$10 Fee increase for Michigan Trail Pass next year

[pwolfy2003]

xsledder

If you dont like the fee stay in Illinois and ride , no one wants you or your $45 that bad . If you dont like it stay home. Its that simple.

 

[polarisrider1]

$45 lol. Not sure what license plate tabs cost in other states but most of mine are well over $100 per vehical per yr.. Don't speed while visiting us either, our minimum fine other than parking starts at $90 and only goes up from there. Heaven forbid you get a DUI in MI, then you just sold your soul to the Devil. A carton of smokes for a permit. If your not willing to support our trail system then stay off it. save your $45 and ride IL trails. no hair off my rear. You that whine are the poor tippers and sandwich packers anyways. tight is tight, but cheap is cheaper.

 

[russholio]

Some other ideas:

A discounted rate for multiple sleds

Create a sticker that is good for more than one year (much like registrations).
i.e., instead of $45 each year for three years ($135), one three-year sticker for $120 (just an arbitrary number used as an example)

 

[indy_500]

Why do I jump in I don't know, PR1 Seeing we don't ride roads with our sleds or you with ur boat I think we shouldn't have to pay the fuel tax then haha like that would happen

legally, you shouldn't have to. Or, at least 20 years ago you didn't. My dad rode with a bunch of guys 20 years ago who tracked down how much money they spent on gas, sent it into the state, and got their tax money back. Anybody ever heard of such a thing? I didn't believe my dad when he told me...

 

[polarisrider1]

legally, you shouldn't have to. Or, at least 20 years ago you didn't. My dad rode with a bunch of guys 20 years ago who tracked down how much money they spent on gas, sent it into the state, and got their tax money back. Anybody ever heard of such a thing? I didn't believe my dad when he told me...

I have heard of it. tough to prove what your gas went into unless it says marina on the receipt. Not sure if it holds true. Some of they guys at the marina say that they do not have road tax on the diesel that they have delivered to their boats by a truck that goes to the marina to fill boats, But at the gas dock they pay for road tax there on diesel. Not very many marinas allow outside companies to come in to fill boats. They do not do gasoline just diesel on these large boats. I suspect it is a gray area. I burn about 1500 to 2000 gals. of gas a yr. in my boat so that would be a nice refund to use towards trail permits.

 

[chords]

"If your not willing to support our (MI) trail system then stay off it."

In MI - riding a lake, 2 tracks, road, anywhere and everywhere but a trail.. and a permit is still required. So staying off of the trail system does not remove anyone from supporting the trail system. Willing or not there is no choice $

 

[mikeh906]

I have heard of it. tough to prove what your gas went into unless it says marina on the receipt. Not sure if it holds true. Some of they guys at the marina say that they do not have road tax on the diesel that they have delivered to their boats by a truck that goes to the marina to fill boats, But at the gas dock they pay for road tax there on diesel. Not very many marinas allow outside companies to come in to fill boats. They do not do gasoline just diesel on these large boats. I suspect it is a gray area. I burn about 1500 to 2000 gals. of gas a yr. in my boat so that would be a nice refund to use towards trail permits.

We have fuel boats that dispense right on the IC, but not into moveable storage canistors. No road tax. And yes it is tax ded. if you pay road tax for farm use. Not sure on the marine, we had a farm on the lake, 300 gallon tank, my guy would drive by and check every monday and top it off all year. As a friend he could judge a good or great weekend by how much we burned. LOL Or by looking at the Alum. we had saved. Yah gotta have it, but as a car dealer my tax guy always included my gas costs. Not sure if that cost was included, wink. wink.

 

[harvest1121]

I still think it is cheap for how they keep up the trails in the UP. But you have to look at it has a percentage. So its over a 20% increase. So I wish my income went up 20% and gas has doubled in 2 years so it is a big hit. I wonder if they do anything with all the tax income they make off gas for snowmobiles.

 

[oldguy]

The theory of diminishing returns is a very valid point. It could also have somewhat the opposite effect as far as trail usage is concerned. If someone were to shell out the $45.00, they may plan a second trip that they usually wouldn’t do to get their $45.00 dollars worth. So the higher prices may do both, bring in less revenue and the traffic level may stay the same.

It may also promote a new underground enterprise of sticker swapping. $45.00 will buy you 12 beers plus a tip at the Mosquito.

 

[Skylar]

Xsledder, I'm picking up what your laying down.

I am one of those that will spend the money for a trail sticker no matter what the cost is. I can totally understand if others will not, or cannot. It is their decision, and I sure in the heck will not rip on them for it.

 

[Dsbasecamp]

the theory of diminishing returns is a very valid point. It could also have somewhat the opposite effect as far as trail usage is concerned. If someone were to shell out the $45.00, they may plan a second trip that they usually wouldn’t do to get their $45.00 dollars worth. So the higher prices may do both, bring in less revenue and the traffic level may stay the same.

It may also promote a new underground enterprise of sticker swapping. $45.00 will buy you 12 beers plus a tip at the mosquito.

lol

 

[xsledder]

Wow!!! dekx, pwolfy2003, polarisrider1 you are making compelling points. Ha.

440_chazz, HoosierSmit, thebreeze, nic, maximumpsi, zltim, booondocker, and Skylar get it.

Yes, believe it, at $45 dollars it is no longer worth it for me to make my single trip to the UP each year. And do to time commitments, I can't make more trips to the UP to make the fee cost effective. So, Michigan should look at shorter length passes.

Correct, some people will make more trips because they paid more for the permit inorder to get their money's worth, and some (probably more then you think) will quit going to the UP.

Me personally, its not that I can't afford it anymore (Heck, John made a pretty good profit from me for the Cubs tickets at the last Ride-in). It is because there is nothing "COMPELLING" me to go to the UP that other states don't offer. Wisconsin trails are just as smooth as UP trails and they do just as good of job as the UP at grooming. Actually my family would rather ride in Vilas or Iron Counties because it is not all balls-out, throttle to the handlebars, boring, seen the same tree over and over again, railroad grades like in the UP.

So, apparently this thought threatens some people on this site and they feel they are being personally attacked. I don't know why.

Don't read anything more into someone stating they think $45 is to expensive for what the UP offers other then that person doesn't think the UP is that "COMPELLING" to justify the cost.

Now, I understand it cost a lot, and I mean a lot of money for the tractors, drags, and gas. A lot of time is spent preparing the trails. A lot of people donate their time to clubs. Because, I'm an officer of my local club and I donate time to patrolling my trials and other activities. So, I'm not some smuck abusing someone else's sweat.

With that said, the $45 permit fee it is time for me to move on. Michigan has lost my money in the world of competing for my snowmobile dollars. So, I'm moving on to other places. Any one from New York? What is Tug Hill like? I haven't been there and I just had some funds become available?

(No matter how I phrase this, someone is going to ripe me. Oh well.)

 

[dekx]

Whatever

Didn't know I had to make a compelling point, stated MY opinion as you did...

 

[xsledder]

Didn't know I had to make a compelling point, stated MY opinion as you did...

Oh, your prior comment was an opinion! Really! Wow, I would have never guess. You might want to look up the word "curt".

 

[Admin]

(Heck, John made a pretty good profit from me for the Cubs tickets at the last Ride-in).

Just to clear things up. I did not make a dime off of you at the ride in. Every penny collected goes directly to the Make A Wish Foundation. We are allowed to collect administrative costs during the fund raising but never had. I actually dole out more than $1000 of my own money to help make the event happen. I thank you for attending the event and for your participation.

-John

 

[Firecatguy]

wow 1 or 2 trips to the yoop 45$$ I know stuff has to go up in price and I also not one to piss and moan abot it (to much) but did they not raise it to 35 just last year!!!!we are finding less and less area to ride I know for a fact that the big group i ride with there will be half that wont pay that and stay here in mn.....

 

[xsledder]

Just to clear things up. I did not make a dime off of you at the ride in. Every penny collected goes directly to the Make A Wish Foundation. We are allowed to collect administrative costs during the fund raising but never had. I actually dole out more than $1000 of my own money to help make the event happen. I thank you for attending the event and for your participation.

-John

John,

Wasn't my intent of the comment that you personally made money from the auction. I was trying to convey a message that because someone doesn't want to pay a certain amount for a good or service doesn't automatically make them a cheapskate. I used my contribution to your cause to help make that point. Again, I wasn't insinuating anything sinister on your part.

I went to your Ride-in because I believed in your cause. However, the cost of the permit is hard for me to justify the trip. Does not mean I can't register for the Ride-In and not go or give in other ways. Does it? (A rhetorical question by which I already know the answer.)

Others,

I separate the costs betweens John's Ride-in and the trail permit. To me, John's Ride-in is a charitable event and that has a different weight. The trail permit is a goods and services whereby I can get just as good of goods and services elsewhere.

 

[mezz]

If a $45 trail permit fee is going to keep you from coming to this State or the UP, then so be it. I don't understand how anyone can say they can't justify the trail permit expense for their single trip to Michigan or the UP for that matter. Obviously, the area didn't impress you enough to begin with, oh well, so it's not your cup of tea, no biggy. To use the cost of a trail permit as an excuse to not come here is lame. I think they should hike that price to $90, that will weed out all those who truely don't appreciate what this State & the UP has to offer.-Mezz

 

[nic]

I just don't understand why some people have to get so nasty? I mean geez- the guy was pointing out that hey- they're raising prices. For me- PERSONALLY- this means I'm not going to ride there anymore. What do you all think?
And you people jump down his throat- good riddance. Stay in IL. You're probably the no tipper, sandwich packer. Really? Classy.
I see your point xsledder. Me- I'll still pay the $45. I'll grumble about it, but I'll pay it. However- if it goes up to $55, then $65- given the unseen DNR in MI- you better believe at some point, I'm going to take my chances and not buy one at all. For the maybe 4 days a year I get to ride there- I'll take my chances with a ticket. That was my point about the diminished returns. They will eventually turn enough people away. At $45, they have already turned away xsledder (and I'm fairly certain he's not the ONLY snowmobiler who will take this viewpoint). If they continue to take this approach (like our gov't, just keep raising taxes instead of finding better ways to spend what we have. It's called a budget, the rest of us have to learn to live within one, why are gov'ts exempt????) they will end up hurting themselves in the end.
Is everyone just crabby b/c the snow is gone? I get that. But hey- we have boating/motorcycle/whatever your summer sport of choice is- to look forward to!

 

[xsledder]

...To use the cost of a trail permit as an excuse to not come here is lame...

You know Mezz, your posted wasn't offensive until this sentence.

How many places have you gone to and not gone back because you didn't think the cost for the goods and services was worth it? I bet you didn't think your logic was lame. So, mine is?