(Smith Lake Specific)
2,155 messages
Updated 6/25/2024 8:47:10 AM
Lakes Online Forum
83,915 messages
Updated 9/7/2024 7:52:09 AM
Lakes Online Forum
5,200 messages
Updated 8/23/2024 12:20:47 PM
(Smith Lake Specific)
61 messages
Updated 11/13/2022 9:38:51 PM
Lakes Online Forum
4,171 messages
Updated 6/27/2024 7:05:46 AM
Lakes Online Forum
4,261 messages
Updated 5/28/2024 6:31:10 AM
Lakes Online Forum
2,979 messages
Updated 6/26/2024 5:03:03 AM
Lakes Online Forum
98 messages
Updated 4/15/2024 1:00:58 AM
|
|
|
|
Name:
|
Maverick
-
|
Subject:
|
WSMS
|
Date:
|
4/14/2006 2:13:30 PM
|
|
WSMS:
Did you read my editorial comments on the Marine Patrol funding as I agree there is not adequate funding in place today to enforce such a law, however here are some ideas to subsidize our appreciated Marine Officers. Do you have any other ideas which I may haved missed?
In order to enforce a speed limit the funds are not available to support additional Marine Patrol Officers, so how do you propose to fund this additional expenditure for officers and equipment? There are numerous public boat ramps around Alabama lakes which are frequented by thousands of boaters per year per ramp, as with certain National Forests within Alabama, which allow dirt bike and ATV riders on their trails, establish a required honor based launch fee at each public boat launch of $5.00 or so per trailer. Each boater would then complete a ramp usage fee envelope and include their fee within a drop box located at each ramp. The boater would also tear off a voucher stub attached to the envelope and place on their dashboard in order to substantiate the fee has been paid. The citation for any boater found to be in violation of the required honor based launch fee would be cited a $100.00 fine. Additional sources of revenue to fund the Marine Patrol might come in the form of increase in fine revenues or increase in annual boater registration fees, etc.
With regards to greed I am not going there - what is at issue is the bill as passed by out legislative bodies really accomplishing anything other than stereotyping certain boaters. Just in case you did not read my clsoing comments, here they are as well as I am in fact in favor of restrictions being placed on Alabama lakes.
I am greatly in favor of restrictions being placed on all Alabama lakes to preserve our cherished lakes and shorelines, enhance their safety and ensure our lakes are never over crowded today or in the future. However, the boating bill, in my opinion, does not correct the real problem through the stereotyping of certain groups of Alabama boaters, as the primary issue still is and will always remain the irresponsible boat operators, not the responsible captain, unless future legislation is enacted.
|
|