Too many fees?

[Tyme2fish]

The price of fishing has long ago gotten out of hand. The State of Indiana has taxed me out of fishing in Indiana. I'll drive to Kentucky instead.
Just for my 11 year old boat:
County Tax $55.00
Lake En. Fee $25.00
DNR Fee $5.00
Fishing License: Haven't bought one in Indiana in years
Launch fee " " " " " """""""""""""""
State Park entrance Fee " " " " "
Tax from both State and sales on gasoline
License for trailer
Insurance on boat (Not required but I still buy it)

I mainly fish the Ohio river now and don't have to pay the launch and park fees. I think I've paid enough in all the other dang taxes the State of Indiana has imposed.
Plus,the monies collected I've never seen going back to the resources that the fishermen need.

[MikeAxsom]

I don't really want to get back into the fee dispute, but I do have a professional interest in your post. You do a pretty good job of outlining what you thing is too high; but I'd like to hear what price do you think is just right? I assume that since you also seem concerned about what you feel is not enough being put back into the resource, you do feel that SOME level of fee are needed and appropriate. If it were up to you, what level would you set. And why?

[Tyme2fish]

Fishing license is $17.00. That's fair. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Indiana does not have a "separate" fund for that fee, ie it goes into the general fund.

I'm just generally ticked with the 58 ways the state dips it's hands in my pockets because I own a boat and a trailer and want to fish.

I also disagree with the fees that the state charges for admittance and launching at state parks. Where do all my other state and local taxes go to? I'd think that the $25.00 Lake En Fee and $5.00 DNR fee on my boat license would allow me entrance INTO a state park and authority to launch.But no, I have to pay additionnal fees to perform those acts.

Finally, I've found that most ramps in southern Indiana are a joke. Could someone tell me what, if any work or maintenance has been done to the ramp in New Albany or Clarksville.
Oh yeh, a gazillion dollars has been spent putting up gas lights and sidewalks along the river walk in New Albany but not one thing has been done to improve the ramp. In addition, the parking places for boaters has been reduced in the number of spaces and moved so as to force us to enter an endurance march to hike back to the rivers edge and back to our boat.

In summation: The State takes but I don't see ANY return to the fisherman.

[vincennesfishrman]

I don't really want to get back into the fee dispute, but I do have a professional interest in your post. You do a pretty good job of outlining what you thing is too high; but I'd like to hear what price do you think is just right? I assume that since you also seem concerned about what you feel is not enough being put back into the resource, you do feel that SOME level of fee are needed and appropriate. If it were up to you, what level would you set. And why?

Mike sounds like you are at some level in the light on how these fees are spent. I have owned a boat or 2 for the past 25 + years and have paid all the fees associated with this . I live in Knox county so we really do not have any form of outdoor recreation for boating unless you consider the 2 rivers or white Oaks quality fishery. The money collected from us here in Knox county does nothing really to benfit us, at least on the local level . The rivers used to be fairly good fisherys but at least around Vincennes you are extremly lucky to go out and catch a good meal of fish, and I blame this on the commercial end of it where there are people running 50 to 100 nets through some of the best strechs of water. Also the river is not maintained in anyway through the fees paid , there is no enforcement on soil eroision, and a small dam to help keep a 10' pool could really help. Actually the dam could proabably be used to produce some electricity.

It has gotten to the Level now with fishing Liscensce fees , gasoline for Boat and truck , bait and other incidentals I can not really afford to use my larger boat anywhere as you will have at least 100-150 tyed up in any trips to decent fisherys.

I just feel like the citizens of Knox county are coming out on the short end of the stick when it comes to quality places ( or any places at all to fish ).
I have sent Brad Ellsworth my opinion on this and recieved his standard letter which does not even acknowledge that he recieved my thoughts , I have been in contact with Kreg Battles and told him of our needs and I have gotten the run around also , I have told him about working with the coal companies in northern knox county and also told him about the 2200 acres in southern knox county that was on auction long before it came and sold private. I do not have a problem paying fees but it does not get reimbursed in a fair manner.

Seems like all anybody wants around here are walking trails, any help or suggestions on how I could try and help people of Knox county get some quality outdoor recreation around here would be great, we have one small county camp ground and it is packed to the gills all seaon long it seems like a no brainer to me.

Thanks Brad ,Concerned fisherman

[slipbobber]

Ditch Mitch!!This man has probably never camped or fished a day in his life!

[raporter]

Ditch Mitch!!This man has probably never camped or fished a day in his life!

Like him or not his administration has done more for the sportsman than the previous administration.
I too do not understand why we have no money to buy these coal properties when they come up for sale.

[billm_usa1]

It's the $20 wheel tax on boat trailers that each county administration is allowed to impose. On my car and truck I can see because there on the road quite a bit. But a boat or camping trailer? With my 2 cars 1 truck and 2 boat trailers that $100 in wheel tax before starting on the licensing. Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio all have fees less than Indiana or they are non existant.

[wkerber]

[QUOTE=billm_usa1;319802]It's the $20 wheel tax on boat trailers that each county administration is allowed to impose. On my car and truck I can see because there on the road quite a bit. But a boat or camping trailer? With my 2 cars 1 truck and 2 boat trailers that $100 in wheel tax before starting on the licensing. Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio all have fees less than Indiana or they are non existant.[/Qt UOTE]

Wheel tax is levied by the county and by law it goes to a fund for county road repair. When I lived in Johnson County (Greenwood) they did not have a wheel tax and my wife and I use to wish that they would levy one as their roads where crap. I'd rather pay $20 than hit all those big potholes.
I now live in Tennessee and they do not have a wheel tax or registration fee for trailers. However, they do have a 10% sales tax. I'm here to tell you that they'll get you one way or the other.

[TR21Bassin]

This is the main reason I haven't fished an Indiana State owned lake in the last 2 years. I pay enough in taxes, boat, truck, trailer, car and etc registration fees I don't feel I should have to purchase another "Boat Permit". I usually only fish West Boggs in Indiana and the rest of my fishing is in Illinois and Kentucky.

Even Boggs has gotten higher so we will continue to fish it but I will be taking fish home with me every time I can. They won't be going to the dinner table but to a couple of private lakes. I figure if I have to pay $12 to get in everytime or whatever its going to be for the yearly pass I may as well get something for my money.

Charlie

[slipbobber]

[QUOTE=bwframe;319900]

Funny how I pay the $20 wheel tax and still hit potholes.
Don't forget that we can fire the taxing bast---s at the ballot box!

First time I ever heard of a wheel tax.What a joke!Like my grandfather said they would tax the air we breathe if they could. Shh I better not say that to loud might give the sorry arses an idea

[MikeAxsom]

I’m afraid your plan to fire them at the ballot box really doesn’t work either, bwframe. All you can do there is changing the name of the taxman. I’m not a fan of taxes or large government, or government waste, but most of those things are a result of a problem, not the actual problem. Modern politics is a business where we hire people to do our bidding, and pressure them to do for us a million things we can’t or won’t do for ourselves. We demand good roads, good schools, nice sidewalks and those gaslights along the river walks. And we want our politicians to find some way to do that without taxing us personally. So when I want a museum, I demand that my politician collect money from you to pay for it. And when you want a boat ramp, you think you have paid for it with the money that they spend on my museum. What happens is that they then tax me to build you ramp.

Government is not magic. If we really and truly want them to quit taking our money, we have to quit demanding that they provide all the million things we want them to provide. Consider these words, for they are at the very root of what is being discussed here, and we are watching it play out on the nation level as well. It could appropriately be the headline of any newspaper in the country today.

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. “

[raporter]

Another way they look at it is, if it moves tax it, if it quits moving subsidize it. Everyone has their hand out.