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Originally Posted by VtSteve
The next step is already on the table. Next summer, exactly what will be done to solve the problems?
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Increased enforcement is a great idea. To bad it will never happen. It's a pipe dream. You might as well look to Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy to solve the lakes problems.
Skip posted this a while back
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Just for clarification. The NHSP officers that on occasion operate motorcycles are not permanently assigned to those uints. They are regular troopers that are assigned cruisers, They supplement the cruiser on occasion with a motorcycle patrol. During inclement weather and the winter they revert to regular cruiser patrol.
Also, in case some have not heard, the Governor has made it clear he will veto any programs that have additional cost. Your average NHSP trooper earns at least double the hourly wage of a seasonal NHMP officer. After you factor in medical & retirement costs for the full time troopers you are looking at a cost of 2.5 to 3x that of the seasonal officers you arer looking to replace. In the cash strapped situatiion this State is facing during these tough economic times no one is going to authorize that kind of additional spending to supervise a bunch of recreational boaters on Winnipesaukee.
These threads have been very entertaining to read for the most part, full of fire & brimstone and and humor and angst, and untold hyperbole. But lets get back to reality for a moment.
Yes, we are all aggravated by the overcrowding that occurs one or two weekend days a week for maybe eight or ten weekends a year. We all have stories of close calls and "Captain Boneheads" galore.
But the simple fact is given the tens of thousands of boats that ply New Hampshire's inland waters every season, major accidents and deaths are so rare that they are statistically insignificant. And while the State may pass a few more regulations to satisfy a political constituency or two, there will be no new money coming for enforcement and there are no announced or planned major shakeups at New Hampshire Marine Patrol.
Try to convince the NH resident and taxpayer (and voter) caught daily in the traffic congestion on Routes 93, 95 or 101 that money and law enforcement resources needs to be diverted away from the problems they see on their commutes to babysit recreational boating on Lake Winnipesuakee!
Sorry folks, but I think a lot of you need to put this whole debate in a much better (and wider) perspective. And when you do, you will realize that speed limit or not, much of what concerns you on the big Lake will not change regardless of the final status of HB 847.
The sad but simple fact is that in the end both sides are going to be greatly disappointed with the outcome of this particular legislation.
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A speed limit will have at least some deterrent effect without additional funding. Solutions that will never be implemented are not solutions.