Would you pay an extra $10 a year for registering your vehicle if it got you free admission to state parks? That's the idea from Assembly Member John Laird, a Santa Cruz Democrat who is trying to address the dreadful condition of the state's parks.

In effect, the license plate on you car would become a park pass. Average entrance fees for state parks are somewhere between $6 and $10 a day now.

Paul Rogers of the San Jose Mercury News outlined the plan in a story today, and described the problems facing the parks:

On Sunday, a Mercury News investigation detailed that the number of rangers, lifeguards and other state parks employees remains the same -- about 2,970 people -- today as 20 years ago, despite the fact that 5 million more people visit the parks. The newspaper also cataloged a $1.2 billion backlog of maintenance, including broken sewers at campgrounds, collapsing historic buildings and other problems.

It's an interesting idea, and one that would benefit the San Joaquin River Parkway, among other entities. But it's also already been pinned with the kiss-of-death label "tax," and Republicans in the Legislature -- as well as the governor -- are sure to oppose it.

Ah, well, who needs state parks anyway?