NOVA funds at risk again

[Tod701]

The Legislature is looking at stealing our NOVA funds again.
If they hold a special session this month, your offroad vehicle funds will be at risk.

It is time to contact your State Senator and both State House of Representatives members.

If you don’t know who they are, go to www.leg.wa.gov

Tod




Here is an example message:

+++++




Dear xxx,

Please DO NOT redistribute funds intended for the Non Highway and Offroad Vehicle Activities account AGAIN!

In 2009 the legislature took all of these funds and gave them to State Parks where none of those funds benefited offroad vehicle recreation in any way.

This account was created when offroad vehicle users volunteered to waive their legal right to a fuel tax refund in exchange for a self-directed state account to provide funding for programs that benefited offroad vehicle activities.

These same citizens volunteered to have their license tab fees increased so long as those monies were also placed in the Non Highway and Offroad Vehicle Activities (NOVA) account.

To redirect the funding away from the NOVA account again would be nothing short of stealing from the very same citizens that willing gave the state their hard earned money.

[crash]

Thanks Tod...

[zuk88]

The people that run this state are pathetic!

[Tod701]

Time to light up the Governor too.

See link:

http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp

[Nowires]

Todd lets hear your plan on how to make sure that we don't loose it.
What is your strategy?
How are you going to implament it?

[Tod701]

Todd lets hear your plan on how to make sure that we don't loose it.
What is your strategy?
How are you going to implament it?



I just got home from a weekend out of town and need to plow through nearly 200 new emails so I can tell what to do next.

Short answer:

Now:
Comunicate with the Legislature so the they get their opinions about us from us instead of from the people that hate us.

Future:
Chance who controls the Legislature and the rest of our State government.

[Tod701]

The Governor's office has proposed a State Parks budget that will steal all of your NOVA funds for 2011 and then merge DNR recreation with State Parks.

http://www.ofm.wa.gov/budget11/recsum/465.pdf

[Nowires]

Thanks for the info Todd

What is the plan?
How are you going to stop it?


How are you going to procees in the future?

[Tod701]

How are you going to stop it?

If we don't get more ORV people engaged we won't.

How are you going to procees in the future?

Multi pronged attack.
Lobbyist working the inside and grassroots engagement with direct interaction with every member of the Legislature.

The first step is to assure that everyone you know have contacted their legislators with the talking point I have provided.

Emails are good, but not enough to get it done this year.
Everyone MUST kick it up.
Snail mail carries much more weight.
Personal visits are x100.

[Nowires]

Multi pronged attack.
.



i can’t agree more that we need to build the relationship with our local reps.

but more what would be the first step. what is your plan if the monies are returned and or if you are asked “ what plans do you have for the monies? “ how are you going to spend it?”
ect

Like I have said. I think we need a well thought out plan before proceeding

[Tod701]

what is your plan if the monies are returned and or if you are asked “ what plans do you have for the monies? “ how are you going to spend it?”

Realitic first step is to restore the NOVA grant program.

Wishfully thinking is to have the funds administered in a way that only ORV people have any say on how ORV funds are spent.

[Nowires]

[QUOTE=Tod701;3730]Realitic first step is to restore the NOVA grant program.
[QUOTE]

Do you have a record of grants that have been applied for that would pull from the ORV or NHR fund since 2003?

What was the $ amount and location of the project?

[Tod701]

[QUOTE=Tod701;3730]Realitic first step is to restore the NOVA grant program.
[QUOTE]

Do you have a record of grants that have been applied for that would pull from the ORV or NHR fund since 2003?

What was the $ amount and location of the project?

Nope

Ask the RCO

[Nowires]

[QUOTE=Nowires;3731][QUOTE=Tod701;3730]Realitic first step is to restore the NOVA grant program.


Nope

Ask the RCO


So how do you know what is owed to the ORV community?
I figure an accurate accounting of funds would be the first order of business for that when you talked to OLY reps. you would be informed of what you are talking about and what is owed

[Tod701]

[QUOTE=Tod701;3732][QUOTE=Nowires;3731]So how do you know what is owed to the ORV community?

What is owed by the State to the ORV community should be based on what we have contributed, not what we requested in the form of grants.

The NOVA program is about $4.8M / yr with $1.5M of the coming from ORV permit fees.

[Nowires]

What is owed by the State to the ORV community should be based on what we have contributed, not what we requested in the form of grants.

The NOVA program is about $4.8M / yr with $1.5M of the coming from ORV permit fees.


So in past conversations you talked about the 10 mil that is gone from the NOVA account.
The governor’s speech said that there were 5.5 in the fund this year. Is this true?
I am still waiting for the figure of what of that fund was just allocated to just the ORV for grand

[Tod701]

So in past conversations you talked about the 10 mil that is gone from the NOVA account.

$9.5M was for two years (FY2009-2010), the other numbers are annual.

[Nowires]

$9.5M was for two years (FY2009-2010), the other numbers are annual.

That information needs to come out to the masses
Otherwise the troops get riled with just half of the story and even more deceptive when ORV only can apply for a small amount of that. Then when it is learned that DNR operations takes up the better part of that fund, Which leaves the ORV community with not much monies for capital projects or maintenance

This is why we should be clarifying the need for the user fees. Correction of wording in the NOVA fund and RCWs to even the scale of funds that is available for NM and ORV. I think gaining support in those areas will help the over all process

[Tod701]

The Senate introduced their version of the operating budget today (SB5094) and the NOVA grant money disappears there too.

[crash]

The Senate introduced their version of the operating budget today (SB5094) and the NOVA grant money disappears there too.

Do you have a link tod? I looked but found nothing in writing.

[The Shocker]

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5094&year=2011

[Nowires]

I can account for $5.9 mil out of the $6.1 that is projected
Page 44 – 50
Parks $ 117,000
RCO $ 451,000
DFW $204,000
DNR $4,459.000
DNR $657,000

Am I missing something…………..

[Tod701]

HB1497, the capital budget bill was passed tonight and is on its way to the Governor's desk with NOVA funds intact.

Reiter positive language was specifically included.

If you like that result, please support WOHVA and participate in CLOUT.
Without them it would have been a much different story.

[Nowires]

Thanks for the update Tod. I know everyone involved has worked very hard at this for the last few months

[zuk88]

Hell yeah to every one that has gone through hell and back on this.