I don't want another tax either. My first choice is no sticker program with free, fair and equitable access to every public access lake in the state. Unfortunately, I don't believe that is going to happen. From the testimony we heard on Saturday and from what gets published it is clear the pony here is not only funding the CLA but to exclude outside users of the lake either through economic barriers, limited stickers or whatever other plan they can come up with. So I believe it will continue to raise its ugly head like gun control efforts, the saltwater license and other pervasive challenges we face. My proposal tries to make the best out of a bad situation and mitigate multiple stickers on multiple public access lakes and economic barriers but the DEP is not going to want to take over a state-wide sticker program either and probably will not support my proposal. But I am assuming this sticker effort continues though I wish I was wrong.
The registration fee does not serve the agendas of the sticker program. It does not fund lake authorities or the DEP, it goes into the motor vehicle department and funds their activities.
So I hope that the entire sticker idea fails and is forgotten. I have no problem paying local taxes and having some of that money go from my town to fund the CLA. I don't think this is a big burden to our town or any of the other towns around the lake. Around the state other local organizations and towns fund lake authorities and lake projects that benefit me when I use "their" lake. This is how America functions, we share and help each other. Like someone else said above, we don't pay to use town roads when we travel around so why a local lake.
I guess we will know more by the end of the month.