To the editor:
I feel very strongly that the following information should be made public, so that the Governor, legislators, Maine Snowmobile Association, representing us in Augusta, and Aroostook Region, The snowmobile club members, taxpayers and landowners, who are responsible for creating the $300 million Maine snowmobile industry, will know what is going on. Without the $300 million, the state budget would have a much bigger hole than it has now.
After being a member of snowmobile clubs for 42 years and MSA for 40 years, the following is my opinion of what is happening between the Aroostook Region, the state of Maine and MSA. Because we have a lower temperature and more snow than other regions in the state, Aroostook County is number one in the state for snowmobiling. Because of that fact, Aroostook County is also number one in creating a $300 million income annually for the Maine snowmobile industry. Because the Aroostook Region is such a unique place to snowmobile, we bring in thousands of people from the other four regions of Maine, Canada and many other states. Because Aroostook Region has a much longer season and thousands more snowmobiles riding our trails, we have to do much more grooming. Snowmobile club contribution to the snowmobile industry was just like finding a gold mine for the state.
To date, Maine is treating the Aroostook Region as if they own the clubs and the clubs are only paid half the cost for digging the gold. In both 2006 and 2007, MSA was involved in two bills. One to require all snowmobilers to join a club, that could have ruined the snowmobile industry. Many landowners are generous enough to donate their land free to all who ride snowmobiles, would be very upset if MSA got a bill passed for their own selfish purpose that could have resulted in the land being posted. The second bill took money from the trail grooming account to pay the state back sales tax they had lost on trail grooming equipment. There is no evidence that anything was done by MSA to prevent that bill from passing.
MSA has been representing 34 clubs from the Aroostook Region and 241 from the other four Regions. That means that the other four Regions are allowed at least 482 Directors.
When I joined MSA 40 years ago the headquarters and meetings were held in Bangor and maybe one in Aroostook. Later the Headquarters and meetings were moved to Augusta, and maybe one in Aroostook. In 2008 a meeting was held in the town of Ashland, attended by several MSA officials and members from several clubs. Two members and I went to represent the Washburn club. I believed the purpose of the meeting was to finally give club members from the Aroostook Region a chance to express their opinion on how a couple of minor changes might give Aroostook Region a wee better chance to attend MSA meetings. I recommended that we split the meetings three ways, one third of the meetings in Augusta, one third in Bangor and one third in the Aroostook Region.
I also included repealing the meeting on Tuesday night. When MSA officials had the meeting on the bylaws, they voted to have all their meetings in Augusta, with the exception of rotating five meeting between the five Regions. For 15 years some of use have been asking that the meetings on Tuesday night be repealed. Four of the Regions directors live close enough to Augusta so that they can attend the meeting after work. The rest could attend the meeting and back home in one day. This has made it impossible for working people in the Aroostook Region to take part and attend any MSA meetings. Not only would it take a lot of money and a lot of time and even if you took a school bus load you would still be out numbered by directors.
For many years Aroostook Region clubs and others, while using their own money to groom trails, have been sending thousands to MSA, nearly all of which is being spent to increase the economy in Augusta, while cutting it in all snowmobile regions. It has been considered for many years that we have two Maines. If there is any doubt MSA has proved it true.
Washburn
