I just don't think you will ever please everyone when it comes to legislation like this. What one person likes, the next person hates. It's a vicious circle. I don't think the CAP/STEP is perfect, I would change something. But,right now we are as close to getting the extra funding we need as we have ever been. At our county meeting tonight most people thought that it isn't a perfect plan, LRB2943 that is, but it is close, and we need the funding. Our county voted to support the CAP Modifications. It was not unanimous, but the majority said yes. We need to get this passed now, or it may be years before we get anything else that raises some funds for us. Who wants to wait another few years before a new plan is developed? Not me. We need the funds now.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
WI Trail Funding Poll
- Thread starter blu2u2
- Start date
I just don't think you will ever please everyone when it comes to legislation like this. What one person likes, the next person hates. It's a vicious circle. I don't think the CAP/STEP is perfect, I would change something. But,right now we are as close to getting the extra funding we need as we have ever been. At our county meeting tonight most people thought that it isn't a perfect plan, LRB2943 that is, but it is close, and we need the funding. Our county voted to support the CAP Modifications. It was not unanimous, but the majority said yes. We need to get this passed now, or it may be years before we get anything else that raises some funds for us. Who wants to wait another few years before a new plan is developed? Not me. We need the funds now.
All the awsc has done is held the program and funding hostage and this is playing right into their cards, we are so hurting for money we will take anything.
crispyknite
New member
I ride 75% of the time in Wis so makes since to reg there. I'm from Wi so I know the trails very well. I belong to a club in MN and ride here one or two times a year. I put about 2100 miles on this pass season.
I like to look at it as a reward for club members. I realize that a few members do all the work, but think of all the time those few donate. I don't see non-club members rushing to join a club over this, but I do think current members will appreciate the "reward". Maybe we should look at it as being a "thank you" to club members from non members.
I don't see the "penalty" argument either. I dont even call it a reward. It's simply a choice of where do you want your money to go.
A) Dont join a club and send your entire check to the DNR
or
B) Join a club, send a check to them for $20 and send the remainder to the DNR.
So in choice "A" we send everything to the DNR and pray that it comes back to our trails. Or in choice "B" we can give our club $20 DIRECTLY and know exactly where the $20 is used.
This sport is F'ed if riders would fight an increase in program revenue just because you don't want to join a local club.
I don't see the "penalty" argument either. I dont even call it a reward. It's simply a choice of where do you want your money to go.
A) Dont join a club and send your entire check to the DNR
or
B) Join a club, send a check to them for $20 and send the remainder to the DNR.
So in choice "A" we send everything to the DNR and pray that it comes back to our trails. Or in choice "B" we can give our club $20 DIRECTLY and know exactly where the $20 is used.
This sport is F'ed if riders would fight an increase in program revenue just because you don't want to join a local club.
snowshoe,
Its pretty simple: if you don't join, you pay up! Why don't you explain how it is not a penalty?
Maybe there is a need for some education on the program here, in choice B the money does not all go to the clubs, the club gains a big $10 and the awsc (always wasting snowmobilers cash) get their $10. So if 10 people join a single club the club gains $100 and they might be able to buy pizza for the club. Now if 10 people join 100 clubs now the awsc (always wanting snowmobilers cash) is gaining $1000.....
Its not a penalty cause the people who put in the trails that everyone is riding on gets the reward. Why would you as a snowmobiler, argue that someone who works on the trails should not get a break on registration? The AWSC is not after cash, the are after increased membership. That is what gives the sport power in Madison. Cash also helps in Madison. If you haven't noticed, there are groups out there who would like to see us go away. There battlefield against us is the Capitol Building. Unfortunately we need to get involved in politics to fight these people, and numbers in the AWSC is the best way to do it. Do I agree with everything the AWSC does? No. But they do tons more good for the sport that I do agree with, then I don't. What is your alternative to the AWSC? If they are no longer there who is there to take their place? DNR? A committee appoinited by the Governor? No thank you to those options!
snowshoe,
Its pretty simple: if you don't join, you pay up! Why don't you explain how it is not a penalty?
It's not a penalty because non-club members and club members will be charged the same amount to ride trails.
Let's do the math on to prove my point. These numbers are based on LRB 2943 which is now 2013 Assembly Bill 407.
The non-club member will pay:
$30 every 2 years for sled registration (AWSC wanted to change this to $30 every 3 years by the way)
+$34.25 yearly for a trail passTotal $64.25 entire amount payable to the DNR
The Club member will pay:
$30 every 2 years for sled registration
$20 Club membership dues (my club actually charges $30 but they are all different)
+$14.25 yearly trail pass$20 Club membership dues (my club actually charges $30 but they are all different)
Total $64.25 only $44.25 sent to the DNR and $20 to your club
It's the same cost to ride being a club member or not, so nobody is being penalized for not being in a club.
So like I said before, do you want all $64.25 to go to the DNR and hope it gets to the trails you ride? Or do you want to give the club who maintains your trails $20 directly WITHOUT DNR intervention and only send the DNR $40? I'm all for giving the DNR or any State department less of my money!
It needs to be clarified that the AWSC gets $10 for each club membership be it family or individual. In snowshoes' example above; yes the club would get to keep the $20 for each membership since the club does charge $30 total. Most clubs charge $25 so after the AWSC takes their share the club has $15 left.
Unless clubs get 4 to 5 times their current membership in new members this will not be bringing a substantial amount of new funds to the club. Lets say the average size club in WI is 85 members. Now take the 85 times 2 (if this would cause twice as many to join a club) we are only talking another $1,275 to $1,700 of new money to the club. This wouldn't even cover the cost of fuel for most clubs let alone the insurance, equipment, ect....
As a club membership chair and treasurer I would love to see more members join. However with this comes a lot of extra time involved! It would likely cause me to step down since the current number (110-120) keeps me busy. If the system was streamlined so members would be required to pay by lets say the 1st of December then it wouldn't be so bad as I could send all the members in at once vs. every couple of weeks.
Unless clubs get 4 to 5 times their current membership in new members this will not be bringing a substantial amount of new funds to the club. Lets say the average size club in WI is 85 members. Now take the 85 times 2 (if this would cause twice as many to join a club) we are only talking another $1,275 to $1,700 of new money to the club. This wouldn't even cover the cost of fuel for most clubs let alone the insurance, equipment, ect....
As a club membership chair and treasurer I would love to see more members join. However with this comes a lot of extra time involved! It would likely cause me to step down since the current number (110-120) keeps me busy. If the system was streamlined so members would be required to pay by lets say the 1st of December then it wouldn't be so bad as I could send all the members in at once vs. every couple of weeks.
Its not a penalty cause the people who put in the trails that everyone is riding on gets the reward. Why would you as a snowmobiler, argue that someone who works on the trails should not get a break on registration? The AWSC is not after cash, the are after increased membership. That is what gives the sport power in Madison. Cash also helps in Madison. If you haven't noticed, there are groups out there who would like to see us go away. There battlefield against us is the Capitol Building. Unfortunately we need to get involved in politics to fight these people, and numbers in the AWSC is the best way to do it. Do I agree with everything the AWSC does? No. But they do tons more good for the sport that I do agree with, then I don't. What is your alternative to the AWSC? If they are no longer there who is there to take their place? DNR? A committee appoinited by the Governor? No thank you to those options!
I argue this because as a member who does work on the trails I think it is just absurd that we think we should get paid to do our work that we VOLUNTEER for.
awsc not after cash? REALLY???? If that's not the fact then why the cap step? cap step involves more money, and all the awsc execs have clearly said it is a money and membership program, so if you would like to say different then you need to argue this with the executive board.
The awsc is a business if they go away someone else will take their place...
BTW the committee appointed by the governor is made up mostly of awsc execs and members....
It's not a penalty because non-club members and club members will be charged the same amount to ride trails.
Let's do the math on to prove my point. These numbers are based on LRB 2943 which is now 2013 Assembly Bill 407.
The non-club member will pay:
$30 every 2 years for sled registration (AWSC wanted to change this to $30 every 3 years by the way)+$34.25 yearly for a trail pass
Total $64.25 entire amount payable to the DNR
The Club member will pay:
$30 every 2 years for sled registration+$14.25 yearly trail pass
$20 Club membership dues (my club actually charges $30 but they are all different)
Total $64.25 only $44.25 sent to the DNR and $20 to your club
It's the same cost to ride being a club member or not, so nobody is being penalized for not being in a club.
So like I said before, do you want all $64.25 to go to the DNR and hope it gets to the trails you ride? Or do you want to give the club who maintains your trails $20 directly WITHOUT DNR intervention and only send the DNR $40? I'm all for giving the DNR or any State department less of my money!
Hit the brakes.......
So you first say we all pay the same and then you state that you pay more....so how is that the same?
Non awsc club member will pay:
$30 - 2yr
+$34.25- trail pass
+$20 membership dues to my club.
$84.25 TOTAL I dont see the same total here....hmmmm
So in review NO we all do not pay the same
There are some VERY good tools on the WI DNR site that can help you understand that snowmobile program and where your registration dollars go, I would suggest you check that out for some fact checking.
The awsc is a business if they go away someone else will take their place...
BTW the committee appointed by the governor is made up mostly of awsc execs and members....
Who would you like to see take there place? They are absolutely a business. They represent snowmobilers in Madison and even in Washington. Like it or not, it needs to happen, and it takes money to do that. I have no problem giving them some of my money to do this. They do lots of good things with it. Ever been to a convention? They can be a place to learn new things, not always, but sometimes. And the Miss Snowflake Pageant is a pretty neat program for young women in snowmobiling. Not to mention the youth programs they are trying to grow.
And what happens when a anti-snowmobiling governor gets elected? Do you think the SRC will be made up of Snowmobilers then? I don't. And just out of curiousity, what did the AWSC do to turn you and your club (I assume your club is not a member by your post) against them? Not trying to make you any more angry, I want to see your side of things.
I too have been a longtime member of AWSC but then turned away in the early 2000’s when their conventions and workshops started painting the wrong picture, and then this hairbrained Cap/Step stuff started rearing its ugly head. Two different fees, based on who you are and whether or not you belong to AWSC??? Come on now. This is wrongful and needs to go away once and for all. In answer to this poll (ideas for increased funding) the solution for more funding is so simple and straight-forward that its is hard for anyone to not see it – raise the registration fees for all snowmobile owners equally and get rid of the discrimination and prejudice like many legislators have already said. Why are we still considering Cap/Step? It won’t guaranty any new active members (they are already out their and in the clubs and putting in the trails like the non-AWSC club members are doing now).
A registration increase for all snowmobiler owners would be supported by ALL, so it would pass. If you need some background on this claim “…supported by all…” go back and look at your September 1986 Wisconsin Snowmobile News magazine on page 6. AWSC’s executive director Art Sherren stated, as AB772 was being signed by Gov. Earl, “This new funding results from a registration increase of $4 per year which again shows that snowmobilers are willing to pay their own way.” Well, that’s the way I always thought it was, snowmobilers paid their own way, and then volunteers did the work by their own choice. So now when did this change?
This Cap/Step debate is ongoing, and is a fairly long thread now under a poll started to explore other funding increase ideas. So now, let’s look at another poll that was taken, this one by AWSC that probably had absolutely no input from non-club members. This poll asked seven questions and was done to provide information to AWSC that would give them feedback to suggest whether or not to pursue a two-tier registration system. Question #4 asked: Do you support mandatory club requirement, results were; yes-279, and no-140. Question #5 asked: If it were the only legislation we could get passed, would you support mandatory AWSC membership only; yes-218, and no-199. You can view the entire article on page 23 of the February 2004 issue of Wisconsin Snowmobile News. Now wouldn’t you think that those results would have told AWSC right up front that legislation such as Cap/Step is a bad idea from the start, especially when the votes on those two questions already had a great deal of opposition—right within their own organization??? And then, under AWSC’s comments on the poll, the article showed what were called POSITIVE and NEGATIVE observations. For question #4 a negative observation was “Some would still not participate in club functions but we would have their dollars.” That pretty much says it all—AWSC wants snowmobilers dollars!!!
And, Oh yes, I used to go to the AWSC workshops and conventions, but the drunkenness was so embarrassing I quit going, and I also became more and more scared for my family when out riding that they might be meeting some of those AWSC directors and leaders operating impaired like I had witnessed at some of their high level functions. Well, OK, they weren’t driving snowmobiles up and down the motel/hotel hallways, but they sure made an impression on me—and this impression was very, very low and irresponsible from what are supposed to be our snowmobile leaders.
A registration increase for all snowmobiler owners would be supported by ALL, so it would pass. If you need some background on this claim “…supported by all…” go back and look at your September 1986 Wisconsin Snowmobile News magazine on page 6. AWSC’s executive director Art Sherren stated, as AB772 was being signed by Gov. Earl, “This new funding results from a registration increase of $4 per year which again shows that snowmobilers are willing to pay their own way.” Well, that’s the way I always thought it was, snowmobilers paid their own way, and then volunteers did the work by their own choice. So now when did this change?
This Cap/Step debate is ongoing, and is a fairly long thread now under a poll started to explore other funding increase ideas. So now, let’s look at another poll that was taken, this one by AWSC that probably had absolutely no input from non-club members. This poll asked seven questions and was done to provide information to AWSC that would give them feedback to suggest whether or not to pursue a two-tier registration system. Question #4 asked: Do you support mandatory club requirement, results were; yes-279, and no-140. Question #5 asked: If it were the only legislation we could get passed, would you support mandatory AWSC membership only; yes-218, and no-199. You can view the entire article on page 23 of the February 2004 issue of Wisconsin Snowmobile News. Now wouldn’t you think that those results would have told AWSC right up front that legislation such as Cap/Step is a bad idea from the start, especially when the votes on those two questions already had a great deal of opposition—right within their own organization??? And then, under AWSC’s comments on the poll, the article showed what were called POSITIVE and NEGATIVE observations. For question #4 a negative observation was “Some would still not participate in club functions but we would have their dollars.” That pretty much says it all—AWSC wants snowmobilers dollars!!!
And, Oh yes, I used to go to the AWSC workshops and conventions, but the drunkenness was so embarrassing I quit going, and I also became more and more scared for my family when out riding that they might be meeting some of those AWSC directors and leaders operating impaired like I had witnessed at some of their high level functions. Well, OK, they weren’t driving snowmobiles up and down the motel/hotel hallways, but they sure made an impression on me—and this impression was very, very low and irresponsible from what are supposed to be our snowmobile leaders.
This has gone on a long time, and I'm just not going to argue with anyone. Everyone has their opinion, and some people won't budge.
Just a couple of my points:
1.AWSC to go away, someone else will take over. Are you kidding. Who would start a grass roots push with volunteers to take over for the AWSC. The only one that would take over would be the DNR. I sure would'nt want that.
2.The CAP/STEP is not perfect by any means, but it is as close to getting the needed funding as we have been in years. To through it away now would mean no new funding for many years to come. Even if this passes we won't see it take effect until 2015. I don't think any club wants to wait 5 years or more for a new bill to pass to receive more funding. We need it now.
3.I don't think many members want to be paid. We do it because we love the sport. Charging someone that does nothing for the sport is ok with me. I just wish it was more than $20.
4.The last paragraph above does not paint a true picture of of the many men and women volunteers that are Directors and Reps. I take offense at those comments.There is no doubt that there is some hard partyers at these events, but there are many good people there with good intentions. They are there to support their clubs and to try and help make the sport something for future generations to enjoy. I have met some very good people there, and guys like blu2u2 will be missed there. Guys with that passion for the sport are important to our future. I don't always agree with him, but I sure do respect him.
5. I don't always agree with the AWSC leaders, but I do beleive they have our best interests at heart. They are snowmobilers, and they want future generations to enjoy the sport also.
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow..................
Just a couple of my points:
1.AWSC to go away, someone else will take over. Are you kidding. Who would start a grass roots push with volunteers to take over for the AWSC. The only one that would take over would be the DNR. I sure would'nt want that.
2.The CAP/STEP is not perfect by any means, but it is as close to getting the needed funding as we have been in years. To through it away now would mean no new funding for many years to come. Even if this passes we won't see it take effect until 2015. I don't think any club wants to wait 5 years or more for a new bill to pass to receive more funding. We need it now.
3.I don't think many members want to be paid. We do it because we love the sport. Charging someone that does nothing for the sport is ok with me. I just wish it was more than $20.
4.The last paragraph above does not paint a true picture of of the many men and women volunteers that are Directors and Reps. I take offense at those comments.There is no doubt that there is some hard partyers at these events, but there are many good people there with good intentions. They are there to support their clubs and to try and help make the sport something for future generations to enjoy. I have met some very good people there, and guys like blu2u2 will be missed there. Guys with that passion for the sport are important to our future. I don't always agree with him, but I sure do respect him.
5. I don't always agree with the AWSC leaders, but I do beleive they have our best interests at heart. They are snowmobilers, and they want future generations to enjoy the sport also.
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow..................
I did not participate in the AWSC til about 04, I was a member, but hadn't been to convention, so I would love to here what the "Wrong picture" actually means. Drinking responsibly at a hotel and having shuttles for people that needed to stay at another hotel is not the "wrong" picture to me. It's a great opportunity to socialize with other club members, find out what problems they have in their clubs, with grooming equipment, landowner easements, or anything about snowmobiling. And more importantly, how they solved the problems regarding these issues. If you want these conventions dry, that probably won't happen. The drinking doesnt start til after the dinner, and one can always leave after the dinner. And that being said, I really can't remember someone so drunk they can't walk or talk. But then again, they are not driving anywhere. I can not speak of how the directors ride on the trails, I have never rode with any. I agree word for word what jr37 posts. AWSC is not perfect, niether is cap/step. But they are 100% better than no one standing up for snowmobilers. If they were to go away, I really don't think all the non club members and non volunteers will wake up and say "Now is the time to get involved!" And if you don't like the picture they are painting, don't leave, pick up a brush and help change the picture.
So here we are. The thread seems to have reached or is reaching an end, and if we explore all the discussion it seems quite plain that Cap/Step, although opposed, is supported by many, while a registration increase equal for everyone, also opposed, is an alternate supported by many.
I, too, refuse to argue, but rather stick to pointing out facts on both sides of Cap/Step.
More money is needed, all agree.
More club volunteers are needed, all agree but it is still being debated.
The clubs deserve better than what they are now receiving, both in funding levels and volunteers, and this has been the status for many years now.
This poll asked for funding increase suggestions, so we should probably stick to that issue. Cap/Step would definitely increase AWSC’s treasury by $10 per new member but none of this $10 would directly go out to the clubs for trail purposes. The clubs deserve better than this.
The snowmobile program would also receive additional funding at the state level from Cap/Step in the form of the trail pass startup for everyone, with non-club members paying more than club members, and most of this would go into the snowmobile program, to go back to the clubs in the form of grants for bridges, signs, labor, and other qualifying expenses. If AB407 passes, it would go into effect on July 1, 2015. The clubs deserve better than this. Exactly when the additional funding might become available for return to the clubs is unknown, because exactly how Cap/Step would be implemented is unknown. Also unknown is how much more funding might become available. Then it must also be considered that if Cap/Step were to be brought into the court system to determine the legality of it, this could be dragged out and appealed for an unknown amount of time. The clubs deserve better than this.
The comment that Cap/Step needs to be passed because it has just been already dragged out too long is also valid. But if we are going to get some kind of increased funding through some type of bill we need to put our best foot forward on this and do it right the first time, so some type of “cleanup bill” isn’t needed right away to fix something. The clubs deserve better than this.
A registration increase across the board for all snowmobile owners could be done now, and become effective probably by July 1, 2014 if everyone could come together and support this. The clubs deserve this and many legislators have been leaning towards this anyway for years now. This would also make the snowmobile bill opposition disappear from the Capitol.
Maybe it is just plain time for AWSC to quietly let Cap/Step disappear, and support a registration increase without the two-tier concept. It is the “two-tier” fee that is holding up everything. Without two-tier fees, a snowmobile bill for a registration increase would likely fly through the Capitol. I have been a long time proud member of AWSC and do not want them to go away. I even chaired one of the workshops back in the 90’s. But the clubs cannot keep waiting, year after year, for something that “might” happen, and even then with an unknown outcome. A registration increase for all is the best answer to this poll from all of the 154 comments that I have been reading, and we need to get it done now. The clubs deserve this. Our clubs are filled with hard working members, who have joined and volunteered to do what they do by their choice. They need to be rewarded by seeing something pass through the Capitol that will help them out, ASAP, without the opposition and uncertainty of Cap/Step. Let’s get it done.
And in closing, in the back of my mind I keep thinking “…OK, maybe we should just let Cap/Step pass if that is what it is going to take…” but then a deeper concern is “…but our clubs deserve better than this…so let’s get it done right the first time so they can receive more funding quicker, easier, and more reliably, and if we really do it right, we can have a trail pass system that doesn’t even require another decal for our snowmobiles, and also has a way for an increase that is based on the cost of living index like Michigan has; plus we can even keep our two-year program that has built in stability, is already in effect, and works, could still renew our registrations on-line too.
I, too, refuse to argue, but rather stick to pointing out facts on both sides of Cap/Step.
More money is needed, all agree.
More club volunteers are needed, all agree but it is still being debated.
The clubs deserve better than what they are now receiving, both in funding levels and volunteers, and this has been the status for many years now.
This poll asked for funding increase suggestions, so we should probably stick to that issue. Cap/Step would definitely increase AWSC’s treasury by $10 per new member but none of this $10 would directly go out to the clubs for trail purposes. The clubs deserve better than this.
The snowmobile program would also receive additional funding at the state level from Cap/Step in the form of the trail pass startup for everyone, with non-club members paying more than club members, and most of this would go into the snowmobile program, to go back to the clubs in the form of grants for bridges, signs, labor, and other qualifying expenses. If AB407 passes, it would go into effect on July 1, 2015. The clubs deserve better than this. Exactly when the additional funding might become available for return to the clubs is unknown, because exactly how Cap/Step would be implemented is unknown. Also unknown is how much more funding might become available. Then it must also be considered that if Cap/Step were to be brought into the court system to determine the legality of it, this could be dragged out and appealed for an unknown amount of time. The clubs deserve better than this.
The comment that Cap/Step needs to be passed because it has just been already dragged out too long is also valid. But if we are going to get some kind of increased funding through some type of bill we need to put our best foot forward on this and do it right the first time, so some type of “cleanup bill” isn’t needed right away to fix something. The clubs deserve better than this.
A registration increase across the board for all snowmobile owners could be done now, and become effective probably by July 1, 2014 if everyone could come together and support this. The clubs deserve this and many legislators have been leaning towards this anyway for years now. This would also make the snowmobile bill opposition disappear from the Capitol.
Maybe it is just plain time for AWSC to quietly let Cap/Step disappear, and support a registration increase without the two-tier concept. It is the “two-tier” fee that is holding up everything. Without two-tier fees, a snowmobile bill for a registration increase would likely fly through the Capitol. I have been a long time proud member of AWSC and do not want them to go away. I even chaired one of the workshops back in the 90’s. But the clubs cannot keep waiting, year after year, for something that “might” happen, and even then with an unknown outcome. A registration increase for all is the best answer to this poll from all of the 154 comments that I have been reading, and we need to get it done now. The clubs deserve this. Our clubs are filled with hard working members, who have joined and volunteered to do what they do by their choice. They need to be rewarded by seeing something pass through the Capitol that will help them out, ASAP, without the opposition and uncertainty of Cap/Step. Let’s get it done.
And in closing, in the back of my mind I keep thinking “…OK, maybe we should just let Cap/Step pass if that is what it is going to take…” but then a deeper concern is “…but our clubs deserve better than this…so let’s get it done right the first time so they can receive more funding quicker, easier, and more reliably, and if we really do it right, we can have a trail pass system that doesn’t even require another decal for our snowmobiles, and also has a way for an increase that is based on the cost of living index like Michigan has; plus we can even keep our two-year program that has built in stability, is already in effect, and works, could still renew our registrations on-line too.
I could not have said it better myself zozo2...! The primary reason I started this thread was to try to gather other snowmobilers input on how WI can try to resolve the lack of funds for the trail system.
About 3-4 years ago when I was on board the busses that went to Madison to rally for the CAP/STEP my local senator had the balls to tell the 15-20 AWSC members that were sitting in his office that we need to get an across the board fee increase. During this rally my eyes and mind were opened.
It will be very interesting to see what the AWSC will do if the current version of the CAP/STEP fails to get passed. At the last AWSC Convention (Spring of 2012) that I attended; I recall the AWSC stating that they would be open to other options to get more funding to the clubs. It appears that the CAP/STEP is the ONLY way the AWSC will consider getting more money!
Everyone has a right to their opinions on this issue. I really appreciate the remarks that have been made both for and against the CAP/STEP. Time will tell what becomes of this…
About 3-4 years ago when I was on board the busses that went to Madison to rally for the CAP/STEP my local senator had the balls to tell the 15-20 AWSC members that were sitting in his office that we need to get an across the board fee increase. During this rally my eyes and mind were opened.
It will be very interesting to see what the AWSC will do if the current version of the CAP/STEP fails to get passed. At the last AWSC Convention (Spring of 2012) that I attended; I recall the AWSC stating that they would be open to other options to get more funding to the clubs. It appears that the CAP/STEP is the ONLY way the AWSC will consider getting more money!
Everyone has a right to their opinions on this issue. I really appreciate the remarks that have been made both for and against the CAP/STEP. Time will tell what becomes of this…
groomerdriver
New member
The clubs and the program need more money to operate if we are going to maintain the system we have. Simple plan = let's just raise the yearly fee to levels seen in Ontario, Quebec and Vermont (?).....$200+ per year to ride on the trails? I'm in.
Let the howling dogs bark! LOL!!!
Let the howling dogs bark! LOL!!!
I don't think $200 is the correct way to go. But I think $50 per year Trail pass plus a one time $50 registration is just about right.
The nickel dime BS AWSC is pushing is not going to put money in anyones pocket but the AWSC.
I will send my Money to the DNR if this passes, I know that will make it to the Clubs through the program.
Also, it seems its ok not to belong to a Club as long as you send the extra dough to the DNR. I bet I will save a couple hundred Dollars a year I spend working on the Trails. I spent $20 last weekend on gas fixing a Fence on my Trail section last weekend.
The math does not make any sense and it will not work.
One more question, I own 3 Sleds . Does that mean I get reduced registration on all 3 ??
The nickel dime BS AWSC is pushing is not going to put money in anyones pocket but the AWSC.
I will send my Money to the DNR if this passes, I know that will make it to the Clubs through the program.
Also, it seems its ok not to belong to a Club as long as you send the extra dough to the DNR. I bet I will save a couple hundred Dollars a year I spend working on the Trails. I spent $20 last weekend on gas fixing a Fence on my Trail section last weekend.
The math does not make any sense and it will not work.
One more question, I own 3 Sleds . Does that mean I get reduced registration on all 3 ??
Actually, longtrack, if you are a club member and Cap/Step passes, you would get the reduced rate on all your sleds, not sure how it might work though if some of the sleds were in your wife's name. That is one of the many, many unresolved issues with implementation of Cap/Step. But if you are not a club member, and Cap/Step passes, you would have to pay the higher rate on every sled you own. Senator Grothman introduced an amendment to Cap/Step to fix that, but it never went anywhere, and Cap/Step that year never got out of committee anyway.
longtrack, the one time registration will never fly in Wisconsin. Every registration counts when figuring the gas take that the program recieves. If you only had to reg. once, the program would lose tons of gas tax money. That is a big figure, so one time registration won't happen. I would, though, like to see the trail pass go away and just raise the registration. To me a trail pass is just a hidden registration increase. Raise registraion and be done.