'Pay to play' will be back
I'm sure by now that you've had just about enough of all the 'pay to play' proposals to tax kayakers and canoeists, hikers who wear their hats backwards, bicyclists with seat rash, and God-only-knows what else...
It won't happen this year. But with the creeping incrementalism of government, the topic of outdoor user fees will be back, and we may, ultimately, end up succumbing to them.
We've all got to pay our fair share somehow. Some will argue that we already pay too much, others will say not enough. And there's a fair contigent in the middle--like myself, wary though I am-- who says that a little more here and there might be okay.
We'll see how it plays out.
I must ask though, what in the heck does Daryl DeJoy of the Wildlife Alliance of Maine mean when, regarding the outdoor users tax, he says, "This is not so much a tax as a user fee. I see nothing wrong with user fees."
Hmmm. Now, I'm curious Daryl, if we called the amount we pay in on our IRS Form 1040 a "user fee", would that make everything better?
Ok, back to my happy place. Hiking and paddling and biking season is upon us and my focus is on FUN. Let's go there and leave the serious stuff for later.
Well Carey,
A "user fee" is an excise tax often in the form of a license or supplemental charge levied to fund a public service -- called also user's fee
A tax, as defined by Merriam Webster's dictionary, is 1 a : a charge usually of money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes b : a sum levied on members of an organization to defray expenses
Not a lot of difference, I'd agree, but when the Governor says he only wants suggestions that are user's fee's and not any new taxes you have to do what you have to do. If outdoor folks who don't hunt or fish want to be sure there is available first aid and emergency help for them in bad situations, habitat to enjoy and an educated and user friendly department they're going to have to ante up. It's the American way, don't you think?? I really hope those who regularly go to their "happy place" start thinking about how we need to guarantee that we have quality places to bike, hike and paddle in the future. Don't let apathy and lack of attention change the state we live in from what it is now to what Connecticut or Massachusetts have turned out to be. Less quality land to enjoy, more sprawl. Less recreational opportunities, more air and water pollution.
Pay attention, folks! Change often happens when your backs are turned!
Daryl DeJoy
Wildlife Alliance of Maine
Posted by
Daryl DeJoyMay 3, 2005 08:09 PM
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