OHV trust fund raided

[Bandit350]

copied from another site.

FLORIDA'S OHV TRUST FUND RAIDED!
August 24th, 2009

Looks like the politicians are at it again, and no state seems to be immune. The latest issue of "AMA's News and Notes" contained a blurb we wanted to forward to our members in Florida. Please read and take the requested action.

Florida: Recently the Florida OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) Advisory Committee was notified that the Florida legislature had "swept" $2.37 million from the state's OHV Trust Fund in 2009. Counting the $2 million that was withdrawn from the trust fund by legislative fiat in 2008, a total of $4.37 million has been raided from the trust fund in just two years. The trust fund, which was established by the T. Mark Schmidt Off-Highway Vehicle Safety and Recreation Act of 2002, is funded by a title fee on off-highway vehicles and is supposed to be used to promote OHV recreation and safety.

The Florida Trail Riders are encouraging all of Florida's OHV enthusiasts to contact their state legislators and demand that the money be restored to the OHV trust fund. For more information visit Florida Trail Riders. For assistance identifying or contacting your state legislators visit the "Rights" page of American Motorcyclist: The Official Site of the American Motorcyclist Association, click on "Issues & Legislation" and enter your zip code in the "Find Your Officials" box.

Please pass this important alert on to your friends and family and please ask them take action as well.

Thanks in advance for your involvement,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

[steelheader13]

Great post, TY.

Get moving people!!!!!!! 

[Turboderf]

good luck with this one the money is gone for ever

[Mars]

That's the problem: Our laid back attitude.
Pencil necks in pink and green get all the environmental issue brought to the table but we just sit back and bit@.
I sent a second letter to Bill Nelson today. It's not much, just a poke to say I'm still here you basturds.

[renmus]

From what I understand, SB-2600 also raided the trust funds from CCW permitting.  They set language to "intimidate" the Gov in that the funds would be stripped from Education to fund the bill.  The bills is to provide salaries for government employees as well as "other expenses" the government might have.  

By the way, this is the canned response I got from my email regarding the theft of the trust funds.

Thank you for taking the time to write to Governor Charlie Crist about the Division of Forestry’s Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Program.  Governor Crist appreciates learning of your views and asked that I respond on his behalf.
 
There are two designated Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) areas in Florida state forests: the Withlacoochee OHV Trails, and the Tate’s Hell OHV Trails.  These trails are managed by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Forestry.  A portion of the revenues received from title fees are transferred from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to the Incidental Trust Fund in the Division of Forestry which funds the management of these trails.  There are many additional sources of revenue that contribute to this trust fund, such as nursery receipts, forestry products receipts, recreation receipts and fire suppression funds, just to name a few.   
 
The Legislature is constituted to fund the most critical needs of the state.  During these difficult economic times, in addition to the OHV Program, the Legislature also authorized critical funding necessary for the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment from the Incidental Trust Fund.   With reference to, Chapters 2008-152 and 2009-81, Laws of Florida, the Division of Forestry’s Incidental Trust Fund was not swept in the last two years.  Wildfire Suppression Equipment was funded at $3.1 million and $1.1 million, respectively, to provide this critically needed protection for state lands.  The Incidental Trust Fund has sufficient funds and will continue to be available to fully fund the operations and maintenance of the OHV trails in Florida.
 
Again, thank you for writing to Governor Charlie Crist.  Your thoughts are very important to him.
  Sincerely,
 
 
John T. Mitchell, Policy Coordinator
Environmental Unit
Office of Policy and Budget