Are fees a good thing, or are they making matters worse?

A new fee has been implemented to those involved with recreational boating. About $1,500 worth of fees that is. This new fee is an environmental fee. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls it an "effluent discharges incidental to normal operation of vessels."

The whole thing was passes to prevent damage to domestic waters from foreign marine species that cargo tankers and cruise ships carry on board, but since smaller recreational boats also contribute to the problem, they can be fined too. Even sailboats with automatic bilge pumps can be smacked with a fee.

There are nearly 1 million recreational boats registered in California, and Congress is planning on making alot of money of these boat owners. The question being asked is, is the fee being implemented for profit, or to help the environment?

Sen. Barbara Boxer said that, "Recreational boating and sport fishing should be allowed to continue as they always have."

“Every time you exhale, you're polluting the air. How crazy do we want to get?” said Purdon, who was appointed to the California Boating and Waterways Commission by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Is putting fees on boats to save the environment a good thing, or are the fees just making matters worse because California generates almost $2 billion in revenue from boat and accessory sales a year.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071119/news_1n19boaters.html