why ????????

[Dave Stewart]

First of all..let me say that I do not and have not launched at Irwin Cobb Marina...LOL. If you see my boat sitting on the ramp for an extended period of time, please check on me because something not good has definitely happened to me.

I do not see a mandatory safe boaters course certification as a mandatory licensing program...if it were a licensing program, I would expect it to also include on the water testing of the driver such as you get an on the road test to get a vehicle operator's license.

We already do have law requiring the passage of the ky safe boating course on the books...for those between the ages of 12-17 to operate a powered watercraft on Ky waters...this includes out of state folks. So the tools are in place to do this...just include everyone else above the age of 17. No, it won't stop the stupid people that sit on a ramp to load their boat...but it may just make some ignorant folks aware of a lot of safety rules and regulations that they have no idea about..like who has the right of way on the water etc.....NO...it won't cure stupid and it won't stop the person who does not care that they are in a no wake zone...but it will educate those that are now ignorant that would follow the rules if they had a clue...and generate some money for the KDFW to maybe hire more enforcement officers which we sorely need...and it would not put any more added burden to the system other than having the enforcement officers check for the certification certificate of the boat driver when they are out there checking for safety equipement, fishing licenses etc.

As far as not having enough of a safety problem to justify this...then you have never been on Ky Lake on a holiday weekend or on a summer Saturday or you would change your mind. I don't expect the other smaller lakes are much better.