[TN-Bird] Re: Fwd: Bluebird License Plates
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TN-BIRD Listserv" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 19:05:01 -0600
To: Mary Zimmerman and TN-Birders:
Thanks for sending information to help clear up this 20% increase on the
Bluebird tags.
>The "fee" is actually a tax, which only the legislature has authority to
>raise. .....Expect to see increases in every way in
>which the state gets funds, from auto tags to professional licenses, and
>everything in between.
So now we have three important issue to deal with:
(1) If it is a "tax" set by the legislature then that most likey means the
20%
increase on the Bluebird tag now goes to the state general fund to be
used for something other than "nongame, watchable widlife" !! We were
already paying a tax to the state on that tag.
(2) The regular Tennessee auto tags did not have an increase. My goodness!
You can get the regular Tennessee auto tag for $25.00 in most Tennessee
counties. Anything higher than that goes to the locality such as the county
for
wheel taxes, etc. I bet the state didn't raise the regular auto tags a
nickle or a dime.
So, we see that Bluebird tag buyers got smacked 20% in the mouth by the
state legislature. I'm not surprised that TWRA didn't know what was going
on.
I am surprised that the public did not know. It is tragic.
(3) We need to watch and see if all hunting and fishing licenses go up 20%
this
year. We need to see if the boating fees go up 20%. We need to see if
commercial fishing licenses and guide licenses and everything else that is
sold
goes up 20% with that tax that will be "everything in between."
As birders we are buying Bluebird tags to support nongame and watchable
wildife activities. It is pitiful that our money goes in a fund and TWRA
only gets to spend the interest off of it. But there was no need whatsover
for the legislature to hit birders and other wildlife lovers with a 20%
increase
when what we are supporting will get us nowhere. We weren't getting very
far to begin with.
Did the brass at TWRA get completely surprised by this 20% increase on
Bluebird tags? Who was not watching the watchable wildlife tags?
Here we are tyring to use up all the messed-up orange bird check-list cards
that TWRA fouled up big time. We are trying to save TWRA face and funds
before they can print them correctly.
TWRA would be plenty smart if they would trash anything and everything left
on those cards and take the 20% increase and some of the Bluebird tag fund
interest and print a brand new batch. That way they could get that blunder
off
their hands while we work on this 20% increase blunder. Coupled with the
Trumpter Swan shooting blunder, they have plenty on their plate for us to be
concerned with.
Here is another concern. Let's say 5% of the tag holders have become tired
of this mess and don't renew their wildlife tags this year. The state will
not
only fail to get their 20% tax from those folks but the Bluebird tag fund
will see
a 100% loss of what those folks are paying. It wouldn't take much for the
actual
revenue from the Bluebird tag to show a negative revenue this year even with
the
20% increase. Otherwise that says: the legislature will not get their 20%
tax
because auto drivers will throw the tags in the Tennesse river (Tennessee
Tax
Tea party) and TWRA will not get the original money to put in their Bluebird
fund.
I deeply appreciate Troy Ettel looking into this and trying to keep peace
among those of us who may feel like ripping the expired Bluebird tags
off our car and paying the basic tag fee without the rest of it being banged
over our heads by the legislature and whoever else was not paying attention.
Troy has been super. We were lucky to get him and so was TWRA!
Let's go birding.....
when we get this mess cleaned up......
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958
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