A Questionable Proposal

A state Boating Advisory Council subcommittee has voted 4-3 against a proposal by the Marine Industry Association of Florida that would have required canoes, kayaks and sailboats shorter than 16 feet long to be registered. Supposedly, the proposal would have allowed the state to put more money toward boat ramps and public marinas without having to charge motorized and larger sailboat owners more in annual fees. Some argue that this proposal is a get even measure.

Whatever the merits of that contention, the reality is that law enforcement can't keep up with the number of motorized craft currently registered. Adding the oversight of more craft to the law enforcement load doesn't make sense unless the money is there to cover the additional drain on already thin enforcement resources. If the purpose of the proposal was simply to keep fees for motorized vessels from rising, without a commitment to use any extra money for additional law enforcement, the subcommittee was correct in voting against the proposal.