"In just two days, on May 14, the California Senate Budget Subcommittee will vote on a critical proposal that could alter the future of boating in your state. Cal Boating, your state's boating agency, could be dismantled and boaters will lose a department that works on your behalf, for boating safety and infrastructure. Please take a minute, right now to call your state Senator and ask for their vote to save Cal Boating.
Background
As you may know, Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed closing the independent California Dept. of Boating and Waterways (Cal Boating), ostensibly to save $600,000 a year, and merge the agency into the Dept of Parks and Recreation.
But Cal Boating is funded solely by your boater fuel tax dollars, registration fees, and interest payments on infrastructure loans - not General Fund dollars - and its work makes boating safer and more accessible to everyone.
There is nothing new about the Governor's proposal; it came up as a money-saving measure in 1992, 1996 and 2003. The Legislature carefully considered the proposal and rejected it each time.
BoatUS believes that California's more than 3,000,000 boaters, who support a $17 billion per year boating industry, must have a department with a Director whose primary focus is boating. If you agree, please tell your state Senators to oppose the planned merger when they vote on the budget this Thursday.
Action Needed
You can find out more about the issue, and a sample message, at: http://www.rboc.org/call_to_arms.html. We can't let Cal Boating - and your boating dollars - get swallowed up in state bureaucracy. But time is running out so, please telephone your senator or send an e-mail message today. (If you need phone numbers, go to: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html) "
Thanks in advance everyone!
Background
As you may know, Gov. Schwarzenegger proposed closing the independent California Dept. of Boating and Waterways (Cal Boating), ostensibly to save $600,000 a year, and merge the agency into the Dept of Parks and Recreation.
But Cal Boating is funded solely by your boater fuel tax dollars, registration fees, and interest payments on infrastructure loans - not General Fund dollars - and its work makes boating safer and more accessible to everyone.
There is nothing new about the Governor's proposal; it came up as a money-saving measure in 1992, 1996 and 2003. The Legislature carefully considered the proposal and rejected it each time.
BoatUS believes that California's more than 3,000,000 boaters, who support a $17 billion per year boating industry, must have a department with a Director whose primary focus is boating. If you agree, please tell your state Senators to oppose the planned merger when they vote on the budget this Thursday.
Action Needed
You can find out more about the issue, and a sample message, at: http://www.rboc.org/call_to_arms.html. We can't let Cal Boating - and your boating dollars - get swallowed up in state bureaucracy. But time is running out so, please telephone your senator or send an e-mail message today. (If you need phone numbers, go to: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html) "
Thanks in advance everyone!