Tom
Administrator
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
- Posts
- 51,933
I just opened the DMV renewal for 3 of our small boats and had sticker shock. The $5/year ($10 for two years) fee had previously doubled to $20, and there's now a $16 "quagga and zebra mussel infestation prevention fee" of $16, for a total of $36.
There's an option for an exemption for vessels "used only in marine waters", and my first thought was to wonder what their definition of 'marine waters' is. I started doing some reading, including some CA legislature documents, and realized that it doesn't necessarily mean ocean. So I placed a call to the DMV. The ensuing discussion was another example of our tax $$$ being wasted.
The nice lady said "it means salt water". I explained that we're in tidal waters that I loosely call "brackish"; The amount of salinity varies with the twice daily tidal flow that peaks approx 5 hours later than the Golden Gate. We went around and around and, at one point, the lady asserted that San Francisco Bay was not "salt water". I had to rein in my laughter (and apologized for laughing).
The definition changed to "you have to pay if you boat in lakes or rivers". I patiently explained that the two rivers and connecting sloughs that make up the Delta are tidal, and that the salinity changes with the tidal flow. I finally figured out that the lady didn't understand tides and had no clue about different degrees of salinity.
A little more pushback received a new definition "unless you're in the ocean, you pay". That's a definition I can understand, although it didn't agree with her prior definition or some of the stuff I've read. Before thanking the obviously-frustrated lady and hanging up, I suggested she do some reading and get clarification before the next person called.
There's an option for an exemption for vessels "used only in marine waters", and my first thought was to wonder what their definition of 'marine waters' is. I started doing some reading, including some CA legislature documents, and realized that it doesn't necessarily mean ocean. So I placed a call to the DMV. The ensuing discussion was another example of our tax $$$ being wasted.
The nice lady said "it means salt water". I explained that we're in tidal waters that I loosely call "brackish"; The amount of salinity varies with the twice daily tidal flow that peaks approx 5 hours later than the Golden Gate. We went around and around and, at one point, the lady asserted that San Francisco Bay was not "salt water". I had to rein in my laughter (and apologized for laughing).
The definition changed to "you have to pay if you boat in lakes or rivers". I patiently explained that the two rivers and connecting sloughs that make up the Delta are tidal, and that the salinity changes with the tidal flow. I finally figured out that the lady didn't understand tides and had no clue about different degrees of salinity.
A little more pushback received a new definition "unless you're in the ocean, you pay". That's a definition I can understand, although it didn't agree with her prior definition or some of the stuff I've read. Before thanking the obviously-frustrated lady and hanging up, I suggested she do some reading and get clarification before the next person called.