When California planned to close 70 parks this month to save $22 million, donors sprang into action to help keep them open. It turns out they needn't have, as last week it was revealed the CA Dept. of Parks and Recreation stashed away $54 million.
News broke on Friday that while the California Department of Parks and Recreation "painted a dire picture of
the system's health, soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in
donations in what was thought to be a desperate scramble to keep
facilities open," a trove of nearly $54 million remained untapped in two funds, report Ruth Coleman, director of the department since 2002, resigned, and her second in command, acting Chief Deputy Michael Harris, was fired.
At this time it is "unclear whether mismanagement or deliberate deceit led to the concealment of the funds," write the state attorney general's office.
"'It disgusts me,' said Myra Hilliard, who donated and helped raise money
for the Pio Pico State Historic Park in Whittier. 'Is anybody honest
about anything anymore? Here we are working so hard to keep the park
open and they have all this money they aren't telling us about.'"
Secretary John Laird of the California Natural Resources Agency, which
oversees the department, "said in a conference call with reporters that
lawmakers will ultimately decide how to appropriate the surplus."
FULL STORY: California parks department finds $54-million surplus
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