Walk Is Now a Tax Hike

The new hiking permit tax voted in by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is unreasonable, multiple taxation. Our regular taxes provide money to be used by the Department of Parks and Recreation to maintain the trails.

I am entitled as a taxpayer to enjoy the horse trails, mountain trails and our local campgrounds. In some cases, a fee for overnight or daytime camping is already required. Now we have to pay additional fees to hike to the place we just paid to camp at.

Something else that really pulls my chain is the adopt-a-trail program. They expect hikers, who are already paying taxes, to volunteer to clean the county trails, and pay again to use the trails.

What about the community service provided by people convicted of misdemeanors who are taken up into the National Forests to clean roadsides and campgrounds 16 hours a weekend to pay off fines and sentences? This is a great idea, but I don’t see the benefit if I must still pay, again, for a hiking permit.

If the Board of Supervisors cannot utilize already-existing funds and programs to maintain county trails, they should maintain what they can afford and let the rest of the trails grow back to their natural state. People who want to use the un-maintained trails can clear them themselves, tax-free.

JOHN CATALDI

Sherman Oaks