Well, with park users being charged for just parking in the parks, we now see that if you don’t want higher taxes, then you will see fees on all sorts of things go through the roof. Next time someone like Tim Eyman argues that we should keep taxes in check, remember that those taxes go to lower costs for all of us to use services like boatyards. It spreads the cost of doing this from an equitable method for all citizens to something that is only affordable to the wealthy. If fees are going to be the way we fund everything moving forward, then the lower and middle classes will be priced out of everything from the parks, boating and much much more. Just wait till the Ferry system starts going to covering the actual costs of running those boats.
Barbara Bach in Three Sheets Northwest reports on boatyard owners objecting to the state’s proposal to recover all costs associated with administering the General Boatyard Permit. The increase is estimated to be from a total of $29,000 at year to $213,000. Proposal would mean big fee increase for boatyards http://threesheetsnw.com/blog/archives/19325