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LIVE FROM THE SUMMER FUNDING MEETING IN WENATCHEE

J

JETJOHNSO

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
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After spending part of yesterday and last night in the State parks meeting I can tell you next season does not look good, we'll get more info today. I can tell you that this past season we only had 28,428 sled registered. That's the lowest number since 1997. I know some of you are going to say "bull" but these are the numbers from DMV. they dont lie. Not sure where the cut backs will come from but we will need to cut a lot of programs back today when we go thru the budget. sorry just the facts, More to come soon. The state parks survey did reveal some interesting items. yes most people think we need to raise our fee's ,,,, but there are still a lot of people who dont want to. I'll give you all a better run down on this too. It's literaly an act of congress to change our reg fee's. this will take about 2 years if we got it done right now. The WSSA meeting coming up in a few weeks will be the most critical meeting I think we've ever had. Should be interested, with out WSSA on our side to raise fee's,,,,,, It will not happen, just some info
thanks dan
 
Sled tax and where it goes link

JETJOHNSO said:
After spending part of yesterday and last night in the State parks meeting I can tell you next season does not look good, we'll get more info today. I can tell you that this past season we only had 28,428 sled registered. That's the lowest number since 1997. I know some of you are going to say "bull" but these are the numbers from DMV. they dont lie. Not sure where the cut backs will come from but we will need to cut a lot of programs back today when we go thru the budget. sorry just the facts, More to come soon. The state parks survey did reveal some interesting items. yes most people think we need to raise our fee's ,,,, but there are still a lot of people who dont want to. I'll give you all a better run down on this too. It's literaly an act of congress to change our reg fee's. this will take about 2 years if we got it done right now. The WSSA meeting coming up in a few weeks will be the most critical meeting I think we've ever had. Should be interested, with out WSSA on our side to raise fee's,,,,,, It will not happen, just some info
thanks dan
Click to expand...






http://www.parks.wa.gov/publications/winterrecreation/Snowmobile Dollars.pdf
 
I can't think of anything that has remained the same price for as long as Wa state sled license.:face-icon-small-dis I don't think it's any accident...Of course we are running out of money and of course the liberal, anti-sled govt. in Wa is going to make sure it stays that way.
Might sound weird, but some media attention to the issue might help....I'm sure the majority of the public wouldn't like to hear that a single penny of their tax dollars go towards some motorized recreation while Gregoire wants to raise their taxes to build roads and bridges....while at the same time "we" have been trying to self fund, and Olympia stands in the way. This goes for the federal funds too!
 
THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE WAY ARE OURSELFS

Unfortunately WSSA has to take the steps to get us a registration fee, The wssa meeting in a few weeks shlould be interesting. We need as many people to show up at the meeting as possible and voice your opinion on raising fee's. State parks or olympia cant do it. I think WSSA has finaly seen the light click on that we need serious help. Being as we have our own "dedicated" funds which means all our sled registration money and gas tax money go into our program. Nobody eles's. The only way to continue is to raise our own fee's. Plain and simple, All this hoopala about collecting money at trail heads and snoparks is a joke, We have way to many snoparks ect to do that at. Believe it or not there are still a lot of snowmobile owners who do not want a fee increase. Most are very un-educated. I read thru the comments on the snowmobile survey state parks did earlier this year, and it hilarious what some people wrote down. They dont have a clue what goes on. I have a lot more info to share also, running out of time right now.
 
The WSSA doesn't need to hear any more. They need to take action if they are the group that can make this happen.
The WSSA did a survey with regards to a licensing increase at the Puyallup snow show a loooong time ago, I don't recall the year but I remember it was the first year of Simmons skis!! The results back then were an overwhelming YES to an increase in our fees. So, with the WSSA knowing this for about 15+ years, hearing from sledders, reading it on the internet, conducting a survey, seeing the $$ issues at the meetings....why are they standing in the way of this? What steps need to be taken to simply change the $$ number on our licensing fee at the DOL?
There will always be a few that don't want to pay their way. Those are primarily the same people who don't license their sleds now, so IMO they have no voice in the matter.
It should be about $100/year with the sno-park permit and re-evaluated every 5 years. That's still CHEAP! Even if a guy goes to the hill just 20 times/season....$5 for a plowed road, a spot a park, a somewhat smoother trail and a place to poop! :face-icon-small-hap
Dan, thanks for your efforts and helping to educate us on the subject!! I cannot attend but will e-mail WSSA with my desire to pay more.
 
So if we paid $100 a sled would we have the funds to do what is necessary? I think a LOT of people would fight that steep of a hike but I would support it if I saw the results of the extra money. Grooming late in the year is important to me. Salmon La Sac got so bad last year that we stopped going there with about a month left in the season. That is one place where there is either a 15 minute blast to the fun or a 45 minute endurance event.
 
Lets go back to the days before the state got involved in grooming. WTH do we need government to run a grooming program? Get rid of the extra registration fees and let us re-claim our road tax and have the local groomers have their own individual operations similar to the Canadian system which flat out works!

Cut out the middle man
 
RE TODD, SOME INFO YOU ARE FORGETTING

I've been in contact with the canadians, they like our system much better but are not sure how to run it as they are not organized at all, There's is a much easier system to run. They only have a handfull of snoparks compared to washingtons (over 100 ) Alot of there trail heads are one way in , one way out, We have many ways into our systems. Also our winter rec program pays for way more than just grooming, Look at the entire picture (and state) Plowing the snoparks, out house and sanitation, land use permits thru out the entire state , Signing and road markers, trail repairs and maintance, a small amount for law enforecment in some area's, repairs on a few state owned cats, emergency reserve money for bad snow years, ect ect, It's a huge budget and a lot of problems go with it. We have our own dedicated winter rec,"MOTORIZED" money that we get to use as we feel neccesarry. There is a board of over 10 people, ( snowmbilers, skiers, county commisioner's ect ) that sit on it and manage it. We waste very little money. It's all accounted for, every dime, and if people wanted to see it, all they have to do is come to a meeting. I watch it closely myself. Not trying to up on a soap box preaching but there is way more to this than just grooming the trails.
 
ReTodd said:
Lets go back to the days before the state got involved in grooming. WTH do we need government to run a grooming program? Get rid of the extra registration fees and let us re-claim our road tax and have the local groomers have their own individual operations similar to the Canadian system which flat out works!

Cut out the middle man
Click to expand...

sooooo, you would rather pay $20 PER DAY for a trailhead fee? Thats what it costs in Valemount, BC. So if you ride 20 times per year you will be paying $400. Washington's registration is only $35 for the entire year. It blows my mind that some people have the nerve to whine and complain about paying a few more dollars to support snowmobiling in Washington. $100 would be cheap. $100 will barely buy you a ONE DAY lift ticket at a major ski resort. Of course the program is not perfect, but there are good people like Dan that are involved in the program and trying to make it better. Is it really worth boycotting the entire program just because a trail was not groomed perfectly the day that you rode? Its F'ing $35 bucks!!! you can't even fill your sled up for one day of riding for that!! Its chump change, have you really been wronged and violated when something isn't perfect for $35 per year??????
 
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Hey Folks,
We beat this horse for most of last year and it keeps turning into a debate about changing the system we have or supporting it. It also comes down to the people that are involved with the current system coming down on the side of the system + a fee increase and lets go ride. The ney sayers keep saying 1. They want Canada's system 2. They want to have a volunteer system in place where folks pay at the snoparks 3. They want to register their sled in Oregon 4. They say to hell with everyone, I don't need a stinking road!

The fact that we are self supporting, the fact that we have input because of the involvment of MANY people that do show up, do fight and do take heat from the fringe is a HUGE plus for us.

I have no problem spending a Benjie per sled (3) but people blew up last year at the 40 buck increase idea that did get voted on by WSSA.

I wish we could kick in extra funds and quit this bickering, but we can't. I REALLY wish that folks would take the time to selfeducate and understand the real problem and workable solutions that are out there, but apperantly they can't.

So, what can Joe Sledder do?!?

Join WSSA
Join your local club. Hell, join two or three.
SHOW UP at the WSSA meetings and LISTEN and LEARN and then VOTE.

We are really, really lucky to have these good folks fighting for us, support 'em! Register your sleds! (including that old Exciter that's the cabin mule) Jack your buddies up that don't register their sleds, I read on here all the time about folks that won't ride with someone that shows up without a beacon and avy gear . . . does that apply to the guy that shows up with out a registered sled?

Like everything else, this boils down to choice. You have to choose to be helpful, or not. Please do me a favor, if you choose to NOT be helpful, please just ignore the debate the same way your ignore registering your sled, or supporting WSSA or your local 'cause the folks that are giving up their time to support your sport have earned the right to be heard.

This is simple, and it has nothing to do with your views on trust, government, clubs or Canada. It has everything to do with educating yourself with the TRUE facts and taking positive action, not just slinging poo to satisfy your desire to fight on the internet.

This is important! It deserves the best we have, please help educate folks with the true facts, not opinion. Please urge your buddies to support the sport we all wait all summer to enjoy, and pleae support the good folks that are out there fighting for us and back them to your buds.

Thanks !

Bag
 
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Got 1 question as i have only been in sport for a couple years now (and now have 4 sleds) i like the trail grooming and my question is doesn't some of the gas tax go toward this from the gas we buy for our sleds????? and since we don't drive them on asfault (if i can avoid it ) shouldn't state more than gladly turn over these funds for grooming???? just a thought or am i way off???
 
I agree with JETJOHNSON and many other. Our system works we are just lacking the funds as there has been no money increase in years.

Time to increase the fees! Suck it up!
 
blk9038 said:
Got 1 question as i have only been in sport for a couple years now (and now have 4 sleds) i like the trail grooming and my question is doesn't some of the gas tax go toward this from the gas we buy for our sleds????? and since we don't drive them on asfault (if i can avoid it ) shouldn't state more than gladly turn over these funds for grooming???? just a thought or am i way off???
Click to expand...


That is how it works already....a formula used based on the number of registered sleds. Fewer sleds registered=less $$.
 
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