STate of CA wants to pillage OHV trust fund

[Richard Cheese]

i got this in an email today. i understand the state of CA is in a budget crisis (prolly doesnt have anything to do with millions of illegals on social services either )

our OHv green sticker fees were raised from 25 to 50 last year, and in just 1 year, there is 90 million in the trust....BUT now our tax and spend effers (that got us in this mess to begin with) now want to borrow it.

that is not what it is for...its for what remains of our off highway recreational opportunities

here is the email i goy

To all OHV users and stakeholders in regards to YOUR dedicated funds.

Part of the Governor’s latest budget proposal is a $90M loan from the OHV Trust Fund to help balance the state budget!

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 our 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 all 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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Using a trust fund as a revenue source sets a bad precedent. Trust funds are established 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.

4. The budget crisis must be resolved through a combination of spending cuts and tax increases, not more borrowing.

FAX or email your letter today!!!

To comment to the governor: http://gov.ca.gov/interact

Comment your representatives go here: http://192.234.213.69/amapsearch/framepage.asp

(Enter your home address and then start making calls to your representatives)

It is imperative you do this ASAP

Thanks

CORVA President, Jim Woods

CORVA Immediate Past President Ed Waldheim 760 373 0033

CORVA Past President Steve Kuehl

CERA assistant LAO - Bruce Brazil California Enduro Riders Association

WHO WE ARE

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/

Jim Colln

VP - Administration

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Thank you for your support in CORVA -

"Dedicated to protecting our lands for the people, not from the people."

California Off-Road Vehicle Association

Phone: (800) 42 CORVA

URL: http://www.corva.org

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE contact your local whore ,errrrr state politician and voice your opinion about this

thanks

[RUn2it]

Todays word is AXIOM = suggesting that BORROWING can BALANCE the budget. Layman dictionary = robbing Peter to pay Paul, remember that 1? California started the sales tax at 3% to better schools then shifted the burden over to property tax, "temp" raised it .5% to repair flood damaged roads in N Cal, "temp" raised another .5% years later for big fires in S Cal, etc etc, and we're still paying the temp taxes. There's sq ft school fees, billions in bonds, lotto, no pencils, paper etc provided now and the politicians have the revenue hungry nerve to suggest we need to "fully fund education". According to the news if California doesn't solve the budget crisis before tax time refunds will be "deferred" and not to expect interest to be paid, that's a bunch of BULL KRUNKY! Question ... is 1 persons rant anothers senility?