal. … What I was doing with this budget is just say, 'Here's the reality,' and the reality will rattle the cage," Schwarzenegger said during a 90-minute meeting with The Bee's editorial board.

Last week, the governor released a $101 billion general fund spending plan that was balanced largely through government spending reductions. Closing 48 state parks would eliminate 136 positions and help the parks department save 8.9 percent of its budget – or $13.3 million.

Sutter's Fort, the Governor's Mansion and the Indian Heritage Museum – all in Sacramento – were among the parks on the chopping block.

"Now people are going to get creative with the fees and all this stuff … and to find ways of keeping the parks open, which I think they should be kept open," Schwarzenegger said.

The governor said he believed nongovernment groups would step in for the state. He cited parks like the Will Rogers State Park, which has an agreement with the cowboy movie star's family.

Jennifer Rogers Etcheverry, granddaughter of Will Rogers, has told a local newspaper that the Will Rogers park in Pacific Palisades would revert back to the family if the state closed its doors. Etcheverry said part of the donation agreement included the state's responsibility to maintain the park.

While the governor said he wanted to "put everything on the table," his finance director, Mike Genest, said the parks department found fee increases won't necessarily solve the problem. He said higher fees would be likely to drive down attendance, further lowering revenues.