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On Sanderson's Sponsorship, and Vote Against
May 7, 2013

To The Editor:

Why is it Senator Sanderson seems to have such a problem in understanding the needs and wishes of the people he represents? Apparently it takes the outcry of his constituency to bring him an awareness of their wishes.
I was taught that thinking before speaking is always a good idea.

Carolyn Howell
Part time Oriental resident and boat owner.
5/7/13

Ashley Erwin sent this email to State Representative Michael Speciale:

From Towndock.net I see that SB 58 passed the Senate and is moving on to the House. It is a bad bill that only benefits a few coastal communities with the dredging inlets that the vast majority of NC boaters, and boaters transiting NC, do not use. I see that some improvements were made from the original bill with regard to the inclusion of highway gas taxes and commercial vessels. I also agree with including documented vessels. However, I still have major problems with the bill.

1. If the real reason for the increase in taxes on boats is for dredging, why aren’t all of the additional funds going towards dredging/waterway maintenance, not just 45%? It appears the rest will just go to the general boating fund, which appears to be a big windfall. If this is really all about dredging, why isn’t all of it going towards the stated purpose.

2. I feel the increase on boats larger than 26 feet is entirely too high. I would agree with a flat $25 dollars on all boats. If all of the funds were going to the dredging fund it would probably be a wash and the higher registration tax/fee would not be necessary.

3. The bill doesn’t identify the shallow water navigation channels that are covered by the bill or any priorities. Is Oregon Inlet going to use up almost the entire fund as it has in the past? The priority should be the Intracoastal Waterway itself. Oregon Inlet and the shallow coastal inlets no one uses except locals should be the last priority, or not included. Any bill needs to have priorities and oversight.

4. Who will decide what gets dredged and what the priorities are? If we have shoaling problems in the AICW itself, will it have priority over the inlets? What about remote sections of the AICW that need dredging, areas that there won’t be a town to put up matching funds, will it have priority? There has to be oversight so that affluent areas that can raise the 50/50 share don’t abuse the fund. Local inlets that are not used by the vast majority of boaters should have last priority.

5. It would require transient vessels that stay in NC greater than 90 days to register their boats in NC. This will drive away business from our marinas and boat yards. We get many boats that come for a season, or leave their boats in our facilities for storage/repair, that this would effect. This provision will have a negative impact on our marine industry.

6. It doesn’t exempt documented vessels from having to put numbers on the bow. Most states only require the state decal to be shown on documented vessels, not the numbers. Boaters owning documented vessels that go to other states and out of the country are not going to put numbers on our boats. In addition, the state cannot title documented vessels.

From my research there are over 350,000 registered boats in NC. With the addition of documented vessels, let’s assume there will be over 400,000. With those numbers a $10 increase in fees will bring in $4,000,000. If the reason for the increased tax is really for dredging and maintaining navigation channels, you are almost to the $6 million goal. But you have to use all of the increase as advertised, not put it in the general boating fund.

Overall, this is a poorly written bill. In an earlier email you said you would not support the bill, I hope we still have your support in defeating this bill. We voted in the Republicans to cut waste and taxes, not this kind of slight of hand. It is a large tax/fee increase on many boaters to support a few coastal counties, for inlets that are not used except by locals. This bill will hurt the marine industry in NC and drive away out of state boaters. Hopefully you will have more influence on your colleagues than Norm Sanderson had.
Regards,

Ashley Erwin
Oriental, NC
5/7/13

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