A License Fee Increase -- Enigma, Sham?

 

A “Bare-bones” ($79.6 Billion) New York State Budget has been approved by the Senate and Assembly but. . . . What's the status of the NYS Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Licenses Fee increase? Some of you may know I've previously expressed concerns and have been outspoken about the proposals to hike the current license fees. I'd like to put my concerns into a little more perspective here in my column. You might agree or disagree with my following report and you might also use it to speak-up and question. One thing's for sure -- the fee increase will not happen this year, but could it come up again next year, a gubernatorial election year, or the next?

It appears this proposal is seeing very little opposition or challenge from hunters, fishers, trappers and their leaders. Instead, it appears to be sponsored by the uninformed and trusting -- both at the club member level, with officers, with the Conservation Fund Advisory Board (CFAB) and New York State Conservation Council (NYSCC) Officials in Albany. It also appears that the Senate and the Assembly oppose it. Is the justification really there or is it just business as usual? Just ask for it and you shall get it -- get it?

It's strange to see that our legislators are rejecting a fee increase and the public has been duped into believing a fee increase is warranted. It’d be similar to the people asking for a tax increase and our legislators rejecting it. Consider the following:

The total proposed (and very late) New York State Budget for this year is about $79,600,000,000 or [$79.6 Billion].

The NYSDEC's total for their new Budget is $74,600,000 or [$74.6 Million].

Let's do the math: $74,600,000 Million divided by $79,600,000,000 Billion = .09% or [9/100ths of one percent].

 

It appears Governor Pataki will transfer about $25.4 million from the general fund into the NYSDEC Budget (this equals 34% of the total DEC budget). The remaining 66% (of the DEC budget) comes from hunting, fishing and trapping license sales and Federal excise taxes from the sale of guns, ammo, fishing tackle etc. The $25.4 million that comes from general state funds -- is a paltry sum and equal to about .03% (3/100ths of one percent) of the total NYS Budget. It doesn’t make good business sense -- to dedicate only .03% (3/100ths of one percent) of the total budget to protect wildlife, habitat, our environment and also to fund and manage Environmental Conservation Law Enforcement. It appears that hunters, fishers and trappers are directly supporting 66% of the DEC budget and then at the same time we also support the other 34% through our taxes into the general fund.

Take a look on page 56 of your 2000-02 NYS Fishing Regulations Guide. It's still evident that we as Hunters, Fishers and trappers are being charged and held responsible for the majority of the NYSDEC costs of doing business -- everything from Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources to Law Enforcement and other operations. All citizens of NYS, its visitors and tourists, will benefit from our contributions to the NYSDEC and of the protection, law enforcement and management of our environment, our wildlife, our waterways etc. The simple fact that we, as hunters, continue to harvest a burgeoning and out of control deer population is, in my opinion, a public service. NYS Trappers also provide a very important public service and together we even buy a license to provide this free service to all New Yorkers.

In contrast to the NYS Budget, the Orange County Budget for the year 2000 was $371,690,954 or [$371.7 Million]. The Orange County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs (OCFSC), and subsequently OC Sportsmen/women, received approximately $8,000 from the OC Budget -- for pheasant stocking.

$8,000 divided by $371.7 million = .002% or 2/1000ths of one percent.

 

I’ve read that more than 40,000 hunting licenses are sold in OC. Add this to the sales of hunting, fishing and trapping equipment in OC retail establishments. Then factor in, lodging, fuel, food and any retail sales related to hunting, fishing, trapping, boating etc. We, as outdoor folks, contribute millions upon millions, perhaps billions of dollars into the NYS Economy. So why are we receiving such a small piece of the pie in return. Well don't ask me -- try asking our leaders or the NYSCC, the CFAB and then after you get blank for an answer or "well that's the way that we always did it," -- go to your local NYS Public Servant and ask them to make some changes in the way that DEC monies are budgeted.

If the Governor, the Senate and the Assembly transferred a paltry .1% (one-tenth of one percent) of the total NYS Budget into the DEC Budget Bucket -- this would provide about $79.6 million. We'd never have to worry about a license fee increase for a long time if ever again.

To bring all of these figures back down to earth and something else that we can all relate to -- just try this one. Your family/home has a yearly income of $50,000 and you budgeted [.002%], or give it the benefit of the doubt [.03%] of your yearly income to one of your children for their weekly allowance. It would look something like this: $50,000 X .03% = $15.00 divided by 52 weeks = 29 cents per week. Divide that figure by more than one child [or dept.] and see what happens.

And do the same math from an Orange County perspective, where OC Sportsmen/women receive .002% of the total budget. A family salary of $50,000 X .002% = $1 per year “allowance.”

I'm sure that your county's budget appropriation for hunters, fishermen/women, wildlife, habitat and environment will not be much different than Orange County's.

Now I don't know how many of you feel about this but there appears to be little opposition, challenge or questions from sportsmen/women, leadership and reps. If there is a concern, then it is being concealed. All I hear is "If NYS government and the DEC asks for more money let’s give it to them” and then they even say that “if they don't get it -- they will cut programs." Who is asking the tough questions? What is wrong with this big picture? Check my figures and my math. This is just a simple example of how our hard earned money is taxed and managed through --income taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes (on guns, ammo and fishing equipment), property taxes and license fees.

It appears that NYS wants a select group of folks to pay for 66% of the NYSDEC Budget. A major New York State Department/Entity that benefits all New Yorkers and others. And then, the same folks who pay for the 66% also pay into the other 34%, by way of the general fund.

Please check the CFAB web site and minutes of their meetings at

"http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/cfabbios/htm"  The NYSDEC site is  http://www.dec.state.ny.us/

To Sum it up:

The DEC's total budget is $74,600,000 or [$74.6 Million] = to .09% of the total NYS Budget of $79.6 Billion.

$25.4 million will come from state funds into the DEC Budget -- a paltry sum and equal to about .03% of the total NYS Budget to protect/manage all wildlife, habitat, our environment and Environmental Conservation Law Enforcement for all New Yorkers.

The Orange County Budget (2000) = $371,690,954 or [$371.7 Million]. The OCFSC, and subsequently, all OC Sportsmen/women, receives approximately $8,000 from the OC Budget. This is equal to .002% of the total OC Budget.

At this rate a family with a $50,000 income would be giving one child an allowance of 29 cents each week.

Consider transferring just a paltry .1% (one-tenth of one percent) of the total NYS Budget into the DEC Budget Bucket. This would provide about $79.6 million -- and we wouldn't have to worry about a license fee increase for a long time and the DEC would never have to cut programs.

What concerns me most is not so much the amount that is being transferred into the DEC budget but the paltry percentage of the total NYS Budget. It seems that the DEC, CFAB, NYSCC and licensees are fighting over mere crumbs to stay afloat.

I’ll bet that “NYS pork projects” and catering to the “big business community” gets a much bigger slice of the “budget pie.”

I don’t have a problem paying for the privilege to hunt, fish and trap. But I can see a problem with the way charges and budgets are formulated. At a time when license sales are falling or flat -- it may not be a good time to increase the fees. 
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