By NATHAN BROWN, Enterprise Staff Writer
POSTED: May 21, 2008

LINK TO ARTICLE

"Environmental group: It's illegal for snowmobile club members to get cheaper registration"

SARANAC LAKE — Members of private snowmobile clubs pay the state $45 each to register their snowmobiles, and a non-member pays the state $100. Advocates for snowmobilers say this is justified because snowmobile clubs make for safer riders with the training courses they offer. The Adirondack Council maintains that this constitutes an illegal privilege.

“The constitution says you’re not supposed to do that,” said John Sheehan, spokesman for the environmental advocacy group. “A privilege is being granted to members of a club that others are not entitled to. We believe that is not only wrong, but illegal. Above and beyond the privilege, it’s a fundraising and membership drive being carried out by the state Department of Motor Vehicles.”

“I think the state recognized that, if you join a club, you’re more likely to get that safety message,” said Rory P. Whelan of Whelan Media Strategies, the company that handles publicity for the state Snowmobile Association. “You will be a safer rider, a more responsible rider. You’ll be more likely to have your kids go to the mandatory safety course, and you’ll be more willing to take the course yourself.”

Sheehan said the Council is consulting with its attorneys to see if it can challenge the law.

“We’re still not sure yet,” Sheehan said. “We have not had a chance to talk with a couple of other organizations who might be interested. We have had talks with a few who might want to join us in this. In the meantime, we are working on trying to explain the problem to state legislators who did not seem aware they had voted for this.”

Snowmobile registration was $45 for everyone before the state law changed in 2005. Joining a snowmobile club costs $25.

“The clubs do a tremendous job in signage, in getting the word out, in keeping the trails safe, and in advancing and protecting what is really an important part of the upstate economy,” Whelan said.

“Why isn’t it required that everyone who registers a boat has to be a member of the Adirondack Mountain Club?” Sheehan asked. “If you’re in AAA, why isn’t your car registration cheaper? These people all provide services that are public benefits.”

These private snowmobile clubs are affiliated with the state Snowmobile Association. Of the $25 registration fee, $5 goes to the state organization, and 25 cents of this goes to their political action committee (PAC). Club registration forms come with an unchecked box at the bottom authorizing these contributions, which the snowmobiler can check if they opt not to contribute. The committee has donated $28,000 to dozens of state legislators over the past four years. Locally, Friends of Betty Little received $300 from the committee in 2004 and $400 a year for the three years afterwards.

“As far as the Adirondack Council is concerned, this is simply about an unconstitutional privilege granted to a class of people who happen to be members of a snowmobile club, and the abuse of that privilege by the snowmobilers, who created a PAC that rewards the legislators who passed the bill,” Sheehan said.

“PACs are part of the First Amendment,” Whelan said. “It’s part of your right to assemble, your right of freedom of speech, to petition your government.”

Whelan also said that the Snowmobile Association’s policy in allowing its members to opt out of making political contributions by checking a box on their registration form is more liberal than many similar organizations. For example, he said, some labor unions require members to write a letter within 30 days of joining if they don’t want a portion of their dues used for political purposes.

“You couldn’t be more fair and simple and straightforward,” Whelan said.

“(The box is) at the bottom, in tiny letters,” Sheehan said. “Up until January of this year, the form did not even explain what the state Snowmobile Association PAC was. It only said PAC, not ‘Political Action Committee.’”

Contact Nathan Brown at 891-2600 ext. 26 or nbrown@adirondackdailyenterprise.com'

Yeah, I saw that-Sheehan is really looking out for people isn't he? Could it be he has an ulterior motive? This is the 2nd story he has seeded to the media. At least this time they took the time to talk to Rory, Our PR guy before publishing it. Sheehan has been trying to link registration money to pay-offs to politicians-to try to get some type of scandal going. I'm sure there are no PACs available to help the associations that purport to represent the Adirondack Park.......right.

What a whiney bitch, maybe vermont or whoever would have an interest in this as well. You would think he would have something better to do.

Maybe we should organize a letter writing campaign for sheehan and brown

We'll deal with Sheehan when the time comes, but we need to keep our eye on the ball right now-getting our money back from the state.

I was waiting for a year ..to see what poliitical hack would notice that "little' perk.

This one aint going away.

LOL oin the bright side when I searched "snowmobile" on there site, the adds all came up about wilderness tours on sleds!! haha
seriosuly thought all I can say is.......what a bunch of deuche bags

which website did you go to? about the snowmobile tour? just want to see this enviro crap there spewing, thanks, ron