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Part of the
Governor’s Latest Budget Proposal is a $90M Loan
from the OHV Trust Fund to Help Balance the
States Budget!
AAPL supports CORVA in distributing this
important Action Alert to save our hard earned
Green Sticker money that is so desperately
needed for trail work and mitigation efforts.
Given California's financial crisis, it may be
years before we see these funds replaced, if
ever!
Although we understand that the state is in
the grip of the worst budget crisis in history,
this loan is not a solution to the
problem!
Why? The law requires that this loan must
be repaid within 2 years, so all this does is
delay a real solution to the budget problem.
Similar tactics have been tried in the past.
In recent years the state budget was often
balanced by borrowing billions from
constitutionally protected trust funds reserved
for highway construction and repair of local
streets and roads. Local governments
united to oppose this borrowing gimmick and the
governor and legislature agreed to stay away
from borrowing from local government trust funds
this year. Unfortunately this commitment
does not extend to our OHV Trust Fund.
The governor is proposing an urgency bill
that would authorize this loan. This money
is our green sticker money that comes directly
from the increased cost of green stickers from
$25 to $50. This funding was supposed to go to
law enforcement and other essential public
safety services as well as improving the
program. The public agreed to this fee increase
to better fund the program, not to bail out the
state budget.
What can you do?
- It is urgent that OHV users get in touch
with their state legislators as soon as
possible.
- Write or fax a letter to YOUR state senator
and state assembly member.
- Tell them to stop borrowing to balance the
budget.
- Tell them the OHV Trust Fund should not be used
to balance the budget.
- Loans like this are just gimmicks and not a
solution to the real problem.
- We were willing to raise our fees to be able to
keep our program operating, we should not become
the scapegoats in this budget battle.
- During the last election many legislators signed
a promise that they would not use borrowing to
balance the budget.
- Ask your legislators if they signed a "no
borrowing pledge", and ask them if they are
going to stand by that promise.
Specific points to make are:
- Members of the public agreed to a fee
increase to support a specific program, but now
the revenue generated is being diverted from its
intended purpose - a breach of public trust.
- Borrowing from state funds that must be
repaid does not solve the budget problem, it
only defers dealing with the problem to a later
date when it will be even more difficult to
solve.
- Using a trust fund as a revenue source sets
a bad precedent. Trust funds
are established up to protect public funds for
specific purposes. This could lead to diversion
of funds from other trust funds in the future
potentially including even entitlement funds.
- The budget crisis must be resolved through a
combination of spending cuts and tax increases,
not more borrowing.
FAX or email your letter today!!!
URL to comment to the governor.
http://gov.ca.gov/interact
Log on to
http://192.234.213.69/amapsearch/framepage.asp
Enter your home address and then start making
calls to your representative.
It is imperative you do this ASAP.
Thanks.
CORVA President, Jim Woods,
CORVA Imidiate Past presidend Ed Waldheim
760 373 0033
CORVA Past president Steve Kuehl.
Bruce Brazil
CERA assistant LAO
California Enduro Riders Association
About California Off Road Vehicle
Association
The California Off Road Vehicle Association
(CORVA) is a varied group of outdoor
recreationists who are extremely active in
promoting the positive aspects of vehicular
access on public lands and protecting that
right.
The group is composed of the owners of "Green
Sticker" vehicles such as ATV's, motorcycles,
3-wheelers, trail bikes, and dune buggies, as
well as "street legal" 4X4 vehicles, dual sport
motorcycles, bajas, and desert racers.
CORVA's main purpose is to work with the land
managers for responsible off-highway vehicular
access and recreation opportunities.
Secondarily, we educate our membership on the
constantly changing rules and regulations and
promote clean-up and trail maintenance projects.
We continue to monitor and lobby the powers in
Sacramento
Please visit:
http://www.corva.org
Thanks,
Greg Weirick - AAPL President
www.access-advocates.org
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