PARK, PHONE, ISP & MY FEES

Now that the government has opened the
door with charging additional fees to take
commemorative pictures of weddings, etc.
at public monuments, it may be time for
each individual to begin assessing the
value of each of their services.

For example, how much should you charge to
make a pot of coffee at the office? How
much should you charge to answer the phone
at someone else's desk? How much should
you charge to take someone else's fax to
their desk? How much should a wife/mother
charge to fix breakfast? How much should
a father/husband charge to wash the 'family'
car? How much should you charge to hold a
door open for someone else? How much should
you charge to let someone else in front of
you in a line? How much should you charge
to tell someone that they have a call
waiting on line 3? How much should you
charge to move your vehicle so that the
parking lot can be painted or the roof
re-tarred? How much should you charge image
hosts to allow their names to show up in
the bar at the bottom of the screen when
you perform a mouse-over? How much should
you charge to provide 'reading services' to
newspapers, or 'watching service' to television
stations, or 'shopping services' to grocery
chains or department stores to shop their
store chain instead of another?

According to an Associated Press release, the
parks were charged with recouping some of
their operating costs for allowing commercial
filming and commercial photographers to
film or take pictures of American scenics and
monuments!
According to the release, Washington D.C. and
Arizona park commissions have decided that
the solution is to charge for the scenics.

One problem is that in Washington, the parks
do not seem to distinguish between a family
having a professional photographer take a
commemorative wedding photo in front of the
Washington monument and a professional
photographer setting up a shoot for clothes
models, manufacturers, etc.
True, the family could have a family member
take the picture. However, as long as the
photographer does not bring in any extra
equipment, just his camera, and just arranges
the family group to the best possible advantage,
how is that different from what a family member
would do?

Obviously a family taking pictures to keep as
a momento of their vacation is quite different
than a movie company setting up a take for
a scene in a movie. I can understand charging
them for the use of the land and scene, even
though it is public land. Public land was not
created for public use as a profit making
venture unless there is a fee attached, i.e.,
restaurants, souvenirs, and the like.

@@@@@@@@@@@@, to hell with it.
So go chase the dollar, it will make your
life complete.
It is what has been missing all these years.
It will save you from boredom, from yourself.

That's the instructions from Washington.