Kayak & bicycle NH annual stickers?

[Top-Water]

Good Grief !! another lets get some cheap crap at Walmart post disguised as something else ......

& what would the penalty be for non compliance while riding your bicycle on one of these trails . I can just see it now a special division of the State Police, Bicycle Court , a new building for a couple of million dollars for equipment and training, swat teams with Spike Strip Tire Deflation Devices to catch the bad guys on these trails and the list goes on and on. Not to mention the proctored licenses test phased in over several years depending on your age. In congested areas what would the speed limit be. Is speed walking considered not to exceed 6-mph. ?

How about these ideas. Put up a toll both at each end of the trails, add it to your ez pass

While I too can understand the need to raise monies for projects that benefit recreation. I would rather see the legislature focus on more important things than a sneaker or bicycle user fee.

Really, do you want to charge people a usage tax for taking a walk or a bike ride to build boat ramps from folks that might not even own a boat of any type and create a new state agency to administer it all.

We already have a funding mechanism in New Hampshire for Public Boat Access
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/RSA/.../233-A-mrg.htm

Section 233-A:13

233-A:13 Statewide Public Boat Access Fund Established. – There is hereby established a nonlapsing statewide public boat access fund. The $5 boat registration surcharge collected pursuant to RSA 270-E:5, II(d) and any other public access funds donated to the state shall be placed in this fund. All funds received under this section are continually appropriated to the fish and game department for the purposes of the statewide public boat access program established under this chapter.
Source. 1992, 265:2, eff. Jan. 1, 1993.

[moose tracks]

Originally Posted by Top-Water

How about these ideas. Put up a toll both at each end of the trails, add it to your ez pass

What a great idea, toll booths at both ends of the trail. Alex can build another Common Man rest stop at the half way point and Laconia could charge him rent. Billboards could be put in and space rented to local businesses. Enter and exit ramps could be put in at South Down Shores and Long Bay so that these folks will feel included in the project and give up their fight.

[tis]

Why not? There isn't much we do in a day that isn't taxed!

[Outdoorsman]

Adding a liquor store and marijuana dispensary at the exit ramps and I bet they could lower the taxes for the SD/LB residents.

[garysanfran]

Live "free" or die?

[Descant]

Perhaps off topic a little, but my impression is that San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the country. Perhaps because everything is "free". I recall a neighbor once telling me that in (old state) it was "free" because: "THE GOVERNMENT PAID OR IT".
In any event, I think the OP started a reasonable conversation about how to pay for, or who should pay for, certain amenities like trails and boat ramps. Re: ramps. Motor boaters pay for them as well as for miloil control and Search and Rescue. Why shouldn't other users make some sort of contribution to maintain what they use? If that premise holds up, then how should it be handled? OP mentioned seven other states. Anybody know how they handle it?

[JTA]

I personally believe that there should be some ways to get onto the water or move across a road without a fee attached. I have registered my Sunfish every year even though I disagree with that requirement. Vehicles with motors should pay the fees. Muscle or wind power should require no fees.

[8gv]

As mentioned above, nearly every new tax or fee has a cost of collection that diminishes the benefit of the funds collected. A simple line in legislation stating "increase abc fee by $1 which shall go to xyz fund" seems to retain 100% of the incremental dollars collected.

Nobody's cousin or brother in law gets a job though...

[Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by 8gv

As mentioned above, nearly every new tax or fee has a cost of collection that diminishes the benefit of the funds collected. A simple line in legislation stating "increase abc fee by $1 which shall go to xyz fund" seems to retain 100% of the incremental dollars collected.

Nobody's cousin or brother in law gets a job though...

.... Unfortunately, those funds are somehow sucked in to the general fund and dispersed to every feel good fund that the "legislature-du-jour" sees fit.

[garysanfran]

Repealed? Or reduced?

[Descant]

House bill 229 of 2011 repealed the tax on gambling winnings. There have been others , but that one sticks in my mind as a total repeal compared to a reduction. The last biennium budget reduced business taxes as we met certain revenue goals. A few years ago taxes on income earned in NH Trusts were repealed which brought a lot of trust and investment income into the state.
Wanna save some $$? Ask your CPA about NH Trusts. Not just for the rich and not just for NH residents. NH is the new Delaware.

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by garysanfran

Repealed? Or reduced?

Of course--here's three! Ronald Reagan and George W Bush both reduced federal income taxes. Charlie Baker and a Democratic legislature reduced Mass income taxes just last year.

Also, if you believe that Republicans will be successful repealing Obamacare, we are on the verge of a massive tax cut--a 3.8% reduction in capital gains and another 0.9% on incomes above ~$200K. Of course, to take advantage of these particular cuts, you'll need a lot of capital gains (i.e. you'll need to be rich).

I'm sure there are more, but these are just off the top of my head.

[LIforrelaxin]

Oh I love these threads when this topic comes up seeming yearly.....While I have no issue with a "use fee" New Hampshire, needs to show people what it will use the money for, and inact a law, that dictates what the use fees for Kayaks etc. must be used for....

Otherwise, the money will end up in the general fund, and never really get used they way it was supposed to be.