Jim Baird: “Let me read to my colleagues the comments of a memo from the Park Service administration to Park Service employees. They…”

“Let me read to my colleagues the comments of a memo from the Park Service administration to Park Service employees. They were talking, trying to prepare the employees in case someone asks, has our budget been cut, and here is what they said in their memo: ``If you think that some of your plans could cause public or political controversy, we need to know which ones are likely to end up in the media or result in a congressional inquiry.'' They then suggested to the administrators of the parks, the local parks, that ``you state what the park's plans are and not directly indicate that this is a cut in comparison to last year's operation. If you are personally pressed by the media in interview, use the terminology of `service level adjustments due to fiscal constraints' as a means of describing what actions we are taking.'' ... This budget fails to meet those goals. It fails to live up to the promises made by the administration and our colleagues on the other side. We need to reject this budget and put the priorities where the American people want them, and I guarantee that one of those priorities is environmental conservation and protection of our national parks.”