[TN-Bird] Fwd: Re: Fwd: Bluebird License Plates
- From: Mary Zimmerman <tnwarbler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: TN-BIRD Listserv <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 06 Jan 2003 19:02:09 -0600
Where the money for specialty tags goes has not changed. TWRA still gets
the money from Bluebird tag sales.
Mary Zimmerman
Nashville, TN
>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
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>=========================================================
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958
=========================================================
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