frequentflyer

Received this from Boats US this morning. Are we getting $$ back ??

May 15, 2003
Dear BoatU.S. Member:

The Florida Legislature recently passed one of the most significant bills related to recreational boating that we have seen in years. For the first time in your state, SB 2586 will return to boating a portion of the state fuel tax monies that boaters pay when they fill up at a marina gas dock, a practice already adopted by nearly 30 other states.

The bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Bush and I have attached below my letter urging him to sign SB 2586 into law. It is important to note that this is boaters’ money, intended to make recreational boating better and safer. However, highway interests who currently get all of the fuel taxes paid by boaters in the Sunshine State are pressing the Governor not to sign the bill.

I hope you agree that this legislation is very important and critically needed, and that you will join me in contacting Gov. Bush and urge him to sign it.

The quickest way to get the word to the Governor on this very time-sensitive matter is via e-mail and his address is: [email protected].

The mailing address is: Hon. Jeb Bush, Office of the Governor, The Florida Capital, Tallahassee, FL 32399.

But timing is critical so please take a moment right now to express your views to Gov. Bush.

Thank you,
Michael G. Sciulla, Vice President for Government Affairs, BoatU.S.([email protected])


My letter to Jeb Bush is below.


May 12, 2003

The Honorable Jeb Bush
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Dear Governor Bush:

I am writing today on behalf of the 100,000 BoatU.S. members who own a boat in the state of Florida to urge you to sign SB 2586. This bill puts a small portion of the fuel taxes paid by boaters to work to improve boating safety and enhance manatee recovery. It is essential to the future of recreational boating in Florida.

BoatU.S. supports this legislation unequivocally. It is an outstanding example of user-pay, user benefit legislation. The funding to support its provisions, including a new office of Boating and Waterways within the FWCC, is derived solely from gasoline taxes paid by boaters who fuel their boats at marinas.

Governor Bush, you and the Florida Legislature have made significant progress in recent years to craft sound public policy that will protect aquatic resources without unduly compromising the Sunshine State’s boating lifestyle nor undermining it’s marine industry. The boater education and boating law enforcement provisions in SB 2586 mark a significant milestone in that progress and I urge you to stay the course and sign this most important bill.

As the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters, with over 535,000 members nationwide, BoatU.S. is committed to safe and environmentally responsible recreational use of our nation’s waterways. SB 2586 is model “win-win” legislation that we would be proud to hold up for other states to follow.

Sincerely,


Michael G. Sciulla, Vice President
Government and Public Affairs
BoatU.S.

Iggy

Very nice.

But, as long as one penny goes towards "manatee recovery" I wont push for it to be signed.
I will not be part of allowing the STMC to ruin our pastime.

frequentflyer

That's a good question. Lets add a Manatee clause to the letter.

CigDaze

Done.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention!

florida gator

My only concern is the same as Iggys. What's to say this will actually go to "our" interests.

gdfatha

Now if only manatees would evaporate as fast as gass fumes..Well... the manatees are ok, it's the over zealous, monee hungry extremeist people that continue to harm the boating industry.

CigDaze

Right on, gdfatha.
Hopefully, if money does get diverted that way, it ends up as sound-minded, scientific research.

Macklin

What about diverting part of the tax money back into YOUR pocket? That's what Virginia does. I got a nice check at the end of last season.