TurtleUS@gmail.com

Maine legislators are voting this week. Now is the time for all good men & women to offer our concerns..... This is our letter. There are good lists of email addresses: http://www.maine.gov/legis/house/e_mail.htm http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/senators/index.htm http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/senators/email/maillst.htm Barry & Cindy STOP Bill LD114/HP98 ''RV Unfriendly'' Law – hurts everyone We are very upset about bill LD114/HP98 currently being pushed through the Maine State Legislature. It will make it a civil offense to park an RV overnight on any public parking lot in Maine. Our understanding this bill may already be out of committee with a ''Pass as Amended'' recommendation. Someone needs to stop passage of this ill-considered, discriminatory law and consider what it really means to the state of Maine merchants and tourism. Does Maine really want to alienate 30 million RVers? Does Maine really want to be labeled ''RV Unfriendly''? LD114/HP98 will have an unexpected, and far-reaching negative economic impact. It will be a public relations embarrassment created by a small special-interest group – the campground industry – who mistakenly believe this will fill their campgrounds. Mandating that every single night, every single RVer in Maine must be parked in a campground is absurd! Maine should welcome RVers with open arms in every way possible. You are competing for our disposable income with every other state in North America. LD114/HP98 sends the message that we are a nuisance, second-class citizens to be directed where we don’t want to go, and basically not welcome. Some of the major shortcomings in this special-interest law include: (1) No forethought as to what impact there will be on the Maine tourist economy when RVers elect to avoid visiting, passing through or spending money in Maine, as they did in Billings MT, Laughlin NV and Reno NV when those cities attempted to enact or enforce similar bans on a local basis pushed by campground owners. Wal-Mart stores nationally have allowed RVers to park overnight in their lots. Why? Wal-Mart management knows that good RV relations brings in business. (2) Discriminates against RVers. It would be illegal for RVers to park overnight at places like Wal Marts, truckstops and casinos. Yet trucks are excluded and can park anywhere. So truckers can park overnight at Wal Mart but RVers cannot? No casino overnight parking?? Really?? I like parking at casinos and always seek them out. Casinos have always appreciated me (and my money). A loss for all of us… (3) Creates really BAD feelings trying to force RVers to travel additional miles off our route, where we don’t want to go, just to find a campground where we might not fit, to pay for amenities we do not use, want or need. Parking overnight in a public or private lot where we are out of the way is what RVers expect to be able to do and it’s a big help. Our vehicles are designed for this. It doesn’t bother anyone except Campground Owners who mistakenly see us as lost revenue. (4) No provision for where RVers would stay from late Fall through early Spring, when nearly all Maine campgrounds are closed. (5) No provision requiring campgrounds to be open to check-in arriving RVers at any time of day or night. (6) No provision requiring campgrounds to offer facilities to accommodate any size and kind of RV, including the largest rigs, or for campgrounds to provide and maintain access roads with sufficient weight-bearing capacity and adequate clearances. Often RVs don’t fit under the trees or on small sites so common in rural or smaller family-owned campgrounds. (7) No provision for handling RVs with no place to go because area campgrounds are full and there are no other campgrounds within 50 miles. My guess is there aren’t even enough RV campgrounds in Maine to park every RV every night. This is a silly law especially since Maine is so rural! (8) Bill language mentions waste disposal, the usual “red herring†that campground owners throw out when pressing for this kind of law. The law would punish all for the transgressions of a very few who dump tanks where they shouldn’t, an action that is already illegal. The modern RV is self-contained and 99.9% leave nothing behind except money spent. (9) Creates an unsafe situation and probably exposes Maine to law suits from accidents. The majority of RVers are retirees. Do you really want me on the road with my 55-foot combination of 30,000-lb+ motorhome and tow car, possibly creating a dangerous situation because I’m tired because I can’t find a suitable campground because you won’t let me pull over for the night? My advice to State, County and City Lawmakers: You are elected or appointed to provide a service to your constituents. Are your constituents better off by turning business away? I think not! I want my state/city to open doors to those traveling through in the hope I can foster a relationship that encourages visitors to come back. An ''RV Friendly'' reputation spreads like fire in today’s internet savvy RV community. Like-wise a restrictive/unfriendly attitude – and especially “nuisance ordinances†– spreads at an even faster rate! You provide encouragement for RVs to stop and shop by the attitude portrayed from the absence of negative overnight parking restrictions or by the presence of big-rig access signage. Don’t give reasons for RVs to continue on down the road! Your businesses and tourism industry will benefit from inviting us to stop by. My advice to RV Park Owners who push bans on RV parking any place other than their parks: If RVers are coming to your city or town as a destination they will likely stay in your commercial RV Parks. By mandating enforcement of RV parking you are hurting your own business and city/state reputation. Many RVers will simply avoid “RV Unfriendly Maineâ€. Accept that RVers who just want a quick stop for the night don’t want a campground. Maybe you could attract some more business by joining one of the half price RV clubs and limiting the stay to two nights, thereby introducing your park to those that might return for longer stays. At least you would not be anti-traveler. My advice to Stores, malls, restaurants, entertainment with large parking lots: Tell your security people to welcome us with a smile. Advise us where the best place to park is. We are pleased to register if you want. We enhance your security just by being there. And that’s not to mention what we will spend for eating, shopping and entertainment. My advice to Casinos You are in a very unique position to increase your share of RVer customers and increase your bottom line. Just look at Native American casinos – many welcome RVers to stay as long as they want. Require registration if you want. Identify an area and mark off the number of parking slots you feel are appropriate for your size of facility. When feasible, provide a sewer dump and fresh water supply. A small charge would not be out of line. My advice to Maine businesses, services, recreation & tourism industry, and citizens: LD114/HP98 must be stopped. If LD114/HP98 should somehow pass, I will mark across the Maine map in my map atlas with large letters ''RV Unfriendly.'' Then I will make every effort to never or severely limit our future travel there. I will put the word out to my fellow RVers and RV groups that they should do the same. You are out-of-step with 30 million RV travelers to think this bill has any value to anyone except RV Park Owners. Put a stop to this special interest stupidity. Unfortunately for us, RVers are a dispersed group and are unable to lobby the way the Campground Owners have. But we are indeed a powerful group who can vote with our wheels and go elsewhere. Word travels fast among us and Maine will quickly become branded as an “RV Unfriendly†state to be avoided. We will continue updating each other about our experiences identifying friendly and unfriendly cities, towns and states. Especially where we are labeled “a nuisanceâ€. We will make a difference. As for me, my motorhome, and my disposable income – we only go where we are welcomed. We WILL miss visiting Maine, but there are so many other states beckoning us... PLEASE PLEASE STOP LD114/HP98