Please take a few minutes to send a letter to Olympia and make sure they don't cheat us out of our money.....
From the WSSA website - http://www.wssa.us/
URGENT! CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY! (Jan '12) - It has come to our attention that our Dedicated Snowmobile Fund is in serious jeopardy. Representative Van De Wege has been tasked with finding $6 million for State Parks, but not from the general fund.
One option is the sweeping of various accounts, with the NOVA and Snowmobile accounts being on the list. Rumor has it Representative Van De Wege is not opposed to sweeping funds!
It is imperative you contact your legislators immediately and tell them not to take YOUR funds!
Remind them your Snowmobile Account is a dedicated fund, with monies derived from snowmobile registrations and a portion of the state gas tax for fuel used in snowmobiles. Our snowmobile program is self-funded and doesn't rely on or require any other funding.
Remind them of the economic impact snowmobiling has on Washington's economy. Directly by paying for trail grooming and sno-park upkeep, as well as tax dollars raised by the purchase of machines, parts, fuel and etc. Snowmobilers also spend money on lodging, restaurants, fuel for tow vehicles, and etc. Many small communities DEPEND on snowmobilers during the winter to prop up the local economy.
Make sure they understand that without our Snowmobile Account funds, there is no snowmobile program. Without money, there will be NO snowmobile trail grooming. More importantly, there will be NO plowing of sno-parks. Without a place to park, we can't unload and ride. Period. Incidentally, if snowmobilers lose their trails and sno-parks, they will not re-register their snowmobiles. No registration = no money in the account. (Make sure to explain the snowmobile registration dollars taken in this year are for next years program. While it may look like our account has a surplus, it really doesn't.)
How to find your Legislators...
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx
An idea of what you can send....
(This is what I sent, Please do not just copy/paste, but this gives you an idea.)
Hello,
I write to you today as a very concerned outdoor enthusiast. Being a citizen of Washington and living in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains, I greatly value the recreational opportunities that are presented to many of us. My chosen past-time happens to be Snowmobiling. The beauty of the Snowmobile program as it currently sits is the fact that it is ENTIRELY SELF-FUNDED and requires no additional funding from any other source. From the funds collected via snowmobile registrations and the small portion of the gas tax that is allocated to snowmobiling, the program is 100% self-sufficient. I feel that I must stop and take some time to write to you today to make sure that in this time of economic recession and trying to make ends meet, I must urge you NOT to take the dedicated funding away from the snowmobiling program.
In addition to the fact that snowmobilers pay our own way, it is important to remember the huge economic benefit that snowmobilers have to the economy of small towns; be it food, lodging, fuel, or the many other basic necessities that go along with snowmobiling, NONE of that additional revenue would be taken in if the dedicated funds from the Snowmobile trail grooming and plowing are taken away. With no funding for the Snowmobile program, trails would not be groomed, parking lots would not be plowed, and it would essentially STOP the sport for many people in the state of Washington, and seriously harm the many businesses that rely on the winter income generated by snowmobilers like myself. I once again urge you to stand up for me and DO NOT allow the snowmobiling funds to be taken away to fill the deficit.
Thank You for your time,
It just took me about 20 minutes to send my comments to;
Doc Hastings
Maria Cantwell
Patty Murray
Curtis King
Norm Johnson
Charles Ross
and to copy all the info here to start this thread. Please take a few minutes and send some comments.... I don't think it can get much easier with all the links and info right here.
THANKS ALL!!!!!
From the WSSA website - http://www.wssa.us/
URGENT! CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS TODAY! (Jan '12) - It has come to our attention that our Dedicated Snowmobile Fund is in serious jeopardy. Representative Van De Wege has been tasked with finding $6 million for State Parks, but not from the general fund.
One option is the sweeping of various accounts, with the NOVA and Snowmobile accounts being on the list. Rumor has it Representative Van De Wege is not opposed to sweeping funds!
It is imperative you contact your legislators immediately and tell them not to take YOUR funds!
Remind them your Snowmobile Account is a dedicated fund, with monies derived from snowmobile registrations and a portion of the state gas tax for fuel used in snowmobiles. Our snowmobile program is self-funded and doesn't rely on or require any other funding.
Remind them of the economic impact snowmobiling has on Washington's economy. Directly by paying for trail grooming and sno-park upkeep, as well as tax dollars raised by the purchase of machines, parts, fuel and etc. Snowmobilers also spend money on lodging, restaurants, fuel for tow vehicles, and etc. Many small communities DEPEND on snowmobilers during the winter to prop up the local economy.
Make sure they understand that without our Snowmobile Account funds, there is no snowmobile program. Without money, there will be NO snowmobile trail grooming. More importantly, there will be NO plowing of sno-parks. Without a place to park, we can't unload and ride. Period. Incidentally, if snowmobilers lose their trails and sno-parks, they will not re-register their snowmobiles. No registration = no money in the account. (Make sure to explain the snowmobile registration dollars taken in this year are for next years program. While it may look like our account has a surplus, it really doesn't.)
How to find your Legislators...
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx
An idea of what you can send....
(This is what I sent, Please do not just copy/paste, but this gives you an idea.)
Hello,
I write to you today as a very concerned outdoor enthusiast. Being a citizen of Washington and living in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains, I greatly value the recreational opportunities that are presented to many of us. My chosen past-time happens to be Snowmobiling. The beauty of the Snowmobile program as it currently sits is the fact that it is ENTIRELY SELF-FUNDED and requires no additional funding from any other source. From the funds collected via snowmobile registrations and the small portion of the gas tax that is allocated to snowmobiling, the program is 100% self-sufficient. I feel that I must stop and take some time to write to you today to make sure that in this time of economic recession and trying to make ends meet, I must urge you NOT to take the dedicated funding away from the snowmobiling program.
In addition to the fact that snowmobilers pay our own way, it is important to remember the huge economic benefit that snowmobilers have to the economy of small towns; be it food, lodging, fuel, or the many other basic necessities that go along with snowmobiling, NONE of that additional revenue would be taken in if the dedicated funds from the Snowmobile trail grooming and plowing are taken away. With no funding for the Snowmobile program, trails would not be groomed, parking lots would not be plowed, and it would essentially STOP the sport for many people in the state of Washington, and seriously harm the many businesses that rely on the winter income generated by snowmobilers like myself. I once again urge you to stand up for me and DO NOT allow the snowmobiling funds to be taken away to fill the deficit.
Thank You for your time,
It just took me about 20 minutes to send my comments to;
Doc Hastings
Maria Cantwell
Patty Murray
Curtis King
Norm Johnson
Charles Ross
and to copy all the info here to start this thread. Please take a few minutes and send some comments.... I don't think it can get much easier with all the links and info right here.
THANKS ALL!!!!!
