Is this fact or bad humor?
On Tuesday, September 10, 2002, at 05:59 PM, Cuyler Page wrote:

> Want to have a historic site of your own?   The Government of British 
> Columbia has put all of its historic sites up for bid.   The deadline 
> to submit your "Qualifications" to become a bidder is September 24.   
> You could be the winner of a complete historic gold rush town, or the 
> home of Emily Carr, a famous Canadian artist, or a beautifully crafted 
> 1800's pioneer church, or even the fantastically intriguing Grist Mill 
> at Keremeos.   It is really happening, and government bureaucrats 
> proudly say that this is the only place they have been able to find 
> that is taking this approach to balancing the budget except for 
> Florida.  
>  
> Does anyone know anything about what is or was happening with State 
> historic sites and museums in Florida?  
>  
> Our BC government also proudly cancelled all Interpretation programs at 
> Provincial Parks this summer.   We are told that the only other place 
> that has been done is Mississippi.   How is it in the big Miss.?   What 
> is happening if the programs are truly gone there, and how long has it 
> been that way.   Our parks are experiencing significant vandalism 
> already.
>  
> It is sad times here in bc as history is being re-written by putting it 
> in the garbage can.  
>  
> After 9-11, I rather thought there was some real need and opportunity 
> to promote better citizenship through recognizing and reminding 
> ourselves about what it is we truly value about our culture and what 
> aspects we want to treasure and preserve.   It seemed to me, as an old 
> time Easterner where heritage and history was visible all around in 
> public monuments and historic sites that commemorated historic people 
> and their actions and decisions,  that such monuments and sites 
> contributed enormously to the sense that we are only custodians for a 
> moment of the places that outlive us through time.
>  
> BC Heritage -  it is up for grabs.   Watch out you fortunate folks that 
> live elsewhere.   It might happen there if a similar type of politician 
> takes the electorate by surprise there too.    It is dangerous times 
> when "Business" is promoted as the means to solve governmental 
> problems.   Here, the government is hyping private solutions to 
> everything from health care to historic sites.  
>  
> Be happy you still have a reasonable government, but watch out.   I 
> pray it never happens to your culture.
>  
>  
> Shedding many tears in bc,
> cp
>