Wisconsin AB 407 / SB 343 - Snowmobile registration, trail use sticker and funding

[dj2muchjunk]

If your club membership is $20.00, remember that $10.00 goes to AWSC. Also as stated it comes out to $50.00 a year but if your a club member you also get the opportunity to work. All kidding aside I do enjoy the activities associated with being in a club.

 

[snowfreak56]

The common theme I hear is that this money is for the DNR. The money generated from this increase will go to the snowmobile program. The money may be sent to the DNR, but it does not go into a general fund, it goes into the snowmobile program. This money will be brought back to the clubs. The clubs are the ones that need the funds. Please look at this as a benefit to the clubs that need the extra funding. These are the clubs that are providing nice trails for the 200,000 non-club members that ride a snowmobile and the other 25,000 snowmobilers that are a club member. I welcome extra money for the clubs of this fine state.

Might want to be careful here,,Sounds like more money headed to the general fund,,at this time that is where the trail permit dollars go.

 

[jr37]

Might want to be careful here,,Sounds like more money headed to the general fund,,at this time that is where the trail permit dollars go.

Money that is generated from snowmobile registration, trail passes and gas tax will be spent on snowmobile trails and all necessary administration costs. Including law enforcement, safety classes, costs to administer the program, etc. All the money won't be directly spent on the trail, but it won't be spent on things not related to the snowmobile program.

 

[chords]

Seems pretty complicated with multipliers, members non member, death insurance, dues, cap/step, $50 $35 $65 $20 $15 $10 $30 $5 $32 $49.25 $45

 

[Hoosier]

Seems pretty complicated with multipliers, members non member, death insurance, dues, cap/step, $50 $35 $65 $20 $15 $10 $30 $5 $32 $49.25 $45

I'm confused about what is annual and what is paid once every two years.

 

[zozo2]

Complicated? Yes, extremely, and not all thought through yet, so the July 1, 2015 effective date will be law under Cap/Step if it passes, but it will be a nightmare to administer and figure out, and policing it will be almost impossible. You can be certain that if it passes, AWSC will tell the DNR "OK, we got it passed, now you figure out how to make it work." And I sure wouldn't want any of my landowners who snowmobile to be non-club members because when they learn that they have to pay more to ride the trails across their land just because they don't belong to a club, that trail is gone. Cap/Step is totally unfair and needs to go away now, before it becomes unfixable and impossible to administer correctly. How fair is it to have two registration fees that are based on who you are and whether or not you belong to a snowmobile club? Don't forget too that there are some snowmobile families and persons that simply cannot join a club, or just plain refuse to join for personal reasons, and with Cap/Step they will be penalized. It would be so much more workable to just have increased registration equal for everyone, and it could begain on July 1, 2014 if AWSC starts responding properly to the club's needs. Remember too that as correctly noted in one of the posts above, that any increased funding that goes to the DNR goes into the snowmobile program...our snowmobile program is still pretty much self-funded. AWSC, on the otherhand, will be getting rich by Cap/Step (AWSC membership drive bill), and none of the AWSC's money ever goes back to the clubs for grooming, signs, etc. I prefer my money to go directly into the snowmobile program via DNR, and to the clubs, who for the most part will not be too likely to gain many if any new active members. The ones putting in the trails and running the groomers are already in the clubs, some of which want nothing to do with AWSC. Yes, it has been way too long for something to get passed, but Cap/Step is not the answer, and to simply say "let's support Cap/Step and get it passed simply because of the 12-year gap in increasing registration fees" is the wrong way, especially when something better is available and would be supported by all, and could start increasing snowmobile program funding much sooner than Cap/Step, maybe even much-much-much sooner if Cap/Step gets challenged in the courts due to its bias.

 

[xcsp]

Zozo2's post

Where's the "LIKE" button? Thanks for the posting Zozo2, good points made!!

 

[mtb1115]

I can understand the need for increased revenue, as almost all costs have gone up except for labor. After all who needs a raise ? We all know making $10 to $20 an hour is all anybody needs. Down here in the flat lands of Illinois our DNR raised our fee's or use tax in the last few years going from $18 to $30 for a 3 year registration and implemented a $25 a year trail pass for any non-Illinois registered sled (out-of-stated). Our forward thinking DNR even found a better way of saving money by not mailing out renewal notices (did the same for boats too) which now that people are becoming aware of is not so bad. Now when you add in that we have a minimal amount of trails and less than dismal snow our system should be fine... If Wisconsin DNR needs more funds, raise the fee's. Ours is a pay-to-play sport, why complicate it any more than needed ? I have 2 (insured) snowmobiles, I have dual registration in both IL and WI and most of the time I buy my MI trail passes from the MSA in December weather or not I have any trips planned to Michigan.... Plus I belong to 2 Wisconsin snowmobile clubs besides the MSA and their due's are $25/yr single $30/family.... SO my question is; When will the trails be open ? I wanna ride ! Seriously we all expect the cost/fee's to increase every few years, but why wait till it's dire straights and then wham ! ???

 

[mtb1115]

FYI, last year they raise our vehicle registration fee's/tax by $2/year (ex: on a regular car it went from $99 to $101) claiming the monies are going to the state parks, a modest amount with hardly an out cry unlike when they went from $50 to $78 then to $99...

 

[skutr]

I've got 6 sleds & under this idea it's going to cost $300/year just to register my sleds and most of that goes to the State. Screw that! i do not support this and I predict that if this passes there will be a lot less sleds that are registered and fewer people joining a club or renewing their membership. Go ahead and flame me if you feel the need but unlike some of you I'm not made of money.

 

[mojo]

i thought registion is the same if you're a club member. i thought they where going after non member to pay more to register there sled. for some reason i thought it was 30 year and non member was like 55. i guess i need to follow this better. i have 3 sled and it is a great sport but it does take up money to go sledding. and i'm not made money also.

 

[lmuch21]

I've got 6 sleds & under this idea it's going to cost $300/year just to register my sleds and most of that goes to the State. Screw that! i do not support this and I predict that if this passes there will be a lot less sleds that are registered and fewer people joining a club or renewing their membership. Go ahead and flame me if you feel the need but unlike some of you I'm not made of money.

So how do you plan to pay for the $$$$ shortfalls? Place/increase the general tax on everyone, snowmobiler or not? Raise taxes on the 1%? pretend like its not an issue?

Personally i say to raise the registration fees and be done with it. I like the idea of extra money going directly to the clubs, but even if people "join" the clubs to save a few bucks, it doesn't mean they are going to help out anymore than they do now...

 

[renegade]

I do not buy the "biased" arguement at all. Look at it this way. Two guys who just bought sleds for the first time, go to register there sleds. One decides to help out and join a club. He pays $65. The 2nd guy, for personal reasons, hates clubs and the AWSC, doesnt join and pays $65. Why would anyone care if the 1st guy wants some of his registration dollars go to his club and to the AWSC? Why should you get to say where my money goes? To me, you are the biased and controlling one.

As far as the amount. I'm sick and tired of the snowmobiling funds running short, bridges not getting put in, and unfunded trails not getting funded. It's $50 bucks a year. If you can't afford it, you probly should not have a sled either.

 

[xcsp]

Here's a link to the AWSC website with information on the Cap/Step proposal, take a look at the various updates listed there:

http://tinyurl.com/pk5bhxm

They list 2 different proposals.

Take a look at the Cap/Step modification that is listed on that webpage, shows some projections if they pass the bill.

Here's info on the upcoming workshop/convention in Stevens Point for those who may want to attend the Cap/Step session: http://tinyurl.com/p9qd6j2

I would imagine many who are in favor of it will be there.

 

[renegade]

The more I think about this bill and look at it from differant angles, it is a good bill. If you belong to a club or even if you don't belong, but ride in an area where there are many club trails that are unfunded and the club finds ways to maintain and groom these trails, you have the option of keeping your money in that specific area that would need money to maintain these trails. So if you are not a member, but ride in an area, join the club and the money goes directly to the area you ride.

 

[xcsp]

In looking at the CAP/Step modification page which is located at the link I posted above in post #34, using their figure of 200,000 registered sleds, if they would go with a $35/yr. registration it would bring in $7 million per year, and no screwing around with a trail permit decal and who's in a club or not and it will include all registered sleds.

on that page they project as club membership rises, the money brought it would decrease? So why not just keep it simple and raise the reg. fee as mentioned? Guess the only issue is honestly getting the money to the clubs and not siphoned off by the State or AWSC.

 

[xcr440]

So if you are not a member, but ride in an area, join the club and the money goes directly to the area you ride.

THIS is what the clubs are hoping for. JOIN TODAY!!

 

[Cat600]

THIS is what the clubs are hoping for. JOIN TODAY!!

Why should I join? Don't get me wrong, I would like to join a club again, but I work nights, when clubs usually do meetings and get togethers and what not. I'm not going to waste a vacation day twice or more a month just for that and then lose all my vacation and can't go riding. Plus thanks to Christmas time I can't take any vacation anyhow.

So if I did join a club, now I would have to spend $65/year for all the state stuff/membership AND then also get slapped with a ~$20 non-active club member fee cause all the clubs in SE Wisconsin do that since I can't attend anything.

Very awesome that I have to go $35 every 2 years to ~$85 every year because my profession prevents me from being a member of a club.

 

[xcr440]

Why should I join? Don't get me wrong, I would like to join a club again, but I work nights, when clubs usually do meetings and get togethers and what not. I'm not going to waste a vacation day twice or more a month just for that and then lose all my vacation and can't go riding. Plus thanks to Christmas time I can't take any vacation anyhow.

So if I did join a club, now I would have to spend $65/year for all the state stuff/membership AND then also get slapped with a ~$20 non-active club member fee cause all the clubs in SE Wisconsin do that since I can't attend anything.

Very awesome that I have to go $35 every 2 years to ~$85 every year because my profession prevents me from being a member of a club.

I'm pretty sure the numbers that started this thread clearly show the cost is the SAME. In-State non-member, In-State member, out of state pass fee, all the same when you do the math correctly, $50/year.

Even if you do NOTHING (Just like when you don't join a club), it benefits the clubs by $20/member/year.

THIS is why you should join a club.

 

[jr37]

Another thing with a club membership is that you will receive the Wisconsin Snowmobile News, filled with news and events. You should also receive your clubs newsletter, keeping you informed locally. The magazine and newsletter should cover your $20 alone, and maybe you will even be able to make it to a Christmas party, or other club event, and then you are money ahead.