Prospective
There was an extensive discussion in a thread about the proposed tax on the RISAA fishing site that I belong to. There is not much chance that it will go thru and the creator of the bill has changed his mind about the bill and will not be pushing it any further. Below is a letter that he sent to one of the club members who had sent him a communication expressing his objection to the proposed bill.
Ron
"Thank you very much for your email regarding your opposition to my bill proposing a property tax on boats.
Let me get right to the heart of the matter and tell you upfront that I have decided not to push this bill at this time.
Now that I hope I have put a smile on your face, please give me this opportunity to explain the genesis and rational behind that bill.
As you are well aware, the State is in a dire financial crisis. Like every other legislator, I have been inundated with suggestions on solving this crisis from my constituents in North Providence. These suggestions have ranged from where the legislature should cut the budget, to where they should raise revenue. One of the suggestions from one of my constituents, was to place a property tax on boats, the rational being “if you have the financial wherewithal to buy the boat, then you have the financial wherewithal to pay property tax on that boat to your town or city.” On the face of it, quite frankly, it sounded like a good idea.
Until I did further research on the subject.
First, I have found out that many years before I became a legislator, the boating industry came to an agreement with DEM that a portion of the boating license fee would go to DEM, and that a sales or property tax would not be incurred by the boat buyer. Second, I have heard from individuals in the boating industry that, although this is not a sales tax, a property tax could have a detrimental affect on our local boating industry. Third, while I had leisure boats in mind, this would also have a negative impact on those who make their living in the fishing industry.
With these points in mind, I decided not to push this bill at this time.
I hope this explains the genesis of the bill, and my motivations behind it.
Once again, thank you for your email opposing my bill to place a property tax on boats. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further concerns or comments regarding any legislative issues."
Sincerely,
Arthur J. Corvese
State Representative
District 55-North Providence
