Do you know that we have lost our gas tax revenue????

[idaspud]

According to Sandra Mitchell, our leader in this big fight,
we have lost the gas tax revenue for the grooming and
trail funding, already here in Idaho. This sucks. We now
will have no funding for the grooming programs other than
the local money generators or from the machines permits.
It will hurt us BIG TIME. To quote Sandra,

"As you know the Idaho Legislature and Governor
agreed to package the last days of the session that
did among other things, rob recreationists of their gas
tax money. Since the early 1980’s, we have received
3% of the state gas tax. The 3% represents a portion
of the motor fuel excise tax collected from nonhighway
recreational fuel use, boats, snowmobiles,
dirt motorcycles, ATVs 4x4’s etc. Those funds are
essential to maintaining our recreation infrastructure!
We must get them back. We have until July 2010 to
do just that but we need everyone to be involved.
If those funds are not returned you can almost count
on registration fees skyrocketing or no funding. If you
have an interest in this issue and are willing to help,
please make a point of attending the next Idaho
Recreation Council Meeting in Boise at the Holiday
Inn in the Peregrine Room at 10:00 am on the 6th."

We need to get into this and send a message to
your local legislator letting them know that the
hiways don't get all, and I mean, 100% of the funds.
We don't ride our machines on the hiways; it is
ridicules to pay for hiways with the gas tax that
we burn in our machines. Damn, I am mad about
this one. The Governor and legislators need to be
impeached over this one. Help.

Idaspud

 

[Wade]

Yep, I put out an alert about this. I've already contacted my state house representatives, one of them bothered to respond.

http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150951

1 response.

This thread I created did better.

http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150952

The proper people to contact, are you county reps, and your district state representatives. Don't waste your time writing Crapo, Simpson, Reish, or Minick. (spelling???)

 

[Wade]

Here's an article that mentions the problems were facing here.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/may/16/klatt-to-lead-idaho-parks-board/

This year, after talk of possible park closures, lawmakers set a budget for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation that’s 58 percent below the current year’s level in state general funds and 19 percent down in total funds. Plus, they passed a law declaring that on July 1, 2010, the parks department will stop getting the $4.7 million it now receives annually from the state gas tax – 13 percent of the department’s remaining overall budget.

......

The shift of gas tax funds away from the parks department was part of a session-ending deal between lawmakers and Gov. Butch Otter to find a stopgap way to direct more money to road maintenance in Idaho. The deal also shifts nearly $18 million in gas tax funds away from the Idaho State Police on the same date.

A state task force, meeting between now and next January, will work to identify a new funding source for the state police and parks department. If they fail, the two state agencies will compete with schools, prisons, health care and other state programs for money from the state’s general fund.

 

[idaspud]

who voted for the bill #376 on our taxes

Don't know if this was posted before but the following link is for the Idaho legislators who voted for or against the law taking our taxes away from the Dept. of Recreation. FYI.

http://www.legislature.idaho.gov//legislation/2009/H0376.htm

 

[Wade]

BTW, If anyone is thinking about going to this meeting Idaspud mentioned, you have to let Sandra know that your interested in attending. It's not a public meeting, but they might need some people that are willing to "WORK" on this issue. Talk to Sandra first please.

 

[RMK935VA]

This is a travesty for sure. For those of you who own a jet ski and/or boat (motorized or not), the Legislature found another way to tax you. They passed legislation in the last session requiring boat owners to buy a sticker to pay for washing stations and monitoring for invasive mussel species! The sticker will cost you $10 for a non-motorized boat and $20 for a motorized boat. For me, it will cost me $40 per year for two jet skis that have never been taken outside of Idaho. The mussels are now in Utah waters and it is only a matter of time before they get here. The monitoring and washing stations will do nothing to stop them. Therefore, all Idaho boat owners are going to be paying for this sticker annually that will not do anything beneficial.

To put this in perspective, the Legislature would not pass a gas tax that actually would have cost the average driver less annualy than what I am going to pay for stickers for my two jet skis. This is BS of the highest order. The gas tax would have actually have accomplished some good and maybe they would not have felt compelled to take away the fuel tax that has been going to IDPR.

Call/e-mail your Legislator and let them know what you think about the diversion of fuel tax revenues from IDPR, Boat stickers for invasive mussels and not passing a small gas tax increase to take care of our damn roads and bridges!

 

[OutdoorJunkie]

Here's another article on this topic that details out the funding we're losing by the new gas tax issue: http://www.islandparknews.com/atf.php?sid=6664&current_edition=2009-06-25

We're going to be impacted by this for sure, so make sure you all speak up!
--Rob

 

[xrated]

I'd be getting on some ears and demanding a nice rebate check for that gas tax money. They tried this in MN but for once we won something.

If ID was like MN, that 3 percent was factored for the gas(taxed for highways) that was used in vehicles that didn't or couldn't use highways or other state roads. Smells awful funny to me.

 

[Wade]

Story about it.

http://www.islandparknews.com/atf.php?sid=6664&current_edition=2009-06-25

 

[Wade]

I don't know if anyone heard it, but they interviewed the Idaho State Snowmobile Association, Land Use director on NPR today, about this gas tax stupidity.

 

[76FOMOCO]

And?

 

[Wade]

And?

Just getting the word out, that it's our money, and the Senate should return it. I just found it interesting, that NPR carried anything from our side.

Apply pressure; until they quit.

 

[76FOMOCO]

Just getting the word out, that it's our money, and the Senate should return it. I just found it interesting, that NPR carried anything from our side.

Apply pressure; until they quit.

so this year I don't buy a 32$ sticker and just put the money in the groomer kitty wright?
Is it true you only need the sticker if your on the trail? I think i can stay off of it for the most part

 

[Wade]

so this year I don't buy a 32$ sticker and just put the money in the groomer kitty wright?
Is it true you only need the sticker if your on the trail? I think i can stay off of it for the most part

I don't think the tax has anything to do with registration.

Idaho Code is not real clear, but basically says, it's unlawful to operate a snowmobile in this state; without a sticker. I don't think they care if you use the trails.

Sticker money goes straight to the counties to buy gas for their groomers. So, don't be a bad boy, just buy your sticker, and nail it to Bear Valley. If you put the money straight into the groomer kitty, how would we know?

 

[cowboysedge]

Talked with a guy at North Stars Ultimate Outdoor Inc. in Preston about this today. He told me that this will affect the snowmobile grooming also. The counties will no longer receive any gas tax funding for trail grooming.

They have a petition set on the counter there for any one interested. So stop in and sign it if you get a chance.