"Hell's a Coming..."
The Recreation HQ is not happy about what happened today at
the Assembly Budget Committee hearing. By
now, many of you already know that Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-Petaluma)
championed the agenda of the far left environmental movement to defund the OHV
grants program to the FS, BLM, and county/city parks so they won’t have the
money to maintain trails and facilities.
After which they will complain about the lack of funding to maintain
trails and then sue the agencies to force them to close the trails.
BRC News Release on Hearing Today
SacBee Article from last year that describes the green
closure plan
Video of Hearing (BRC/my comments start about 44.31, other OHV reps follow)
This is actually one of my darkest days in land-use
advocacy in the last 22 years. It
appears the anti-OHV groups have a choke-hold on an all too willing
legislature. It also appears the
city/urban legislators have declared POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC WAR on rural parts
of the state.
Shame on the Parks Foundation for their part in this
scheme.
Just where this ends, I don’t know. Be assured that the fight is not over, but we
are at the bottom of one of the longest political hillclimbs I have ever faced. Stay tuned for further alerts and action
items as this plan moves into conference.
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Posts
I would like to see if legal action is possible to at least stop the immediate raid until a Judge has declared the action legal. A few years ago, the State Legislature raided the State Transit Assistance account of over $1 billion. The courts decided it was illegal to take these user based funding for general fund use. The Judge determined the funding had to be paid back. The State has never paid that funding back, but it did stop the State Legislature from taking future State Transit Assistance funds.
ReplyDeleteScott,
ReplyDeleteIt is being looked at.
Our California State Parks could operate a lot more cost effectively if operated by private industry. Private industry could make revenues and expenditures get a lot closer. As long as a government agency continues to operate the parks with government employees, it is not going to be cost effective. Show me that the option to contract out this service was considered and why requests for proposals for this service are not being sent out.
ReplyDeleteWe need to make a public protest in Sacramento. Then we need to park in Huffman's drive way!
ReplyDeleteJarred Huffman should be ashamed!
ReplyDeleteThe offroad riding enthusiast already generates hug revenues for the state in the forms of sales tax for vehicle and equipment purchases. Then take into account the hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue from related sales of trucks, campers, RV's, as well the restaurants, hotels and more they/I frequent.
This is a self funded resource that is paid for by vehicle registration fees – it equates to stealing and has president as being illegal. – few years ago, the State Legislature raided the State Transit Assistance account of over $1 billion. The courts decided it was illegal to take these user based funding for general fund use. The Judge determined the funding had to be paid back. The State has never paid that funding back, but it did stop the State Legislature from taking future State Transit Assistance funds.
The funds pay California workers, including members of the forestry and park services which in turn helps all our parks.
Mr Huffman may not like the idea of off-road vehicles. His precious Marin tree-huggers have all but banned them there. But there are safe, responsible and reasonable places for people to enjoy the sport.
Shame on you Jarred Huffman.
Riding dirt bikes and getting out to Carnegie is a family event for thousands of people, this moron Huffman needs to be voted out of office and anyone else that has his tendencies to continue to act so stupid should be too! Many jobs rely on the funding of OHV parks, California is in enough economic trouble without help from this moron. I agree, sue them and stop the raid!
ReplyDelete