OHV Green Sticker Funds At Risk

[bakerhab]

Anyone interested in carpooling to Sacramento for the hearing?

Helen Baker
bakerhab@aol.com

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From: pconaty@sbcglobal.net
To: edwaldheim@aol.com
CC: dana.nichol@sbcglobal.net
Sent: 5/15/2012 3:00:41 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Action: Contact Budget Cmte members & attend May 23 hearing!


Ed: Please have all of the off-roaders and OHV related businesses you have access to do the following two things:



#1 Before May 23, contact the President Pro Tem of the Senate, 3 members of the Senate Budget Sub Committee #2 for Resources, and 3 key Senators on the full Budget Committee. These legislators can be reached via e-mail, faxes, and phone calls.



The message is:

On behalf of the Friends of Jawbone, don't raid the State's Off-Highway Vehicle Parks Fund, which is 100% user funded, to bail out the financially strapped State Parks! The figures the Budget Sub Committee are using are incorrect.



Senate President Pro-Tem (Leader of the Senate):

Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento): senator.steinberg@senate.ca.gov fax: 916-323-2263 office: 916-651-4006



Senate Budget Sub-Committee #2 (makes budget decisions on State Park System):

Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), Sub Committee Chair : senator.simitian@sen.ca.gov fax: 916-323-4529 office: 916-651-4011



Senator Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield): senator.fuller@sen.ca.gov fax: 916-322-3304 office: 916-651-4018

Senator Fuller has already signified she is opposed to raiding OHV funds. Tell her you support her.



Senator Allan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach): senator.lowenthal@sen.ca.gov fax: 916-327-9113 office: 916- 651-4027

Senator Lowenthal is the key swing vote.



Key members of the full Budget Committee:

Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), Budget Committee Chair: senator.leno@senate.ca.gov fax: 916-445-4722 office: 916-651-4003

Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar), Republican Leader: senator.huff@sen.ca.gov fax: 916-324-0922 office: 916-651-4029

Senator Huff is on our side.



Senator Bill Emmerson (R-Riverside) Budget Committee Vice Chair: senator.emmerson@sen.ca.gov fax: 916-327-2187 office: 916-651-4037



#2 May 23 is the next hearing of the Senate Budget Sub Committee #2 for Resources. This is where it will be decided whether they are going to raid the OHV Fund to bail out State Parks. We need a strong presence from the OHV Community at this hearing. Most likely, our issue will be taken up during the afternoon portion of the hearing but you should be here at 11:00 to lobby. Plan to stay late.



CA STATE SENATE BUDGET AND FISCAL REVIEW SUBCOMMITTEE NO. 2 ON RESOURCES

11 a.m.— Capitol Hearing Room 2040

11 A.M. TO 1:30 P.M.

TRANSPORTATION

______________________________

MAY REVISE AND OPEN ISSUES

UPON ADJOURNMENT OF RULES COMMITTEE

RESOURCES

MAY REVISE AND OPEN ISSUES



Pete Conaty and Associates
Governmental Advocacy
1107 9th Street, Suite 530
Sacramento Ca 95814
office: 916-492-0550
fax: 916-492-8957

[Jason]

Too busy to travel but I am in Senator Lowenthal's district. I will at least contact his office.

[bakerhab]

Thanks jason.

I just got this email from Senators Dutton & Emmerson

Helen Baker

For Immediate Release
May 16, 2012 Release Contact: Kayla Williams/Emmerson
(916) 651-4037

Jann Taber/Dutton
(916) 651-4031


Budget Briefing: The OHV Trust Fund—Where’s the Trust?


Sacramento — Senators Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) and Bill Emmerson (R-Hemet) voiced serious concerns about the future of the Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trust Fund following a May 9 hearing of the Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Transportation.

During the hearing, committee chairman Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) dismissed concerns that his plan to fund California state parks relies on stripping funds that have already been dedicated to OHV programs. However, these OHV funds are 100 percent paid by OHV enthusiasts. His proposal would strip $21 million from the OHV trust fund and divert it all to California state parks for the 2012-13 budget.

“Here we go again. This is just another example of one of Sacramento’s broken promises,” Senator Emmerson said. “This was a legislative agreement that was made for funding OHV parks and legislative Democrats want to steal that money away for other purposes. This is nothing more than legalized theft. It’s time we start keeping our promises.”

“Funding for state parks is critical, but so is maintaining the public’s trust,” said Dutton. “If dedicated OHV funds can be taken so easily, what’s to protect other dedicated user fees? This is not the first time that taxes and fees collected from OHV enthusiasts have been drained for other purposes and that’s unacceptable.”

In the last four budget years, a total of $133 million has been raided from the OHV trust funds for other uses. In fact, in a 2011-12 budget trailer bill, an additional $10 million of dedicated OHV trust funds were taken for the state’s general fund.

No action on the proposal to strip OHV funds was taken during the May 9 hearing. The proposal will be considered again on May 23.

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Senator Dutton represents the 31st Senate District that includes portions of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

[Mike]

Bob Dutton is on the June 5th ballot. If you like what he is doing for OHV and you can vote in his district, don't miss your opportunity at the polls!