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CASTAIC CLOSURE SOLUTIONS AND MORE -- Jim Matthews column 17sep03
Simple solutions to keep Castaic open past Oct. 1
Castaic Lake is targeted for closure Oct. 1 because Los Angeles County Parks loses nearly $2.8 million a year operating the lake, and State Parks and Recreation doesn’t want the lake because they can’t afford to lose that kind of money either. Those of us on the outside looking in are in a state of utter disbelief that the county loses money on this facility. We can’t believe Castaic Lake doesn’t bankroll the rest of the parks system for Los Angeles County. This lake, according to the counties figures, attracts over 800,000 visitors each year, collects money from over 160,000 vehicles and 52,000 boats that use the lake.
How can it lose money? I’ll tell you how? There are 50 full-time county employees (and they don’t even provide security or water patrols). I’ve asked people in private enterprise who are familiar with the facilities at Castaic if they would need 50 people to staff and run that facility and they laugh out loud. Staffing is bloated beyond belief. The facility could be managed -- and well managed -- with half that number or less. An examination of where the money is spent shows where obvious cutbacks should be made. For example, the county spends just a snick under $2 million a year on lifeguards alone. For the 88,000 swimmers who use the lagoon, that works out to a little more than $22 per swimmer. Swimmers use the facility for $6 per car load. Easy solution: Fire the lifeguards, put up signs that either say “no swimming” or “swim at your own risk.” Not only would you save most of the money the county says it loses on the facility, but you’d save 100s of jobs in the community of Castaic by keeping the lake open and 800,000 people a year coming to town. This is a no brainer.
Next you fire the three or four management people at county parks who are in charge of this facility and so incompetent they can’t make money with the Castaic facility and -- poof! -- there’s no more deficit. Keep the gates open and hire someone who will turn the facility into a cash cow for parks -- something that could be done without even raising the basic fees charged to users. Better yet, turn the thing over -- on a lease agreement -- to private enterprise, save $4 million a year in expenses, and earn money on the lease. The county and state has had offers from a number of sources to take over management of the facility, but these government agencies would rather close the gates than let someone else pay -- pay! -- to run Castaic Lake. This is government at its worst.
Simple solutions to keep Castaic open past Oct. 1
Castaic Lake is targeted for closure Oct. 1 because Los Angeles County Parks loses nearly $2.8 million a year operating the lake, and State Parks and Recreation doesn’t want the lake because they can’t afford to lose that kind of money either. Those of us on the outside looking in are in a state of utter disbelief that the county loses money on this facility. We can’t believe Castaic Lake doesn’t bankroll the rest of the parks system for Los Angeles County. This lake, according to the counties figures, attracts over 800,000 visitors each year, collects money from over 160,000 vehicles and 52,000 boats that use the lake.
How can it lose money? I’ll tell you how? There are 50 full-time county employees (and they don’t even provide security or water patrols). I’ve asked people in private enterprise who are familiar with the facilities at Castaic if they would need 50 people to staff and run that facility and they laugh out loud. Staffing is bloated beyond belief. The facility could be managed -- and well managed -- with half that number or less. An examination of where the money is spent shows where obvious cutbacks should be made. For example, the county spends just a snick under $2 million a year on lifeguards alone. For the 88,000 swimmers who use the lagoon, that works out to a little more than $22 per swimmer. Swimmers use the facility for $6 per car load. Easy solution: Fire the lifeguards, put up signs that either say “no swimming” or “swim at your own risk.” Not only would you save most of the money the county says it loses on the facility, but you’d save 100s of jobs in the community of Castaic by keeping the lake open and 800,000 people a year coming to town. This is a no brainer.
Next you fire the three or four management people at county parks who are in charge of this facility and so incompetent they can’t make money with the Castaic facility and -- poof! -- there’s no more deficit. Keep the gates open and hire someone who will turn the facility into a cash cow for parks -- something that could be done without even raising the basic fees charged to users. Better yet, turn the thing over -- on a lease agreement -- to private enterprise, save $4 million a year in expenses, and earn money on the lease. The county and state has had offers from a number of sources to take over management of the facility, but these government agencies would rather close the gates than let someone else pay -- pay! -- to run Castaic Lake. This is government at its worst.
