I posted this on the other board under a fee post:

Giz...

The answer is not to simply raise license fees. Look what happened in Wash. just a few years ago. The state raised fees, added special warmwater, salt water, crab, clam etc licenses. Guess what! there is a point of diminishing return. People just stopped buying the license and turned their back on the sport and find other ways to pass the time.

Now the state of Wa. has lowered the fees, combined all licenses into a fresh or salt water and now they are selling more licenses and even the out of staters find it attractive to buy a 2 day license for a reasonable fee. Now if they would only figure out that if you sell someone a 2 day license that should also cover the fee to park at the areas people need to access the rivers.

When are the states going to stop overcharging and use some volume pricing tactics to attract more people to the sport. This in turn would generate additional funds.

I stopped camping in OR when they added a $2 surcharge if you where from out of state. For several years, I stopped buying an Or. non-resident license. Just too much to take the family for a one day outting.

Its time that the powers to be realize that increasing fees is not the automatic answer to funding shortages.

Also, I have not seen any reports on how much money is taken in for the hunting and fishing licenses sold in Or. How does this income compare to what the state expends for the fishing and hunting program in the state. Also how much tax money...ie hotel taxes...are collected and returned to the fisheries prg that is generated by fishers. What about the fines collected by game violators. Why does many of the $$ go to the "general fund" instead of for the fisherys.

Its like any gov't...don't look around and see what works that's too easy. Let's spend $$$ and do studies and invent our own wheeel. If this type of mentality would stop, our tax $$ would go a lot farther than they do instead of by funding studies and consultants that "borrow your watch to tell you the time"...

Has anyone asked how many special studies are being funded or how many retired employees are being called back and paid as special consultants at some enoromus fee...??? or just the number of consultants that are hired when we are paying for state workers to do the job.

Find out the answers to these ??? and you will find out where the $$$ are dissappearing..Plug up these leaks and see how many $$$ we have to fund worthwhile programs and programs the people want, not the ones the politician want to fund because they or there friends somehow benefit.

Just my .02

Giz...

I spent several years auditing State governments who received federal funds for criminal justice programs. It is amazing the amount of wasted taxpayers $$ because of the above practices. I venture to guess that these are still happening in government funding of programs that result in waste of our $$$.

Giz..