That’s been among the results of $350 million in maintenance backlogs at state parks. Of that, $200 million are critical needs, according to Tulsa World reporter Randy Krehbiel’s story about testimony before the Oklahoma House Tourism Committee.

Department of Tourism and Recreation Executive Director Shelley Zumwalt came into the job a year ago as a fixer when scandal hit the department on possible overcharging in restaurant contracts. What she found was a system wasting away due to underfunding and woefully underpaid staff.

At Lake Tenkiller, deteriorated underground electric lines were shocking campers. Greenleaf State Park had to close for a bit after a 1930s-era water treatment plant failed. Alabaster Caverns experienced a cave-in that went unaddressed. And at Lake Murray — one of the most popular destinations — at least 50 cabins are unusable and include rusted out fireplaces.

This is how state government treats an industry that accounts for one-third of the state’s income. As Zumwalt noted, Oklahoma has been eliminating state parks while other states like Texas and Arkansas have been expanding them.

Add this to the evidence pile that state government is not well-funded or adequately operating in many areas. It’s time for lawmakers to invest some of the savings to fix what’s broken.

Tax money is meant to be spent on the needs and priorities of Oklahomans. We’re getting shortchanged.

Gov. Kevin Stitt and some other Republicans have cited the savings number as justification for tax cuts. Their arguments ignore the ongoing problems in state services. They also ignore the role federal pandemic aid played in the temporary boosts in income.

The choice not to spend public money on public services has only worsened those services. It’s created an illusion of prosperity while in reality state services don’t have enough resources to operate effectively.

There are mounting examples of frustrations: CareerTech programs have 9,000 high school students on waiting lists for workforce programs; residents wait months and travel hours to obtain driver’s licenses; thousands of rape kits are backlogged for testing at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation; and unemployment processes remain cumbersome.

Public education has battled for years to be regionally competitive, and mental health patients still struggle to access treatment.

A decade of revenue failures triggered large cuts across state agencies, and many have not recovered. In 2015, state parks were capped at what could be spent on publicity and capital needs. That was never lifted.

“We don’t have to do it like this,” Zumwalt said. “Oklahoma does not have to wait until things are falling apart to decide it’s important. But we do that a lot. We do it too much. We have a unique opportunity to not do it the way we have in the past.”

She’s right. Oklahomans don’t have to live like this. Our state lawmakers need to do better by actually paying for the services Oklahomans want and deserve.

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