Fw: BoatUS Action Alert: Raid on California boater fund, immediate action needed!

----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Helen Horn <he… [at] sbcglobal.net> To: PYC <py… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 11:33 AM Subject: Fw: BoatUS Action Alert: Raid on California boater fund, immediate action needed! THIS IS A CALL TO ARMS for all members of every club to respond with a letter(info enclosed) to stop this bill from being voted into law. Please write or respond to your congressmen/women, some even vote not knowing what they are voting on..this is very serious.every letter or email counts, and it should be done before they meet(so by today or tomorrow)..thank you, PICYA delegate Helen (and RBOC, Recreational Boaters of California). ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: BoatU.S. Government Affairs <go… [at] boatus.com> To: HELEN HORN <he… [at] sbcglobal.net> Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 10:42 AM Subject: BoatUS Action Alert: Raid on California boater fund, immediate action needed! BoatUS Action Alert: Raid on California boater fund, immediate action needed! September 11, 2013 Dear California BoatU.S. Member, We need your help today! The California State Legislature is about to take boating tax dollars and use them for non-boating purposes. Please act now to ask your state representatives to protect boater tax dollars and vote “No” on Senate Bill 436. SB 436 would open up the boater-financed state Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund (HWRF) for a non-boating purpose, specifically the prevention of damage to streets and property within cities caused by beach erosion and flooding. It also directs $1,000,000 for streets and property located along Hueneme Beach. While the prevention of such damage is important, boats are not the source of the damage and using boating dollars to support non-boating programs is a dangerous precedent. Boat registration fees, fuel taxes and other proceeds from recreational boating activities fund the HWRF, which helps pay for docks, vessel sewage pumpouts and boat ramps throughout the state. Many of these state dollars are matched by federal funds, making these dedicated boater taxes that much more valuable. We must protect the integrity and effectiveness of the HWRF. You can easily contact your state Senators and Assemble Representatives using the BoatU.S. email system by clicking here. Ask them to protect boater tax dollars and vote “NO” on SB 436. Thanks for being a BoatU.S. member! Margaret Podlich President, BoatU.S. Go… [at] BoatUS.com 703-461-2878 x8363 For an update on this and other government affairs topics please visit BoatUS.com/gov DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. If you prefer not to receive BoatU.S. Government Affairs Alert emails go to http://www.boatus.com/gov/unsub.asp or use the link at the bottom of this message. If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here.