(Editor's Notes by Christina Myer - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Slapping the word “patriot” on things that are emblematic of anything but the behavior of a person who is truly patriotic seems to have become a favorite hobby of a few politicians who have forgotten who they were elected to serve and the founding principles they are bound to uphold.

Throw a little Lee Greenwood in the background and no further work required, right?

It’s hard to stay on top of it all, but a news release from U.S. Rep. Riley Moore’s office caught my eye because I glanced down and saw the word “Shenandoah.”

It’s a word that never fails to trigger wonderful memories of spending part of nearly every summer for decades camping in that national park with my family.

So I gave the item a second look.

I kind of wish I hadn’t.

Moore, R-W.Va. 2nd Dist., and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont. 1st Dist., are among those who have introduced the PATRIOT Parks Act (codifying President Donald Trump’s executive order “Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks,” according to Moore).

“This legislation implements increased entrance fees for foreign visitors at national parks,” Moore’s office said, “with the additional funds being reinvested back into parks for maintenance and other basic operating costs.”

Moore’s office says this is necessary because the National Park System “faces more than $23 billion in deferred maintenance, including more than $200 million on parklands in West Virginia.”

Recall, of course, that New River Gorge National Park and Preserve has been a national park only since December 2020. That’s not much time to rack up $200 million in deferred maintenance. Actually, come to think of it, one wonders why neither Moore nor Zinke mentioned how the park system as a whole got $23 billion behind in the first place.

But back to the bigger problem here.

Why foreign visitors? Why single out that group of guests, now? And why wrap up the targeting of that group of people in the all caps “PATRIOT?”

Zinke’s office shed light on that, as I sought out the news release from it to learn more.

It turns out, PATRIOT in this case stands for Protecting America’s Treasures by Raising Inflow from Overseas Tourists. Catchy.

Oddly, Zinke’s office had no qualms about sending out this gem from him: “It’s unfair to American taxpayers to foot the bill for millions of foreign visitors.”

I guess I’ve missed the part where they were getting in for free while Americans were being charged before.

Oh, but speaking of free, Moore said “From the New River Gorge in my home state to Shenandoah, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Everglades, and the Grand Canyon — God blessed our nation with a tremendous natural heritage. We owe it to future generations to ensure these natural marvels are protected.”

You’ve got to wonder if anyone has told him yet that New River does not charge an entry fee at all.

Using Shenandoah as an example, then, the park now charges $15 to $30 for a standard pass for entry. If I recall correctly, the passes are good for a week. The news release from Zinke’s office said, “According to a report by Property and Environment Research Center, a surcharge of just $40 per foreign visitor would raise $528 million for our park system.”

Note use of the word “just,” while suggesting that the fee for foreign visitors who wish to enter Shenandoah National Park would become $70. I don’t know about you, but if I’m traveling and the cost to get into one of my hoped-for stops has increased by that much, I just skip it. Likely others who have saved for such a trip would do the same.

Several years ago, my dad asked a ranger working an entry station at Shenandoah National Park why the government didn’t consider raising the fee. He meant for everyone, of course. He told the ranger he would gladly pay an extra $5 or $10, and that the fee in place seemed too low.

I think he was right to believe most of the kinds of people who value visits to our national parks would, too. But I have to wonder whether anyone from Moore’s or Zinke’s office asked the Property and Environment Research Center to figure out how much would be raised if every park raised their fees — for everyone — by $5.

No one targeted, no one left out; and still a means of “raising inflow” for the parks that really could carry the adjective “just.”

I could be wrong, but I’m guessing that didn’t happen. After all, a news release about that would have robbed politicians of what seems to have been the opportunity they were really seeking.

That’s not patriotic. It’s a shame.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com.