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LRSLA · 09-23-2004, 07:32 PM

I was just trying to speak to the issue that some of these boats are truly
racing boats and are not being driven responsibly.

I have witnessed some very poor operation of high performance boats on the lake. It seems that any boy or girl with enough money or high enough credit rating can buy a big fast noisy toy. The issue isn't buying the toys. the issue is that education is lacking and there is practically zero enforcement on the surface waters. The lakes have become the last great lawless frontier.

In Maine, with it's 6000 bodies of water there are less then twenty five wardens on duty at any given time. There are less wardens with IFW today then there were twenty years ago. The classic response i get from boaters testing the regulations is. "the lake are for all of us". My question is when did I stop being part of "all of us". When it come down to it the whole issue is that a lot of boaters just don't care about other people.

You guys on Winne must deal with some of the same economic issue we deal with here. Lake Front property owners pay 65% of all taxes in our town. Most of the properties on the lake are seasonal so owners have no vote in town. LRSLA is members are property owners that pay that 65% to the town. Isn't interesting that these residents are being impact by a very small number of boaters, most of which pay no taxes in town. Our town does float a marine Safety unit.
The budget is .014% of the yearly budget.

In Maine the State enforces regs on the lakes. This is a very frustrating fact.

The only battle I will be fighting is for furthering education and enforcement
presence on the waters.

09-23-2004, 07:32 PM	#92
LRSLA Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Speed Kills I was just trying to speak to the issue that some of these boats are truly racing boats and are not being driven responsibly. I have witnessed some very poor operation of high performance boats on the lake. It seems that any boy or girl with enough money or high enough credit rating can buy a big fast noisy toy. The issue isn't buying the toys. the issue is that education is lacking and there is practically zero enforcement on the surface waters. The lakes have become the last great lawless frontier. In Maine, with it's 6000 bodies of water there are less then twenty five wardens on duty at any given time. There are less wardens with IFW today then there were twenty years ago. The classic response i get from boaters testing the regulations is. "the lake are for all of us". My question is when did I stop being part of "all of us". When it come down to it the whole issue is that a lot of boaters just don't care about other people. You guys on Winne must deal with some of the same economic issue we deal with here. Lake Front property owners pay 65% of all taxes in our town. Most of the properties on the lake are seasonal so owners have no vote in town. LRSLA is members are property owners that pay that 65% to the town. Isn't interesting that these residents are being impact by a very small number of boaters, most of which pay no taxes in town. Our town does float a marine Safety unit. The budget is .014% of the yearly budget. In Maine the State enforces regs on the lakes. This is a very frustrating fact. The only battle I will be fighting is for furthering education and enforcement presence on the waters.