You raise some valid points if there was to be a true merge, but that is not what is happening here. As always, the devil is in the details!
Currently the Marine Patrol is reporting to the Commissioner of Safety through Safety Services Division Head David Barrett. State Police, also part of the Department of Safety, reports to the same Commissioner via the Director of the State Police (the Colonel). If you look at the current chain within Safety you will see that the budget proposal simply eliminates Barrett's position and responsibilities and instead tranfers his duties and powers over to the Director of State Police, streamlining the Department of Safety. For those that may not know Barrett also has other duties besides just Marine Patrol, including overseeing things like tramway & amusement ride safety.
The Marine Patrol will still be staffed as is, with some fulltime personnel and the usual contingent of part-time officers in the summer. NH State Troopers are not being moved onto the lakes. As a matter of fact if the budget as proposed passes, there are corresponding cuts coming to State Police that will actually reduce the number of troopers, making it virtually impossible for the Colonel to assign new duties to a shrinking force!
Additionally, except for the obligatory name changes (dropping "Safety" and replacing with "State Police") funding mechanisms for Marine Patrol stay the same. As an example the money that by statutue is collected and expended for the Navigation Fund remains exactly as is, except for inserting the appropriate name changes. In order for the Commissioner of Safety to divert or change funding would require an act by the legislature, and the legislature does not do this in the proposed bill.
In the end the Marine Patrol remains within the Department of Safety as it has been. All positions below the Director remain the same. Just the chain of command is changed by NHMP personnel reporting to the Commissioner of Safety via the Director of State Police instead of the proposed eliminated Director of Safety Services position. State Troopers are not transferred to the NHMP and the legislation does not change any other duties or responsibilities of current full or part-time staff.
As has been pointed out by a previous poster this portion of the budget is consistent with the legislature's stated intent to lower the State budget by eliminating personnel and consolidating services.
Hope this helps clear up a few misconceptions floting around out there...
