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From: Harry Zych
Category: Shipwreck Research
Date: 26 May 2007
Time: 21:02:55
Remote Name: 66.73.160.128
Rick,
It is critical for divers all over the great lakes to respond to this legislation.
The way to do this is to e-mail jbrewer@senate.michigan.gov and state very clearly to "distribute to all committe members."
This is the committe reviewing the bills before being presented for voting in the senate. The house vote is scheduled for tuesday and input is over for the public ( and as they say " the fix is in"). The senate vote is delayed and there is time to get additional comments in on the record.
issues as I see them
1) the thrust is a great lakes state park owned and operated by the state of michigan, it will be the largest state park in the USA.
2) this is all predicated on a maybe valid 1899 state law, which we believe was repealed in the codefication processs in 1994-95. The state has an opinion about the law from 1976 prior to codefication, and no recent legal opinion.
3) funding for this has to come from somewhere, it appears in the game of pin the tail on the donkey, divers number came up.
4) representations have been made to the house and senate committes that there are lots of divers dying to give money to the state for this purpose.
5) it has been stated to be voluntary, and we all know where the seat belt issue ended up.
6) it has been stated that it would take an act of legislation to raise fees, the regulation is very specific that the director can raise fees with no legislative approval.
7) the state won't do anything until enough money is collected to do something, which may mean never. when will all the wonderful promises, by the state, be fullfilled with no money
Folks if you want Ken Vrana and Greg McMasters to infer your opinion don't write , but, if you want to do something to save yourselves and your rights..............GET WRITING TO THE SENATE COMMITTE- NOW NOT LATER
REMEMBER ----- "Distribute to all committe members", otherwise it will only be sent to the state policy advisor and he's in Vrana's pocket.
Harry Zych