CA - Hands Off the OHV Trust Fund!

[The Lyin King]

The Governor's recently announced plans to sweep "special" funds would result in yet another "loan" from the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trust fund. These funds are not raised from general tax revenues and are in fact exclusively obtained from payments by riders for their OHV registration and related fuel taxes.

Back in 2007 the OHV community supported a doubling of these registration fees as part of Senate Bill 742. This was done specifically to ensure adequate funds for the OHV program. They are designated to be used solely for OHV program related expenses and to administer and expand the State Vehicle Recreation Areas (SVRA's) system, not to be constantly raided during times of fiscal crisis.

The legislature needs to hear from the riding community immediately. Tell them before another dollar is "borrowed" from this user funded program they first need to repay the $112 million (total) they took in 2008 and 2009. Good fiscal management of this program should be rewarded and respected, not penalized!

With other sectors of California State Parks facing a fiscal crisis, now is the time to identify those facilities that should be part of the SVRA system. State Parks have already announced plans to close a number of parks due to budget constraints. Instead they should work to identify those units that could offer new OHV opportunities and be kept open and managed by the OHV division.

Take Action!
American Motorcyclist Association - Tell the State Legislature and Governor Brown Hands Off the OHV Trust Fund!!

[The Lyin King]

Written by webmaster@cal4wheel.com (Amy Granat) on Feb 22, 2011 05:53 pm

Urgent action is needed to preserve OHV parks in California

The Issue:

On Friday, February 18, 2011, the California Assembly Budget Committee voted to take $27 million out of the OHV operating budget. This would NOT be a loan, and would continue year after year. It would result in closures and cutbacks to the California OHV Parks: Carnegie, Clay Pit, Heber Dunes, Hollister Hills, Hungry Valley, Mammoth Bar, Oceano Dunes, Ocotillo Wells and Prairie City.

The Snow Grooming program and State Sno-Parks will also be greatly affected or closed. In addition, the Governor is proposing to take $21 million more from the OHV program. This could be the end of the OHV program as we have enjoyed it for the last 40 years.

This Wednesday, February 23, the Conference Committee will meet in the State Capitol to iron out difference between the State Assembly and Senate Budget Committees.

We have to influence the following Conference Committee members through our elected legislative representatives: Senator Leno, Vice Chair; Senator Lowenthal, Senator Negrete McLeod , Senator Huff, and Senator Emmerson, and Assemblyman Blumenfield.

What can you do:

ACT NOW! and contact your legislative members ASAP. Find your representatives below, and use the talking points that follow when you are speaking to them. You may also add talking points of your own.

Contacts:
Senator Mark Leno
(916) 651-4003
Senator Mark Leno

Senator Alan Lowenthal
(916) 651-4027
Senator Alan Lowenthal

Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod
Senator.McLeod@senate.ca.gov
Gloria Negrete McLeod

Senator Bob Huff
(916) 651-4029
Contact CA State Senator Bob Huff

Senator Bill Emmerson
(916) 651-4037
Contact Me - Senator Bill Emmerson

Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield
(916) 319-2040
Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield Representing the 40th Assembly District - Welcome

Talking Points:

• The budget proposes only an $11 million cut for 270 State Parks, yet a cut of $27 million is proposed from the OHV division which has only eight State OHV Parks. This represents less than a 10% cut to State Park operations, but over a forty-percent (40%) reduction to the operating budget of the OHV parks. The OHV Division is a user-funded program, taking NO money from the General Fund.

• The State OHV Parks are all about children, offering them opportunities to recreate outdoors. The OHV parks encourage families to go camping, and offer urban residents the chance to enjoy the outdoors in a safe environment. The OHV parks enjoyed a 150% increase in attendance over the last 10 years, which State Parks cannot equal.

• The Law says the OHV division of State Parks should have equal priority among the other State Parks. Budget impacts should be equally shared... yet the State OHV Parks have had $112 million dollars taken over the last three years. Now the Assembly proposes to gut the program, favoring less popular State Parks. This is certainly discriminatory, and counter to the law. The OHV community has given more than its fair share of the OHV Trust Fund. These are dedicated user fees.

• The OHV community has taken legal action for two other attempts of this kind...and the State has lost! We sued you and won $21.5 million. We are willing and able to do this again, and the State will lose even more money before all this is over. We will pursue all legal remedies to stop this action, and stop the discrimination against the State OHV Program and affiliated activities.