I agree with everything Carl has to say on this. I would though like to tax Carl and other Mn residents on a new outdoor stadium for the Twins and the Vikings!
Mike Hendrickson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carl Greiner" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 12:10 AM Subject: [mou] Self-deception was Quail Forever (warning this message is way too long) > Hi folks, > Sorry to jump on this in a negative manner but I think this posting is > getting a bit unrealistic. First of all, adding a 'sin tax' to wildlife > observation would be typical of our recent foray into loss of freedom and > I > think I might be hearing the White-throated Sparrow singing O' sweet > canada, > canada, canada rather than Sam Peabody. Second, it is deceptive to take > the > numbers commonly given to justify birding's economic impact. Despite the > MOU's statement that there are 1.8 million Minnesota bird-watchers there > are > less than 20,000 MN birders (combined total of MOU & MN Audubon = 14,500). > Unlike the numbers given for anglers (1.1 Million to 1.6 Million)and > hunters > (452K to 597K) where either you bought a license or you didn't > bird-watchers > are everything from a daily birder with a 5,000 life list to most of the > hunters and anglers above to the folks that consider that noticing the > first > robin of the year is all there is. You could debate these numbers to death > but the fact is that anglers/hunters actively participate in their sport > and > support the organizations (DU, PF, & MDHA = 83,552 members) whereas > birding > groups don't (MOU & MNAud members = 14,500). This is common sense, the > statement below states there is 28 retail stores selling wild bird food > and > supplies, well I bet Brainard has more fishing and hunting stores than > that, > let alone the state. Gander Mtn probably has more square footage than all > 28 > bird stores. Third, it is counter-productive to compete with hunting and > fishing organizations when the ultimate goal of habitat preservation, > rather > write your congressperson and ask why the energy bill included 8 billion > dollars of pork for the energy lobby. Fourth, there are many organizations > set up to lobby or protect habitat for nongame species, support Nature > Conservancy, or Sierra, or WWF, or state DNR, Natural Resources Defense > Council, etc... They certainly are more adept at habitat preservation than > the yokels writing policy in the Washington who would probably use the > money > raised to improve the fishing in their private summer lake. Fifth, what > are > you going to tax? Bird food? (now your messin with the farmers and the 28 > retail stores that focus sales on bird food - see below) Optics? (you just > alienated astronomers, opera afficienados, hunters and target shooters who > are already paying sin taxes on their equipment, the Nascar crowd, etc...) > Gasoline? (isn't there already a tax on gasoline), books? (wouldn't that > be > a tax on education), guide service? (I wonder how the guides on this group > would react if they had to fill out all the paper work and give the gov't > 2-10% of their sales). Sixth, public perception, how many govenors have > took > the media out on a Big Day? They never miss fishing opener. How many law > makers use their recess to go birding (aside from Jimmy Carter)? The list > for law making hunters reads like a U.S. History Book. Seventh and most > important a fee would drive people away rather than pique their interest. > As > the population rises and there is increasing urbanization and sprawl the > knowledge of and respect for the land diminishes. I have noticed this in > just my lifetime and predict it will get much worse. The more ignorant the > public is to our natural heritage the less likely they are to protect it. > Next it doesn't pan out in dollars and sense. Looking at the numbers: > > ". Number of bird-watchers 1,810,000 > . Number of fishermen 1,109,000 > . Number of hunters 452,000 > . Money spent by bird-watchers 1991 $345,333,000 > . Money spent by hunters 1991 $289,690,000 > . Money spent by fishermen 1991 $846,246,000 > . Number of retail stores in Minnesota that focus sales strictly on > wild-bird feed and bird-related merchandise 28. > . Jobs provided in Minnesota by bird-related businesses: 2,910. (Birding > supported 234,000 jobs across the nation in 1991.)" - MOU Media Guide > > Seems extremely inflated after Randy's fantastic survey during last years > owl irruption: > "Responses= approximately 265 > Birders represented= approximately 720 (excluding Karla's 500 for her > Festival of Owls) > Money documented= $226,168.00" > > Membership: > MOU Members: 1500 (MOU Brochure) > MN Audubon: 13,000 (website) > Pheasants Forever MN: 20,000 (website) > Ducks Unlimited MN: 43,552 (fact sheet) > Minnesota Deer Hunters Association: 20,000 (web site) > > "Minnesota - > Hunters 597000 > Anglers 1.6 million > Total Expenditures $2.17 billion > Total Jobs 41000 > Salaries and Wages $1.04 billion > State Tax Revenue $182 million > Ripple Effect on the State Economy $4.18 billion " > > The American Sportsman > (http://www.sportsmenslink.org/Sportman/pop_state.asp?id=23) > > Carl (taxed to death) Greiner > > I'd dress up like a first american and dump tea into the Boston Harbor but > it would probably kill the fish. > > _______________________________________________ > mou-net mailing list > [email protected] > http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net >
