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The Asheville Citizen-Times asserted in a Jan., 12, 2004 editorial that privatizing the upkeep of national parks was a ?EUR??,,????'?????<?????????????????fine theory but not good for national parks.?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????????? The article had no byline.
The North Carolina paper, the ?EUR??,,????'?????<?????????????????voice of the mountain,?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????????? objected to a study to ascertain if maintenance jobs (everything from landscape architects to mowing) should be privatized in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. About 40 percent of the park?EUR??,,????'?????<???????????????????????(R)?EUR??,,????'????s workers (107) are in maintenance.
The paper doesn?EUR??,,????'?????<???????????????????????(R)?EUR??,,????'????t believe private firms can do the job cheaper nor better, apparently because the ?EUR??,,????'?????<?????????????????mission of private companies is to make a profit.?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????????? The editorial avers that the ?EUR??,,????'?????<?????????????????Smokies are an odd place to look for cost-cutting, considering the park had a $15.6 million budget in Fiscal Year 2003 and needed an estimated $12.1 million extra to meet its operating needs.?EUR??,,????'?????<?????????????????
We contend that a private firm could have met the $15.6 million budget. After all, that?EUR??,,????'?????<???????????????????????(R)?EUR??,,????'????s what a budget is for. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?????????????????Oh, by the way, we need another $12 million or so,?EUR??,,????'?????<????????????????? usually doesn?EUR??,,????'?????<???????????????????????(R)?EUR??,,????'????t go over well after a company has accepted to do a job for a specified price.
While the editorial admits government waste in many sectors, it makes an analogy of titanic disproportions to buttress its argument, citing the free-market failures of ?EUR??,,????'?????<?????????????????Enron and Halliburton?EUR??,,????'?????<???????????????????????(R)?EUR??,,????'????s gas price-gouging.?EUR??,,????'?????<?????????????????
What do you the profession think? Go to www.landscapearchitect.com and tells us your views.
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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