Man - Raven your avatars are starting to freak mne out
I'm drafting a letter and I need some serious critiques and ideas please. I'm not much of a writer which is why I ask for your help - I'm also a little pissed and am not getting much fluid thinkin' happening here
:
Dear Sirs;
Subject: Recreational Saltwater Fishing License
I am very disturbed at the need to write this letter this morning. I have just finished reading an article in the June 21, 2003 Providence Journal “R.I. budget restores some aid to schools” here . While I am happy that funds have been restored for education, a vital need that is surely under funded, I am truly shocked that we have come full circle to a year ago or even worse.
Last year the legislature was investigating the need of a Saltwater Recreational Fishing License and more importantly the fees derived from this license. This was a part of a larger effort to overhaul the way Rhode Island manages its coastal marine resources. A working committee formed by both individuals from the RI DEM and from the recreational and charter boat sectors. The collection of people from many walks of life made an honest and open-minded effort to do what was in the best interests of the residents of Rhode Island and the coastal resources we are fortunate to have. This working group was able to review an incredible amount of information and bring forth a wide range of issues - both for and against the proposed license.
After numerous meetings this committee could not in good conscience support implementing a Recreational Saltwater Fishing License in Rhode Island. The reasons were numerous; from the incredible loss of tourism dollars and resulting impact on local businesses like the bait and tackle shops and to the hotels, B&Bs, motels, and restaurants. A significant number of families come to Rhode Island to vacation along our fantastic shores. Many of these vacationers would come to Rhode Island and would incorporate fishing and boating into their plans. These vacationers will likely skip Rhode Island and move on to Cape Cod or even Maine now. There is no reason a family will buy several non-resident fishing licenses during a week’s stay if it’s $35 per license or $8 per license. They will forgo fishing when they see these outrageous licensing “taxes” and skip our state the next time.
Another major concern with the proposed license was that there was no guarantee that the “taxes” amassed would go for the management of the coastal resources. I can’t emphasize enough how major an issue with residents of Rhode Island this was and how worse it will be now on this latest announcement.
I run a website for saltwater recreational anglers, primarily in the north east,
www.Striped-Bass.com with over 1400 registered members – many are residents of Rhode Island. Our goals are to better ourselves as anglers, better our natural resources, and better the fish we are often fanatical about. A significant number of these anglers from other states, namely from New Jersey to Maine, come to Rhode Island several times per year to enjoy the fishing Rhode Island offers. They stay in hotels, eat meals at local restaurants, but bait and tackle, and occasionally bring back ceramic lighthouses and the like to their significant others. They also bring their families here for weeks at a time for vacation. They were strongly opposed to the license tax last year, stating they would go elsewhere if there were fees in Rhode Island to fish. They will be as opposed this year.
Other voluntary measures were proposed to raise revenue to support coastal resources in lieu of a Saltwater Recreational License Tax. These methods are a better way to support management of the coastal resources than a TAX placed on resident anglers of Rhode Island or those from other states that will simply skip the Ocean State on the way to Cape Cod and the Islands.
Please DO NOT IMPLEMENT A RECREATIONAL LICENSE TAX that takes money from the everyday Joe and Jane of Rhode Island when you can give $10-15 MILLION dollars to the Greyhound owners at the track. THAT is unjust!
Threaded Mode