Comments on: Big boats group hires controversial lobbyist http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2008/08/22/big-boats-group-hires-controversial-lobbyist/ Affecting NC public policy through informed, energetic and progressive conversations. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:14:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rob Schofield http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2008/08/22/big-boats-group-hires-controversial-lobbyist/#comment-21436 Rob Schofield Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:09:27 +0000 http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=1407#comment-21436 Well said. Of course, these folks DO have a way to transport their boats now -- they just need to get a permit. Also on the McClees angle, a friend reminds us of this story from a few years' back entitled <a hr+="http://www.ncvotered.com/research_publications/ftm/2002/5_13_02.html",target="_blank" rel="nofollow">"Lobbyists Gone Wild"</a> Well said. Of course, these folks DO have a way to transport their boats now — they just need to get a permit.

Also on the McClees angle, a friend reminds us of this story from a few years’ back entitled “Lobbyists Gone Wild”

]]> By: R. Hughes http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2008/08/22/big-boats-group-hires-controversial-lobbyist/#comment-21424 R. Hughes Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:53:02 +0000 http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/?p=1407#comment-21424 One can only hope that the 'public,' if not their legislative representatives, can see the falacy of allowing vehicles wider than thet nominal 102inch tractor trailer to be towed without restriction on roads with lanes often not as wide as the vehicle being towed, day or night, by individuals having no specific training and often little or no experience in handing such a large vehicle. Do we have to have five years of crash data to confirm the obvious? One would hope not. The owner of one of our coastal marinas would not allow an oversized boat to dock in his facility if it endangered his facility or the safety and property of other users; neither would we allow a commercial airliner to land at a general aviation airstrip. It's time that those who manufacture and use these (oversized marine) vehicles, either in commerce or for recreation, devise ways to transport them that respect the design limitations of our roadways and the impacts of violating those limitations on public safety. One would think that this would be a self-imposed restriction based upon common sense and one that had to be legislated. I personally find it difficult to see how the benefit of another coastal fishing tournament offsets the cost of lives lost on the highway. One can only hope that the ‘public,’ if not their legislative representatives, can see the falacy of allowing vehicles wider than thet nominal 102inch tractor trailer to be towed without restriction on roads with lanes often not as wide as the vehicle being towed, day or night, by individuals having no specific training and often little or no experience in handing such a large vehicle. Do we have to have five years of crash data to confirm the obvious? One would hope not. The owner of one of our coastal marinas would not allow an oversized boat to dock in his facility if it endangered his facility or the safety and property of other users; neither would we allow a commercial airliner to land at a general aviation airstrip. It’s time that those who manufacture and use these (oversized marine) vehicles, either in commerce or for recreation, devise ways to transport them that respect the design limitations of our roadways and the impacts of violating those limitations on public safety. One would think that this would be a self-imposed restriction based upon common sense and one that had to be legislated. I personally find it difficult to see how the benefit of another coastal fishing tournament offsets the cost of lives lost on the highway.

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