Utica Daily News: Fishing For Dollars — New State Fees Target Sportsmen
Republicans attack Destito on vote
Marques Phillips/Utica Daily News
MOHAWK VALLEY, Oct. 3., 2009 — It’s hunting season, and in Albany it’s always campaign season.
This years budget includes dozens of fee increases for fishermen and hunters that took hold on Oct. 1.
In response to these fees the New York Republican Assembly Campaign Committee took aim at Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, who voted for the budget.
“Assemblywoman Destito’s vote to hike 41 separate fees and licenses for hunting and fishing takes direct aim at sportsmen and the Mohawk Valley’s economy which depends on outdoor enthusiasts,” said Kathleen Hennessey, spokeswoman for the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee.
New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Central Region Director John Booth, of Ilion, said that the fees hit hard at the wallets of sportsmen, especially during a recession.
“We’ve talked about this issue frequently,” he said. “It has a dramatic impact on guys who are retired, retired medically, or otherwise living on a fixed income. They’ve said they can’t afford to buy another license, and they’ll hunt anyway because that’s the only way to bring food to table. Especially in places like Remsen and Ohio. They obviously don’t want to break the law, but it’s a choice between starve and have extra meat.”
Destito called the accusation initiated by the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee “attacks” and she said it’s usual. However, she pointed out that the fees haven’t been raised since 2002, and that New York is facing unprecedented budget deficits since Wall Street played a critical role in the economic collapse.
“In this year’s state budget, a number of extraordinary and staggering obstacles were presented, including a $17 billion deficit, a severe recession and Wall Street’s plummeting revenues,” she said. “We took measures to face these challenges, rejecting over $2 billion in proposed increased taxes and fees, from increases in taxes on clothing and gasoline, to new fees on cable television, movie tickets, haircuts and even bowling.”
Destito said the fees would be used to pay for many of the same services hunters and fishermen use, such as policing and conservation efforts.
“This announcement fails to mention that these fee increases were requested by the New York State Conservation Council and were supported by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,” Destito said.
Booth said budget shortfalls facing the DEC were serious, and buying new bulletproof vests for officers whose vests were antiquated was in serious jeopardy earlier this year. However, he said charging extra money to sportsmen isn’t the answer, rather than taking a hard look at the states overall budget and finances.
“The DEC is struggling for funds,” he said. “But it’s another case of New York City being bailed out by Upstate because the state has been mismanaging money for years. When you consider a DEC officer is paid less than police officers, yet they’re the only officers in the country who are always approaching people that are always armed. Yeah, they need to be paid, so they increase the fees and taxing hunters and fishermen is an easy way to do it, because you have to have it. It’s illegal to hunt without a license. It’s illegal to fish without a license.”
For her part, Destito points to the fact that there’s still a budget gap, and she said, in Albany lawmakers have made it a point not to raise any more fees.
“Governor David Paterson stated last week that the state is facing an additional $2.1 billion deficit and the Governor says that he doesn’t support imposing more taxes and fees to close the budget gap,” she said. “I agree 100 percent. We can and must find ways to cut state spending without cutting vital services families rely on.”
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