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WSSA Votes for Registration Fee Increase

You know, I voted for increasing the reg fees , IF , the money indeed went to the snowmobiling fund. But , over doubling it? Come on - the state is going to get their greedy hands on most of that one way or another. I know I will see no difference in the area I ride now vs. a year from now with the proposed increase.
 
I see both sides of the issue. I ride 25 year old sleds because I can't afford anything better. They are like new, but I do enjoy groomed trails more than ungroomed. I think the state should be held accountable for the money. Can we get an accounting of where the money goes? If you support a more than doubling of fee's, then I think you should also support a guarantee that that money will not be swept...EVER! Iw ae as outdoors people pay special fee's, what logic says it's ok to sweep one penny of those fees.
 
cut funding

I Think we all are in agreement ..that if funding is cut or "sweeped" then we are done funding , and will just ride regardless...no more tabs snopark chit etc.

What I believe we need to do is pay 100 % for our grooming and snopark stuff....then it is on us....just like the canadian model

need to have some of the clubs..or whoever get a use permit for whatever area we need..

just thinking out loud here.

the current model sucks. we need to lose wssa and their old blood and move on to the current conditions that we face.

thanks for listening

Chris
 
I think it is kind of BS personally. I am not tyring to offend anyone. We have a cabin that we have owned for 15 years and register a group of snowmobiles every year. We didn't ride the groomed trails or use snow parks. I do more now as they are getting older. So for now for me to license 6 sleds so the kids can ride is it going to cost me $500.00 a year. We only ride these sleds 3 months out of the year and I pay the same for my auto license and drive all year on big money roads. I understand the part where the snow parks and trails need to be kept up, but I would not think they have to almost double the price to get get it done. Some people have more money than others. I am just tring to keep it fun for the kids but sounds like I might have trouble doing that next year. Sad for them.
 
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How about gas tax that is paid when we fill our sleds? Where does that go?

I paid for tabs for one of my sleds this year. I paid for tabs for my sled trailer this year. I then purchased a forest pass for $30. Then when I took my kids to a snopark at Snoqualmie to go sledding (not snowmobiling) they charged me an additional $25 fee for a day use special groomed sno park pass in addition to my sno park pass acquired with tabs and in addition to the forest pass. It was upsetting. But wait there is more.

At the gate to that sno park was two WA Parks employees. One taking money and the other standing around doing nothing. Who else did I find sitting around inside the sno park? Two uniformed park rangers packing heat, each sitting in there own government vehicle (running) and a groomer operator to groom the 50 foot by 100 foot sledding hill.
It made me sick. Is this really necessary? Of course not. If it was a private business would it operate with such waste and poor management. Hell no. WA is one of the most taxed states in the country. Sales tax is 9.5% where I live. Are you kidding me. And you people just want to keep throwing your hard earned money at these vultures.

Winterbrew, I know you know the kind of people I am calling Sally's. It is the monkeys with 4x4 trucks and no snow tires. The same monkeys that block the turn around at Gold Creek or park the wrong direction. They spend $12k on a sled but won't spend $1200 on a pair of snow tires. Friends of mine were trapped at Gold Creek for three hours one day because a slew of these rodents were all crossed up in the road. Luckily I got the hell out before the chaos unraveled. I imagine that is why you don't ride from that lot Winterbrew. And yes, I probably would throw down a little extra if I thought it made a difference. But over doubling the fee. Does that mean we will see double the number of groomers. Hell no. It means we will see more waste and more mismanagement and an even better chance that a politician will rob from our stash.

Snowmobilers unite. Take a stand a throw a big middle finger up in the air. And maybe just maybe when the rains let up, those Vermin in Olympia will see us.
 
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UnregisteredDaniel fallstrom said:
To everyone this will not happen this season so Please give us your comments in a civil way I'm a volunteer for you so be polite or I will not respond the snowmobile program will need to increace funding in the future. Please contact us at WSSA. web site
Thanks Daniel Fallstrom Wssa leg chair
Click to expand...


hey thanks for your vonunterring, we do appreciate it, however, throwing out altimatums is not going to set well with those of us that have been throwing money at the state while the state is run into the dirt and penalizing those who play.

i spend over a 100 hours a year volunterring to keep the wheeling trails cleaned and open and working to keep the rat bastards who go off trail and tear up the areas they are not suposed to be. and as we are fairly new into snowmobiling and pay the fees without question and then get hammered with another fee and rate increases all the way around are fed up with things. so dont this thread personnally we are all venting as we believed the wssa was on our side and then they screwed us over. $295 to regester 4 sleds to run 5 months a year is absurd.

so grow a thick skin and let us vent.
 
I spoke up a little harsh and got crusified 6 months ago on my opinion if you can afford the new sled you can afford to pay more for tabs.Use a sliding scale for tabs by year I dont know very many peeps that can afford to pay more now.But I see it this way there is alot of older sleds theres alot of older peeps that want to get the next generation into sleddin instead of xbox and because the state is greedy the next generation will lose out.If a few rich folks can afford it I hope they can pay for all grooming because that whats going to happen.Tab your sled in montana 25.00 for the year and ride here for free.Dont tell me the state wont rob it they have done it before they will do it again my Dad has been riding here since 1970 he has seen it happen.They use to send out a gas use form to fill out for sleddin they relized how much was in the slush fund and took it say what you want those are facts.Me i like the montana powder better anyway
 
I would pay $100 + dollars a year to snowmobile in WA for better groming. We all spend alot of money each year: truck,sled,fuel & maintainance for all. Whats another $50. my $.02. Or......... Payments go directly to your local snowmobile club & the club grooms the trail. (happens alot in canada)
 
WaBackcountry said:
How about gas tax that is paid when we fill our sleds? Where does that go?
Click to expand...

For every snowmobile registered, the state figures 135 gallons of fuel is used for the season. (This figure came from a survey many moons ago.) From the state's $0.375 fuel tax, $0.23 goes to our program. So it is 135 x 0.23 x the number of registered snowmobiles.

So, in addition to the snowmobile registration dollars, you currently get a near equal amount in fuel tax revenue. (Just over $60 per sled.)

(This is why it is critical to get sleds registered... we get double the value!)

Remember too, money brought in this season (through registrations/fuel tax) is for next season's program. If we have a bad snow year and few people register, and then follow that up with a snowy year, the program won't have the needed funds. (There have been reserves that could be used to a point. Not sure of the status of that currently.)

Followers of WSSA may be wondering where snowmobilers are on the removal of the fuel tax lid which would give us the full $0.375 of revenue... This has been the number two legislative goal, (first being to protect the snowmobile fund), every year and has seen significant movement. WSSA went from legislators basically scoffing at the request to where now this legislation is sponsored by key Democrat legislators (who are in control of both the House and Senate) with bipartisan support. (During this period, both the OHV and marine stakeholders have come on board wanting their full share too which has made our voice larger. A JLARC Study also agreed that we [snowmobile/marine/OHV] should receive these funds from a legal standpoint.) The holdup right now revolves around a transportation revenue package (new taxes/fees) legislators say is needed but hasn't been proposed/passed. (Our lid removal is being tied to this upcoming package.) WSSA lobbyists believe this will happen in the next session and we will get the lid removed. There is a question whether the lid would be removed all at once or phased in over a few years. (And of course there isn't a guarantee it will happen as quickly as hoped since this is politics...)

Removal of the lid would bring in approximately $20 more per registered sled which would help, but not meet the anticipated need of the program in the future. (On a side note, if the 'revenue package' is an increased fuel tax... roll eyes now... we would be getting the full amount of it. A $0.04 increase would add an additional $5 per registered sled. You can do the math to figure other scenarios.)

Many believe this money is coming... but the question is when...

Just more information for everyone to ponder.
 
if this passes we are opting out and just registering in Idaho...

why not end having paid operators and like other statezs do, have volunteers operate the groomers... Letter sent to WSSA President, District 6 rep, and the lobby dude

Folks:

It has come to my attention my own snowmobile organization is proposing a recommendation to double our snowmobile fees.

I will absolutely not support this punitive increase in state tax; rather I will just register in Idaho and end my membership in WSSA.

Thank you....
 
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Great job WSSA.

I hope the added registration fees will provide the additional money we need for grooming. Every year towards the end of the riding season all the grooming money runs out. The fee increase is needed to support our sport. $75 PER YEAR is barely more than a lift ticket for ONE day of skiing at Crystal. I will gladly pay the extra per sled.
 
if this passes we are opting out and just registering in Idaho... I also sent letters to my representatives and state senator opposing this rate increase... why not do like Idaho and have volunteers operate the groomers... taxes are taxes... Washington State already overspends...
 
plumnuts said:
if this passes we are opting out and just registering in Idaho...
Click to expand...

Move to Idaho and ride there. You won't be welcome here. You just don't get it do you. This is not a cheap sport. Talk to people that are in the know about this subject and hopefully you will change your mind. The price of fuel and equipment is ALOT more expensive now. Our registration fees should be raised to offset the cost increase.
 
redneckj said:
Move to Idaho and ride there. You won't be welcome here. You just don't get it do you. This is not a cheap sport. Talk to people that are in the know about this subject and hopefully you will change your mind. The price of fuel and equipment is ALOT more expensive now. Our registration fees should be raised to offset the cost increase.
Click to expand...

no... I will still ride here... just on Idaho tags... it is about TAXES... Washington takes too much and spends too much... END STATE and FEDERAL EMPLOYEES having to operate the equipment... problem solved...
 
plumnuts said:
END STATE and FEDERAL EMPLOYEES having to operate the equipment... problem solved...
Click to expand...

For clarification, grooming is handled mostly by contracted civilians. (The Forest Service is contracted by the state in some locations as well.)

The state's involvement is mostly in managing the program (setting up the grooming/plowing contracts and other administrative tasks.) Obviously law enforcement is also state or federal employees.

For the most part, Washington groomers are a very dedicated bunch and snowmobilers themselves. They do care about the program overall.
 
All this talk about raising fees and no talk about sweep

Was our monies swept this year like everyone was saying, if so i will not pay for any of my machines next year or until a better system has been penned. I make good money and have no problem spending more but i will not throw my money away i pay enough in taxes.
 
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