The Press Democrat Editorial Board today speaks out on the promises associated with the creation of a regional park in southern Sonoma County. You can read the editorial here.

Six years and $18 million ago, county officials offered assurances that the Tolay Lake regional park would be open to the public no later than 2008.

These assurances were important because local government didn’t have a sterling track record when it came to delivering on public access. Taxpayers’ money would be used to purchase park land, only to have government agencies devise various excuses for keeping the land under lock and key. If the people who paid the bills wanted to visit these properties, they were obliged to sign up in advance for supervised tours.

But Tolay Lake would be different, officials said.

Now, it’s almost 2009, and county officials say the park will be open only on weekends and for folks who attend orientation sessions in advance. And, officials add, those rules may remain in effect until 2014.

Peanuts fans will recall that Lucy promised that – this time – she would let Charlie Brown kick the football. Poor Charlie. He’s so gullible.