[sno dodge]

During this news story on ABC 12 Flint last night.

Michigan senators eye rainy day fund for dredging - ABC 12

It was mentioned that Snyder and some of his GOP colleags want to divert some of the prposed gas tax increase to keep the dreging an on going project.

I don't own a boat where I need to worry about a harbors depth nor do many people in michigan that use said harbours. As usally the people who use those harbours are not going to be paying their fair share but many in Michigan who drive a car and pick up truck will pay.

[belleislerunner]

"I don't own a boat where I need to worry about a harbors depth nor do many people in michigan that use said harbours."

Actually, you'd be surprised. Michigan is in the top 3 states for the number of registered boaters.

A little perspective is good too. Last I saw the dredging was $30 million whereas he wants to raise $1 billion for roads. That's only 3% percent going for boaters. A very fair percentage. I think drivers win =)

[Driller1]

Boating is a huge part of the Michigan economy.

Just a little will come back to the state.....investing in the waterways is a plus for Michigan.

[Coldjensens]

They should not do this. As they begin picking away at the tax increase that is supposedly for road imprvments, it will end up like past attempts. The money will be siphooned off for other things and the roads will continue to decay. After 50 years of this, they still cannot learn?

Sure I am all for deedging. Find some other way to pay for it. The more they water down the purpose of the sales tax increase, the less likely it is to pass. Once they add dredging there will be a long line of other cricitcal proejcts that absolutely have to get a portion of the moeny form a sales tax increase. If they do not end up klilling the idea, they will end up watering it down so much they will nto be able to repair the roads.

Sure dredging is important to michigan, so is education, fixing Detroit, preserving the forests, keeping the asian carp out of the great lakes, feeding poor people. .. . . then of course there is the all critical buying of votes. We need to fix the roads. Lets fix the roads. They will have to fund or nod fund the other important causes elsewhere.

[Bydand]

You have to remember as well that all those boats use gas as well. Most boats are THIRSTY when it comes to gas usage, and those larger ones (35'+) really use up the fuel. I bet there are few vehicle drivers who would even consider buying a car or truck that will use $100-200 of gas to go 100 miles or so. I know plenty of boaters that spend that in fuel each and every time they take it out. No reason dredging shouldn't get some benefit from an increased gas tax.

[sno dodge]

Let the boaters pay for their own play ground then. Increase the tax on marine fuel, tax dockage fees, tax the regurestion of the boats used on the great lakes.
Dredgeing the Saginaw river so ships can get to Saginaw it's self should be paid for by the shipping lines them selves, not people who want to thake there little boats out fishing.

Seems snyders flunkies are putting the brakes on a gas tax and higher fees, according to this mornings news story.

Road usage tax should be just that.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by sno dodge

Let the boaters pay for their own play ground then. Increase the tax on marine fuel, tax dockage fees, tax the regurestion of the boats used on the great lakes.
Dredgeing the Saginaw river so ships can get to Saginaw it's self should be paid for by the shipping lines them selves, not people who want to thake there little boats out fishing.

Seems snyders flunkies are putting the brakes on a gas tax and higher fees, according to this mornings news story.

Road usage tax should be just that.

You have a hard time grasping this don't you? A lot of fuel that boaters use is bought and paid for at the local gas station right along side of cars and trucks and NOT at marinas. See all those small boats and jet-skis sitting on trailers ALL over the State, yep, they get their gas at the gas station. With just over 1 million boats registered in MI, even if the average boater only bought 16 gallons of gas a season, they already paid that $3 million in road use tax to use their boat on waterways. think of dredging as road use maintenance. We pay 19 cents per gallon in tax for gas in the boats, then use them on waterways and not the road. Should boaters be able to save gas receipts and turn them in at the end of the year for tax credit? After all we paid a tax for something we didn't use?

As for taxing the registration of boats... ummm, the registration fee itself is a use tax on the boat. That MORE than pays for dredging. Instead of arguing about something that makes ZERO sense, it might be more productive to hold Lansings feet to the fire as to where all the tax gathered already is going.

[Coldjensens]

Taxing fuel no longer works well. Hybrids electrics and high mileage cars still put the same wear on the roads, but pay very little maintenaince through gas tax. They have to find another way to tax users. The sales tax is one option since everyone who buys things benefits form roads. There was talk of a federal system the tracks miles driven thgouh GPS devices in cars and then charges based on use on a national basis, however the privacy people would go nuts over that. ALso the people who think rarely used roads should be subsidized by people who do nto use them woudl not like this system.

[sno dodge]

All those little boats and jet skis sitting on trailers and useing the gas pump next to the one I am useing don't need dredgeing done to enjoy their water craft. 90% don't even touch the waters of the great lakes. It's those boats to big to trailer to and from the great lake of choice every week end or month that need the dredging.
If you can pay from 100,000 and up for a boat like that then you can pay higher fees to play.
Thats one of the big problems in this state they (wealthier) want all us adverage JOE'S to pay the fees for their play.

One other problem they are having now is from the trucking industry. Michigan has one of the highest weight limits in the country. Many trucks carry up to and over that limit and do not want to pay extra fees for the roads they tear up.

[Bydand]

You are still missing the entire point aren't you. No more comment from me, this is like trying to show reason to a 5 year old child.