Comment Log Display

I'm writing to oppose the current proposal to require repower or
retrofitting of exhaust systems to meet tier 4 requirements. This
was a very poorly mapped out plan by CARB as there is not a timely
and cost-effective solution available to the small business
sportboat owners in California. Additionally the singling out of
sportfishing boats for this mandate and its timing, but no similar
mandate to other groups such as private yacht owners, commercial
fishing and shipping vessels, land-based vehicles/equipment owned
or operated by the state such as CalTrans, CalFire, SDG&E, PG&E,
Univ. California, California State university or other governmental
agencies or taxpayer supported affiliates of the State of
California smacks of wholesale discrimination against a small group
of small business owners because of their lack of political
influence or monetary sway with Sacramento. THere is a reasonable
compromise available by allowing shifting to Tier 3 until
technology catches up. You're not only hurting the owner operators
of sportboats, but impacting a larger group of businesses that
benefit from the sportboat business in this state. Boat crews,
support staff, mechanical and boatyard workers, Tackle shops, bait
recievers/suppliers, equipment manufacturers, fuel docks, harbor
berths, affiliated restaurants and the ancillary uses of lodging
and purchase of goods and tourism/travel that the sportboat
industry brings to California will be lost. Also, this is
discriminatory in that the basis for most people to use sportboats
is because they are not in the income brackets that allows them to
own a boat of their own. The great majority of participants are
middle class individuals financially and they will lose a major
recreation opportunity here. We all vote. We all will remember
those who were supporting the common man versus those who are
supporting vested financial interests and lobbyists representing
them. Get your priorities straight.