Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Maine Rep's,
I
wholeheartedly hope that you reconsider your push for any kind of
saltwater
fishing license implementation.
Growing up in
the wonderful state of Maine I spent uncountable days fishing
from the shore, jetties and in the
marshes. As a child, it was an adventure
to ride my bicycle town to the town
dock, jetty or beach and try my luck with
a line and a pole. Today as a
grown man, it is still an adventure to drive my
truck down to the same places and get
away from the everyday stresses of our
fast paced world.
I now live in
Florida due to serving in the military and am currently deployed
to Iraq to protect the freedoms we all have
come to know, love and expect by
living in this great country. I am fighting for our freedoms daily and
being
able to
fish in Maine without a license just happens to be
on this list also.
I look forward
to the limited number of days that I can come back "home" to
Maine and fish with my friends.
Having to buy a license is going to
discourage me from doing that.
Just think of the children that this will
affect. I remember going to the
tackle stores when I was young and on a very
limited budget. I would try and
stretch that budget as far as it would go to
fill my tackle box. Now
children will have to cut their limited budget from
the get-go, just to get their
license. This bill is definitely going to
discourage not only the children of Maine, but all children and families that
visit Maine.
I truly see the
effects that this will cause with lost revenue in sporting
good stores, restaurants,
accommodations, fishing charters, gas stations, food
stores, shall I keep going...
Looking at this
bill from a cost/benefit side. I see that the cost, by far,
outweighs the benefits. The
Representatives do just that, represent the
people. I hope that you hear
how loud all the people are who are opposed to
this bill and make the right
decisions.
I am proud to
say that I grew up in the Great State of Maine and am a true
believer in the motto "Maine, the way
life should be". Now let’s keep it that
way.
05/13/07 Mother’s Day
An Act to Create a Saltwater Recreational Fishing License, Maine Legislative bill........... LD 1811.
I OBJECT – DO NOT VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS ACT
The sea is like the air we breathe and is there for all without FEE’S . . .
I was in Maine today from Massachusetts for my wife and mother of my children to enjoy dinner at Lord’s in Wells.
I was concerned when I did not see the Gath III in Wells Harbor . Upon returning home I went to Captain Satch’s web site to see if all was OK. What I found was the legislative process working once again to create fees and take money for a resource that belongs to all!
I have been vacationing in Maine for the past 10 years and visit several times a year. My family and friends fish from the beach (catch and release) and from Captains Satch’s fleet. I have always been impressed by open public access to the beaches but discouraged by your sales tax . . .
I spend $10,000 to $12,000 a year in Maine and if this Act to Create a Saltwater Recreational Fishing License is approved I will go back to vacationing in New Hampshire and fishing in Massachusetts . . .
I am sure you all have seen the price of fuel that we all have to contend with getting to Maine . . . This burden will also impact the Maine recreational fishing fleet and be passed on as well.
Myron P Waite
Captain Satch,
Please send this letter to the Maine
Legislators...encouraging them to vote NO to the
recreational saltwater fishing license.
Visiting Maine and fishing go hand in hand for my
family and friends for many years .
Buying a license to fish off the pier is not only
discouraging fishing but also visiting Maine.
I believe many other Maine visitors from our area have
the same feelings as we do.
I urge you to vote NO .
From a long time Maine vacationer and Fisherman from
the Berkshires.
Sandra and Jim Olmstead
I've only just discovered what its like to vacation in Maine over the
last 5 or so years. In addition to just relaxing on the beaches or
doing some shopping, one of the things we enjoy most is the offshore and
deepsea fishing. We are your typical casual fisherman. Since we rarely
catch any keepers, whether off the piers or when we charter a boat with
Capt. Satch, why would we want to pay more just for the priviledge?
Instead, we'll hang on the beach another day. This bill, if passed, will
have a serious negative impact on the fishing business in Maine. And
probably more important, it will have a negative impact on the overall
tourism dollars that states like ME are so dependant on. Dollars that
are spent in restaurants, shops, Kittery, toll booths, fish and tackle
shops even gas stations and liquor stores.
Have you really done the math on this one. Will the license help your
revenues that much? How about the business that are so dependant on
the fishing business? Be sure you calculate the losses before you start
counting the money.
Good luck!
KC
Dear Legislators,
I am a middle-aged man, born and raised in the Bronx,
NY. I have been coming to Maine as a camper,fisherman,
and hunter since I was a college student. My very best
friend Dennis McMahon (better known as Captain Satch)
was my room mate in college. He taught me everything I
know about living in a rural environment, respect for
nature and a love of the ocean. Fishing to me is the
life blood of Maine. It has been a tradition since
colonial times to afford Maine's citizens free and
unfetterd access to its waters. For many of its poor
the sea was and continues to be a major source of
sustenance. To tax a persons right to fish in saltwater
is an outrage. To tell a father that he and his son
must pay $30 to $40 a year to fish off a pier or a
dock is a sacrilege.
The middle class city people who vacation here and
add untold millions to the states economy will choose
Massachusetts or Rhode Island to spend their tourist
dollars rather than pay the $30 per person,just to put
a pole in the water. The 5 or 6 million dollars that
may be raised by this outrageous tax will be dwarfed
by the 10's of millions lost when tourists choose to
spend their money elsewhere. To put it bluntly,this
proposed tax is a DUMB idea!
Carl Emmanuel
Bronx,NY
Dear Senators and Representatives,
My name is Frank Hughes. I am a resident of
Massachusetts, but a frequent visitor to the state of
Maine. My Sister Christine Burke and her husband Dr.
Jack Burke, however are residents of Maine. They
reside in Vassalboro Maine. My sister Christine Burke
is also a former legislator herself and currently does
some lobbying work with some of your members. I give
you this background so you realize that I have some
awareness of your budgetary concerns and some of your
reasoning as to why you want to start imposing
saltwater fishing licenses.
Having said that however I would respectfully request
that you reject Bill LD1811. For the past 7 years
myself and most recently my son have been fishing with
Captain Satch McMahon out of Wells Harbor Maine. We
fish with Captain Satch for many reasons, most
importantly his sense of a family atmosphere that
surrounds the whole experience. Captain Satch is able
to do this because he runs the business along with his
sons. While we have had our disappointments with the
number of fish we caught, we have never had a
disappointment with the experience. I am not a rich
man nor is my son. We save most of the year to enjoy
this experience together as a family, a thing which,
as he gets older, is more valuable to me than any
money I could ever make. By adding a license fee to
the amount of money it cost to take a trip fishing it
may not deter me from continuing to enjoy the coast of
Maine, but it may be the deciding factor for others.
People who look to experience saltwater fishing will
look at a number of other locations and decide
strictly upon cost as to where they will go. These are
people from other states, just as myself, who come to
Maine not just to fish one day and leave, but who come
and stay in your hotels the night before, eat in your
restaurants either before or after their trip and
people who after having such a positive experience
fishing and traveling in your welcoming state will
come back to visit for other reasons. All of the
industries that support saltwater fishing in Maine
will suffer from this measure. Also consider the fact
that Captains such as Captain Satch that give people
this life experience may have to consider absorbing
these cost themselves as a part of doing business. In
an industry such as theirs I know there is not much of
a profit margin built in to their business. This will
inevitably mean that some of their bu sinesses will
fail, this would be a tragedy, not only to the
businesses themselves but to their families.
In closing I ask you to please reconsider this bill.
It is clear to me that this fee could be a
short-termed fix to a small budgetary problem, but end
up becoming a long term loss for the Great State of
Maine.
Respectfully Submitted,
Frank Hughes
--
Boston Police Department
District 14, Community Service Office
301 Washington Street
Scott Charlton..Another family man teaching his kids the joy of the ocean !
I would like to join in the opposition to the
concept of a saltwater fishing license in this
state.
My family struggles every day to make ends meet,
and we don't. Not even close. The cost of
living in this state is almost as high as
Massachusetts and the income is about 2/3rds and
yet the Maine legislature feels that we need to
be taxed at the highest in the nation.
But at least we have the most magnificiant coast
in the world. Where we can go and for a few
hours forget that we don't know if we can afford
to send our kids to college. That we can forget
that the next phone call may be a bill collector.
That we can get absorbed into the incredible
world that is fishing. That we can raise our
sons and daughters on the mystique that is the
Maine coast. That we can teach them that time
with one anther is all that is important. That
we can, for a few hours a week, have something
that is closest thing to heaven that many of us
see.
And you want us to pay tax on it. Never mind the
INCREDIBLE injust on this tax. What, will you
somehow stock the ocean with Striped Bass? HA!
All of the money will go to administrate it, and
it will still cost the tax payers money! You
just don't get it, and you never will.
Please come to you senses. Please don't take
this time away from me and my kids. If I have to
pay license to fish the ocean, I will grimace
every time I go out. And it will take something
very special away from it.
-Scott Charlton
Dear Sirs:
This letter is a little odd for me to be writing. Up until 2 years ago, I had never been salt water fishing, and it had been about 30 years since I had done any fishing at all. However, my 8 year old son had started fishing at camp, and on his Grandfather's lake in MA. For his 9th birthday, we gave him a Striper trip, and he was hooked. He spent a large portion of the summer on the Wells Jetty drowning clams in search of more fish. Last summer when he pulled in a 36" Striper, he wasn't upset or sad that he need to let it go after getting a good picture. He fully understands the conservation reasons, and other than telling the fish he'd be back next year to get it when it grew up, he's never had any regrets. We've also had many good talks sitting on the jetty waiting for a bite.
With that as the context, lets think about the proposed Saltwater license bill. First, my wallet isn't bottomless, and adding the requirement to buy licenses for myself and kids may cause me to stop our beach and jetty fishing. This will ripple through to the local bait shops where we buy the clams to drown, and the other equipment that we use. Judging by other conversations at the bait shops, many of the other customers are also casual fishermen, many of who are on vacation there for the week, and the additional costs of licenses would discourage them from fishing at all. This will have a severe impact on the business at these stores. There are other businesses that will be similarly affected. Further, from our cottage in Wells, it would be easy to drive down to NH or MA to fish, and avoid the license requirements. So, the net effect of the salt water licenses will just be to negatively impact local businesses.
Secondly, the proposed uses for the license fees have little to do specifically with saltwater fishing. Enforcement of all marine laws and education, are important for everyone using the ocean, not just fishermen. Similarly, land acquisition benefits all people along the coast, not just people that choose to fish. If anything, the public access part is more important to the beach goers - maybe a beach tax is needed?
Finally, the State of Maine, along with it's towns need to rethink their attitude to tourism. Financially, tourists have finite resources, and think about how to maximize their enjoyment with these resources. The more taxes and fees that are levied against tourists will only encourage them to look elsewhere for their vacations. Many of the tourist towns look a the tourists and vacation home owners as nothing more than a large wallet. As much as I enjoy my summer cottage in Wells, I'm not sure that I would recommend the area to anyone because of the towns policies. Perhaps this is intentional on their part, but this, plus the proposed licenses, plus beach parking, plus…. means that when we come to town, we bring many of our groceries with us, and eat out very little, thus reducing the taxes the state collects. And I thought Massachusetts taxes were bad.
Mark Sprague
Bolton
MA
Wells
ME
Mr. Ray Washburn, Vt. A conscientious
25 year veteran recreation salt water angler!
My name is Ray Washburn I live in Vermont and I enjoyed the freedom of fishing off the docks, jetty's and recreational Charter boats in Maine for 25 years. I come to Maine several times a year just for this purpose, sometimes just on the spur of the moment. I may just come up for the day because I enjoy having the freedom of just making a last minute decision to go and drop a line in the water and take in the beautiful Maine waters.
I have
taken several young people with me to teach them the wonderful beauty
and
enjoyment I have been able to enjoy. The looks on their faces when
they
catch a fish is just an incredible sight. I hope these young
people
don't loose this freedom of just making a last minute decision to
go enjoy an hour or so of fishing on the coast of Maine.
To all the Maine officials who think that (Salt Water Fishing License) is the right thing to do. I urge you to consider what brings people like my self to your wonderful state and that you would reconsider your position on this matter.
Sincerely,
Ray Washburn
24 Catherine Drive
Rutland,
Vt. 05701
Capt.Rob
Mirisola: Owner Seven Rivers Tackle shop..Wells me.
My name is robert mirisola i am a maine guide and owner of Seven
Rivers
Bait and Tackle in Wells maine.
i wanted to voice my opinion on the thought of a salt water permit ..
as a salt water tackle shop owner in a town driven by tourist dollars i
see
only bad things coming from this new tax. many of my customers have
already
voiced strong opinions against any pay to fish tax.
they come here to from Mass NH Vermont Ct RI and other states. why come
here
to fish and pay if they can stay home and fish for free .. why not go
to NH
or the Cape . I dont think you all have thought this through , i think
you
are looking at it as a way to increase more state revenue in a state
where
we already pay the highest taxes in the US. and get very little in
return .
from a tackle shop stand point i see many people that are here for a
week or
two and after they have done the shopping
sat on the beach and had ice cream. they are looking for a new
experience
.that experience is fishing !
its cheap its fun it involves the whole family . a Farther can bring
his
wife and kids fishing for the whole day for less than 20 bucks. Now in
steps
the state to mandate a new tax on fun. now that same outing cost him 15
for
him 15 for the wife 15 for his 18 year old daughter 15 for his 16 year
old
son and the 20 for bait and tackle. now its a 80 dollar day . not
likely he
will pay 80 bucks to try fishing ! i think you are doing not just the
fisherman and his family an injustice but the shop owners the charter
boat
owners the hotel owners and so on and on . the Maine salt water season
is
all to short a mere 3 months , it cost plenty to live and work in this
state
why be the first state in New England to make it even harder. please
reconsider this new tax , at least for this year .put it to a vote for
all
Maine people to decide . after all this is OUR state.
Maine Master Guide Robert Mirisola.
Mr. Mike and
Lesli Frechette, Ma. Yet another family
seriously opposed to
LD 1811
State of Maine lawmakers,
My family has vacationed on the coast of Maine every summer for the last 20 years. As part of our vacation we fish off the shore and take a deep-sea fishing trip each summer.
To force my family to buy a fishing license doesn’t make sense and would force us to give up our fishing. Ultimately we would then have to consider vacationing elsewhere. Please do not pass this law to require saltwater fishing licenses. I think that there are enough taxes and fees already, please do not add another one.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Michael Frechette
To Whom It May Concern:.
I am writing you to ask you to oppose the act to
create a saltwater
recreational fishing license in Maine.
My husband Terry's parents brought him and his family
to Maine only
once
when they were kids and that was enough for him to
want to come back.
We started bring our 5 kids to Maine when my oldest
was 7 and she went
out deep-sea fishing with Captain Satch who was the
mate then, this
summer she will be 21. The younger kids have grown up
fishing every
summer in Maine at first we could only bring them 3
days but now we
make
it a full week every summer and plan plenty of fishing
trips inshore
and
deep-sea.
Also when my husband gets the chance he may take the
kids to fish off
the Jetty. My daughter brought her finance with her
last summer and he
went out for the first time ever and loved it. Yes we
enjoy the
beaches
and Maine in general but with our family it's the
fishing that is what
brings us back to Maine each summer.
It does get very costly for us as the family has grow
up expecting the
trip and some of the kids are old enough to go make
their own summer
plans but they prefer to come with the family to
Maine. They love the
fishing so much that they even save some of their hard
earned money so
that they can pay for an extra trip themselves. And
knowing my kids
fishing in Maine is a tradition that they will want to
continue with
their own kids someday.
Adding a fishing license fee would make it that much
harder for
everyone
to be able to afford their vacations in Maine.
I am sure the State of Maine does not want to lose
present and future
fishing business, so please VOTE NO ON THIS BILL!!!
Thank you,
Christina Lamb
To Whom It May Concern:
As a lifelong visitor to the Maine Seacoast, I strongly
oppose the idea of requiring all anglers in Maine state waters to have
a fishing
license. This bill will add a burden to residents and more
importantly tourists
which I feel will negatively impact anyone who wishes to take part in
the sport
of fishing.
Tourists visiting the state who wish to go fishing
will be
turned away by the extra fees and logistics behind obtaining the
license.
The Charter fishing business will be negatively impacted by customers
who do
not wish to pay the extra fees, or who are turned away because of the
confusion
caused by this requirement.
In a time where the Charter fishing
business is experiencing
unprecedented pressure due to astronomical fuel prices, and ever
increasing
regulations regarding catch limits and fishery closures, I hope that
you will
reconsider supporting this bill and focus your efforts promoting
tourism, not
hindering it.
Sincerlly Capt.Brad Miller
Brad Miller 114 Bellevue Rd. Quincy, MA 02171 USCG Lic. Capt. 100T
I have always been an avid fresh water-only fisherman
(lady) until this past year, when I started salt water
fishing. I have to say that I can understand and
willingly accept paying for a fresh water fishing
license; after all, you stock the lakes, rivers, pond,
etc. with beautiful fish for the fresh water
enthusiasts…you pay to have the lakes, etc. patrolled
so that all is aboveboard with fish counts, sizes,
licenses by the fish and game wardens. But I find it
extremely unjust to license salt water fishing. You
do not stock the oceans, nor do you patrol them for
fish counts, sizes, etc. in keeping with regulations.
So, why are you doing this? Do we need to have still
higher taxes in Maine?
Also, think about how this will trickle down from the
top…starting with the tourists who love coming to
Maine for their vacations…to the fishing industry…to
charter boats…to restaurants….to tackle shops….and it
keeps on coming down…all the way to the working
people. Most people work hard all their lives to be
able to have some kind of pleasure in their lives…and
some can’t afford much. And shame on you if you are
really planning on taxing senior citizens! What will
these seniors do if you take away one of perhaps their
only free recreational activities? They would
probably have to stop. There will be many more
unemployed people than there all ready are in Maine as
well. When finances are tight, people usually stop
their recreational activities first so they have
enough to make ends meet. Please think about how this
will hurt them. I think it will eventually hurt
everyone in the fishing industry, and the State of
Maine will lose in the end because people just can not
keep on paying. And what ever happened to the land of
the free? Is it free for only those who could afford
this fishing tax anyway? Speaking for myself, I can’t
afford to continue paying just for a little
recreational enjoyment.
God created the heavens and the earth, the rivers and
the oceans…not politicians. I believe this world was
meant for all of us to live in and to share…without
licenses and taxes on every little thing you can think
of.
I have come to love Maine in the four short years I’ve
lived here…please don’t make me regret my decision in
having moved here.
Thank you for listening to my concerns…I’m sure I’m
not alone in expressing these concerns. I hope you
will all think and pray very hard before making your
final decision on this new tax. It will hurt so many
people and in turn will hurt the State of Maine.
Sincerely,
Carol Helinsk
Ms. Erin Allen; Single mom of an active little fisherman..
To whom it may concern,
I want everyone to think of our youth and the world
the way it has been and the way it has become. There
is so much violence and crime for kids get to get
into. I want everyone to think of the kids and young
adults who find peace in being able to go fishing at
the one place that is still free our ocean! All my
life I have heard from my elders that no man can ever
own water just the land around it! If this is true
then how can we in our right mind inforce laws over
something no one can own?
There are so many families that struggle in what
already small season compared to Florida [the only
other state with a salt water license) we have
good days during half the year compared to Florida
they have all year] to bring what is a favorite past
time to many around the world that come to MAINE for
vacation. What will happen to them when tourist decide
to go else where? How much money will the license's
bring in then? Yes, I understand that the tourist
wouldn't have to purchase a license if they go on a
charter boat that has a charter license but will what
we have left be enough for charter companies to stay in
business. It's not like Maine doesn't have strictly
enforced rules regarding striper fishing, we are allowed
to keep one, but most people don't. We fish off the
docks and the jettys to relax think and teach our
children. Do we not pay you enough or would you like us
to hand our paychecks completely over to you?
Before you all go rushing off to think about charging
us to fish our ocean I want you all to remember who
this new law will hurt. EVERYONE IN THE STATE OF
MAINE will be greatly hurt, from the many people who
make there living taking people fishing to the ones
who make the beds for our guests that stay in hotels,
or the people who keep our campgrounds clean and ready
to show our guests a great adventure in MAINE. Even the image of
our state itself, sure making a fishing license will
bring money or will it cause more of our people to
leave looking for somewhere else to take their
business where there isn't a requirement for a
license.
In the end I want all of you to honestly answer the one
question. I will be happy to get one person to answer
me. IS IT WORTH TAKING A CHANCE TO CHARGE TO FISH OR
ARE WE TAKING A CHANCE THAT IN THE END WE ALL WILL
REGRET?
Best wishes to all
Erin M. Allen
p.s. PLEASE THINK OF EVERYONE HERE IN MAINE AND ALL
THOSE WHO MAKE US VACATIONLAND. This is still America
the land of the FREE!!!
To Whom It May Concern:
I have been vacationing in Wells ME since 1979
Starting with my parents going to wells in the early 70's and bringing
the 5
kids, we made it a tradition to go out deep sea fishing and I have been
going deep sea fishing ever since
I am 28 and now bring my 4 children to Wells also (and once a bit
bigger
will go fishing too)
Now at 28 and having a successful construction company based out of MA
- we
have a company deep sea fishing trip every year and our employees love
it
If you are to institute state licensing for recreational fishing I would not be
able
to bring my kids or my employees (and I doubt that the employees or my
kids
would be able to afford licenses)
I think it is a very bad idea to instate Salt Water Licenses
Please consider this when voting on this article
Thanks
Steve
Chuck "Tread"
Porter; Avid fisherman and lover of the sea ..
Dear Marine Resources Committee:
A couple months back I read an article in the local newspaper regarding New Hampshire ’s proposal to pass legislation requiring a salt water fishing license. My initial thought was “there they go again, create another tax to cover their lack of a sales tax”, and what a foolish idea it was. I was not surprised to hear that now Maine without due process or thought wants to beat them to the punch. We do not live in an affluent state and have the highest taxes in the nation with one of the smallest populations. I drive past our Vacationland sign daily and am reminded that tourism is the number one economic factor in this great state. It is obvious to anyone reading the proposed legislation that it is ill conceived with little rational thought. Our state is struggling just as our charter boat and citizens are each day and there are no easy solutions. Your jobs are difficult and you are often tugged in different directions by those with special interests. The special interest we all share is the ocean and the bounty it shares with us. If it were possible to ask each of the millions of in-state and out-of-state visitors that come each year about what salt water fishing means to them, they would all have a special story. Each would be against the tax as they would have to decide gas, food, lodging, groceries, and now a fishing license for the ocean. They have other choices in other states and I believe we would be very unhappy with those they would make. As a young boy my father took me flounder fishing in Kittery and as he said the “fish are always bigger and the fog is always thicker”. It was never about the fish but about the lure of the ocean and the happiness of a simpler time. Each year there are new regulations limiting the size and number of fish you can keep and our season is only three months long. In that short period we try to create as many positive, family moments wetting a line, chasing the blitz for a bluefish, or looking to put a few groundfish in the freezer. If the tourists do not come, revenues will continue to fall, and more taxes will result – that is a fact. In my 51 years of life I have been blessed with common sense and a love of the ocean. You have a decision to make and please make the correct one – squash this proposed legislation and allow us and future generations to enjoy this great resource.
Sincerely,
Chuck Porter
We are sending this e-mail to oppose the State of Maine salt water fishing license. Every year for the last 20 years, we have rented a beach house for 2 weeks in Maine. The reasons we began doing this was because we love the ocean and the beauty that we find in Maine. We now are a family of 12, 8 of whom are fishermen. Over the years the cost of our vacation has risen. This license fee would be yet another expense that as retired people, on a fixed income, would make it difficult for us to continue giving our grandchildren the joy of a vacation in Maine. We have many, many pictures of the fun our children and grandchildren have had catching fish right on the beach. Please rethink this license fee. Fishing is and should continue to be a fun, free activity.
Thank you
William and Sharon Hall
Glens Falls, New York
Bill Hall
Sr.; One of our very
first guests and supporters who returns each
year...
Gentlemen & Ladies,
I was getting ready to plan my yearly jaunt to your
great State to go fishing with my Lifelong Buddy,
Captain Satch when he told me of this NEW PROPOSED
LEVY & ANNOYANCE!!
WOW!!! WHAT A SHOCK - ANOTHER BUREAUCRAT WITH ANOTHER
DISINGENOUS PROPOSAL TO FLEECE THE GENERAL PUBLIC!!
HEAVENS TO BETSY, IMAGINE MY SURPRISE??!
I belief THE STATE OF MAINE IS IN THE TOP THREE OF
HIGHEST TAXED STATES IN UNION?? GOING FOR THE NUMERO
UNO SPOT - ARE WE??
Seriously, why do you people feel the need to tax
every & all recreational outlets? You were voted into
office to be " SERVANTS OF THE PEOPLE " not to make
the general populace servants of the State!!
Do the right thing & WITHDRAW THIS PROPOSAL!!
Yours truly,
Joe Flood
Long Island,NY
I was contacted today by an organization of fellow
boat captains from Perkins Cove concerning a very bad
possible legislative decision. I was told that
members of the legislature want to impose an out of
state license fee for salt water fishing. This would
model the one they have in Fla. Well, this sure isn't
Florida.
To add on another fee for people coming to the state
is ludicrous and bad for our own business base.
Charter boat Captains are dependent on a very short
season, unlike Florida, and to impose a $30.00 for all
people from out of state would be not cost effective.
Most people who go out on charters are only going out
once. Add the price of a rediculous feee and they
will be out of business. Then one more aspect of the
working coast will be gone and the rich people who own
99% of the coast now will have even more to their
advantage.
The amount of people buying such licenses will only
expand the need for more law enforcement and you what
that means. The family who is paying upwards of $1500
a week to saty heree will now be further taxed. This
is not good business in any single scheme of things.
Charterboat Captains have to pay initial start up
costs that are huge as it is. Driving their costs
further up is just nuts. There are guys who have been
in this business for generations. Now we are going to
punish them. I don't know any of them that are rich
and famous, but all of them put a very hard day of
work in just as their fathers did before them.
Please don't support this piece of legislation.
Paul McDonough
USCG licensed Master at 50 ton
Representatives, State of Maine;
I recently became aware of pending legislation
relative to licensing saltwater fishing in the State
of Maine. I find this troubling, since only two or so
other states in the country charge for this
recreational activity. For many years my wife, my two
daughters, and I have traveled and vacationed in Maine
each and every summer. These wonderful times were the
impetus to our purchasing a seasonal residence in
Wells. Maine is a great family vacation destination,
aptly named “Vacationland”. Maine’s economy is fueled
by tourism. Restaurants, fishing charters, antique
shops, gift stores, and the hotel industry, etc. are
blessed to have travelers and vacationers willing to
spend hard earned money to support their businesses.
Those same vacationing families should be able to
enjoy a little fishing from a pier, dock, shoreline,
or jetty while on their yearly vacation get-away
without being assessed a license fee. In these times,
when the economy is uncertain, fuel prices are high
and money is tight, more careful consideration should
be given to attracting tourism, not turning it away.
Please remember, families have choices. They may
choose to vacation elsewhere. Dollars that are
expected to be raised through this revenue stream will
be lost many times over by those choosing to vacation
at other