Minnesota Governor Dipping Into Dedicated Funds – Urgent Action Needed

Shawn Tabb | March 1, 2010 | 0 Comments

BLUERIBBON COALITION PARTNER ACTION ALERT!

Minnesota Governor Dipping Into Dedicated Funds – Urgent Action Needed

Dear BRC members, supporters and action alert subscribers,

Dave Halsey, President of the Woodtick Wheelers ATV/OHM Club, just sent us an alert he received from the ATV Association of Minnesota (ATVAM), on an important issue regarding the Minnesota Governor’s proposal to take money from the ATV, Snowmobile and Boating account to try and balance the state budget. He has asked us to send this out to our members and subscribers in Minnesota.

I have pasted the information below; please take a minute to read it over and take action. Also, please pass this information on to your friends and family, and please ask them take action as well.

Thanks in advance for your involvement,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107

Dear ATVAM Member

Last week the Governor released his supplemental budget to close a $1.2 billion dollar deficit.

The Governor took the unprecedented step to use money from the ATV, Snowmobile and Boating account to transfer out of our dedicated accounts and into the general fund to help erase the deficit. Setting this precedent is dangerous to the users of ATV, Snowmobile and Boats because it could lead to further raiding of our dedicated money. This is the fund that pays for our grant-in-aid trails, enforcement, and all the other things that ATVers help pay for to enhance the sport in the state.

Here are the details:

$97,000 will be transferred from the ATV Damage Account into the General Fund for this FY2010
$203,000 will be transferred from the ATV Damage Account into the General Fund for FY2011
$107,000 will be transferred from the ATV – Electronic Licensing System account to the General Fund for FY2011
$407,000 total transferred out of ATV Account to fill General Fund deficit.
The total transferred out of the Snowmobile Account is $267,410 and the total out of the Boating Account is $1.202 million.

Please contact your legislator and let them know that you and ATVAM DO NOT SUPPORT the Governors proposal to transfer funds from dedicated accounts in DNR to fill a general fund deficit.

To find your legislators click here http://www.atvam.org/legpage.htm

Jonathan M. Bohn

(651) 815.1196
Media and Government Affairs
540 Diffley Rd
St. Paul, MN 55123