AB 1458 is dead for 2007
From: David Johnson
To: All Stakeholders --For reasons beyond the control of the boating community, the mandatory education bill, AB 1458 (Duvall), will not be moving forward this year. From all indications, there will be a bill next year based on the efforts to date. Attached is the final draft language of the provisions agreed upon by stakeholder groups.
David
We don't know what went on "under the hood" between the lobbyists, the Appropriations Committee, the Governor's office, DBW and ROBC, but it would be more appropriate to say that AB 1458 was killed for this year "for reasons beyond the control of the boating *industry*, not the boating community. In fact it may have been the boating community that finished it off.
Next year let's do it right: Scrap the gaping loophole for thrillcraft rentals, charge enough for the certificate so that DBW can properly fund the program, and recognize that diversion to non-motorized forms of boating is the best way to save lives and maximize enjoyment of California waters.
Now for some snarky comments from John Donaldson, of Freeman/McCue Public Relations, the Kawasaki (Jetski) representative:
From: John Donaldson
To: (AB 1458 stakeholders distribution list, and others)John Donaldson writes:
Here is an interesting comparison:
The National Transportation Safety Board has mandatory boater safety education on their “most wanted” initiative list yet the Schwarzenegger administration has told DBW that it should not support mandatory ed.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wants to take boating opportunities away from Californians in Monterey Bay by severely restricting PWC, and the Schwarzenegger administration supports that.
Apparently the Schwarzenegger administration has very little interest in opportunities or welfare of California recreational boaters.
John Donaldson
Freeman McCue PR
714-557-3663 ext 219And here is my response (perhaps equally snarky):
John Donaldson wrote:
>Here is an interesting comparison:
>The National Transportation Safety Board has
>mandatory boater safety education on their
>"most wanted" initiative list yet the
>Schwarzenegger administration has told DBW
>that it should not support mandatory ed.Far be it for me, a good Berkeley lefty, to defend the Schwarzenegger administration. But it just may be that Schwarzenegger's office properly sees a federal mandatory boating education program as being better and more economical for California, free of the industry-directed exemptions (e.g. the rental exemption) aimed at preserving the status quo for the thrillcraft business.
>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
>Administration wants to take boating
>opportunities away from Californians in
>Monterey Bay by severely restricting PWC,
>and the Schwarzenegger administration
>supports that.The stats are pretty clear on this: The most proven method of making California waters safer is to divert people away from fast powerboats and into the various non-motorized forms of boating. Restricting PWC "opportunities" makes good sense from several points of view, and has wide popular support.
>Apparently the Schwarzenegger
>administration has very little interest
>in opportunities or welfare of California
>recreational boaters.Or, maybe the Schwarzenegger administration, unlike the powerboat industry, is beginning to recognize what will really make California waters safer and more enjoyable for everyone.