A Call to Arms

If you think belt-tightening in the national economy is going to be painful, wait until you see what the state of California is going to have to do to balance their deficit. In an outline released by the Governor’s Office earlier this week, Schwarzenegger details an 18-step roadmap for a more efficient state government.

The issue that will have the most impact on boaters is the Governor’s proposal to eliminate the Department of Boating and Waterways. DBW would instead become a branch of the Department of Parks and Recreation. According to the outline, this move would save the state $600,000 per fiscal year and, in the words of the proposal, “allow for better coordination and management of project and grants relating to boating access and safety programs.” Oh really?

Every governor since about Pat Brown (Jerry’s father) has tried to rob from Peter to pay Paul — in this case, use money from the efficiently-run DBW to pay off losses from the less-well-managed Parks and Rec. According to RBOC (Recreational Boaters of California), the absorption of DBW into Parks and Rec would not save the state $600,000. The fact is, DBW is so efficient that it receives no General Fund dollars. It is funded entirely by boater fuel tax dollars, registration fees and infrastructure loans.

The bottom line for boaters is that DBW is a valuable entity. It issues grants for harbor and marina improvements, promotes safety, battles to keep state waterways free of invasive species, and on and on and on.

If DBW is absorbed into Parks and Rec, it’s our feeling that many if not most of the good things it does will be lost or so diluted as to be ineffectual. We hope you will join us in telling the Governor and your local state Senator or Assemblyperson that DBW should remain autonomous. For bullet points to hit in your emails and letters, check out RBOC’s Call to Arms.