Spitfire
07-11-2005, 09:55 AM
(Columbus) – With the stroke of his veto pen, Gov. Bob Taft has extended an open invitation for the government to steal sportsmen’s money.
Among a string of items deleted from the budget presented by the legislature, Gov. Taft struck language that protected sportsmen’s dollars from being used for non-wildlife purposes.
Ohio sportsmen had worked with state legislators for months to ensure that the Ohio budget would feature protection from diversion of hunting and fishing license fee dollars to pay for under-funded agencies of government.
The government claims the veto will result in an annual charge of $800,000 from sportsmen. The truth is there is no limit to how much can be diverted to other agencies. Tens of millions of dollars derived from hunting and fishing licenses and taxes on sporting goods are at stake. If those funds are stolen, license fees will rise and fish and wildlife conservation programs will suffer.
Economically, Ohio has benefited by protecting hunters’ dollars. Hunting brings $1.5 billion to the state, annually. Ohio ranks sixth in the nation in dollars produced by hunting.
In the past, lawmakers and administrations protected this investment by ensuring that sportsmen’s dollars could only be used for fish and wildlife conservation programs.
For the first time in Ohio history, citizens will be forced to trust the government to restrain itself from raiding the fund that purchases and maintains wildlife habitat, manages fish and wildlife and provides recreation for millions of people.
Such restraint is unlikely according to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA).
“Government has consistently been unable to manage money effectively,” said Rob Sexton, vice president for government affairs with USSA. “The governor’s action puts the fox in the hen house, trusting that it will only eat a couple of the chickens.”
Sexton said that Ohio sportsmen are likely to call on legislators to override the veto.
“Our telephones have been ringing since the news broke,” he said. “We’re telling people that the only way to save the stolen money is to call their legislators and ask them to restore the money Governor Taft has taken from them and the wildlife resources of our state.”
Take Action! The only way that the problem will be fixed is for Ohio sportsmen to ask their representatives and senators to override Gov. Taft’s line item veto. They should let legislators know that sportsmen’s dollars should be used solely to fund the conservation programs for which they are intended. To identify and contact legislators, call (800) 282-0253.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers nationally in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.
Among a string of items deleted from the budget presented by the legislature, Gov. Taft struck language that protected sportsmen’s dollars from being used for non-wildlife purposes.
Ohio sportsmen had worked with state legislators for months to ensure that the Ohio budget would feature protection from diversion of hunting and fishing license fee dollars to pay for under-funded agencies of government.
The government claims the veto will result in an annual charge of $800,000 from sportsmen. The truth is there is no limit to how much can be diverted to other agencies. Tens of millions of dollars derived from hunting and fishing licenses and taxes on sporting goods are at stake. If those funds are stolen, license fees will rise and fish and wildlife conservation programs will suffer.
Economically, Ohio has benefited by protecting hunters’ dollars. Hunting brings $1.5 billion to the state, annually. Ohio ranks sixth in the nation in dollars produced by hunting.
In the past, lawmakers and administrations protected this investment by ensuring that sportsmen’s dollars could only be used for fish and wildlife conservation programs.
For the first time in Ohio history, citizens will be forced to trust the government to restrain itself from raiding the fund that purchases and maintains wildlife habitat, manages fish and wildlife and provides recreation for millions of people.
Such restraint is unlikely according to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA).
“Government has consistently been unable to manage money effectively,” said Rob Sexton, vice president for government affairs with USSA. “The governor’s action puts the fox in the hen house, trusting that it will only eat a couple of the chickens.”
Sexton said that Ohio sportsmen are likely to call on legislators to override the veto.
“Our telephones have been ringing since the news broke,” he said. “We’re telling people that the only way to save the stolen money is to call their legislators and ask them to restore the money Governor Taft has taken from them and the wildlife resources of our state.”
Take Action! The only way that the problem will be fixed is for Ohio sportsmen to ask their representatives and senators to override Gov. Taft’s line item veto. They should let legislators know that sportsmen’s dollars should be used solely to fund the conservation programs for which they are intended. To identify and contact legislators, call (800) 282-0253.
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers nationally in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.