Unwarranted Cost Increase at Florida Springs

[JahJahwarrior]

Thanks Rob for doing a better job of posting what was said that I did. I was really impressed that he cared enough to call. I suspect he's not elected, but if he were, I'd be much more likely to vote for him after the chance to talk to him and share some of my thoughts and concerns.

[amphipod06]

The best part is, after researching the Florida Park's Service's website, I found out I qualify for the 25% military veteran discount!

Does it apply to the annual pass?

Dive safe,

Celia

[fghray1]

There's always one in every crowd, Figures he's from out of state. (I think it time to shut up) Lets see I dive the parks every week. so for me could get costly if I kept going.

fifteen bucks a day to cave dive, in addition to the annual pass fee, seems reasonable to me. cave divers have long "gotten by" with the annual pass and we all have commented on what an incredible bargain it is. it's about time the state caught on, realized that the very rules of the pass allowed for additional useage fee, and did the logical thing. time to buck up and man up. the free ride is over and your kicking and screaming about it is just another example of how we've all come to think "the state" owes us something. the "we-pay-taxes-and-should-get-whatever-we-want-free" crowd is especially a bunch of whining socialists. get over it. time to pay what we should have been paying all along.




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[amphipod06]

On another note, I got a call from the District 1 Park manager today in response to my e-mail. The 5 district managers had a conference call meeting this morning and have put this on hold. All parks are going back to their normal operation pre-memo. They will be having meetings concerning this issue. Apparently, this started in the Orlando district with a manager asking for a clarification and snowballed from there. The intent was not to start charging daily fees to annual pass holders for diving. In fact, some of the managers weren't even aware that there were any changes. The District 1 manager (the only park where diving is allowed that he oversees is Wakulla) told me his park is doing things as before. If you hold an annual pass, you don't have to pay the daily fee to dive Emerald. The other parks should be doing the same. He will be contacting me with further updates as they arise.

Excellent!!

Wonder if we'd get our $60 plus dollars back post facto (there were 4 of us Saturday and we did not even dive the blessed site due to nasty conditions....)

Dive safe,

Celia

[BobK]

the "we-pay-taxes-and-should-get-whatever-we-want-free" crowd is especially a bunch of whining socialists. get over it. time to pay what we should have been paying all along.

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I can't even believe there is still a human being out there who feels we should "pay what we should have been paying all along", given the current insanity going on in the country. This $15 isn't a fee, it's yet another tax. Just like when they doubled my vehicle registrations. As a Florida resident, I pay plenty of money in taxes to the state; In addition, I pay insane amounts to the feds. And no, I don't get any of those chicken feed checks they occasionally send out to the masses to quiet them down.
Every single time a fee goes up, or is created, or "discovered", we as citizens are paying more money to the government. They don't exactly send me back an itemized statement explaining what favored group or groups I'm supporting, or what new wasteful government (sorry, that's redundent) agency or czar is getting funded.
That $15 is simply going to a bloated bureaucracy that grows faster then the banana trees in my backyard, and probably attracts the same rats they do.

If I was paying my fair share for all the services, infrustructure, and defense of the country that I use, my taxes would be cut to a quarter of what they are. So I don't need to hear crap about "whining socialists" from someone who seems to follow their "pay more you owe us" mantra.

I have had annual passes for years. Seems they are "reconsidering" their options about ripping off divers. This might be a good climate to do that. Otherwise they'll discover the novel concepts of supply, demand and correct pricing.

[RN]

Does it apply to the annual pass?

Dive safe,

Celia

Yes, it does. It's not effective until July 1, though. I should have waited a month to renew!!

[amphipod06]

Still good news, I shall be a military veteran for the rest of my days so from my next renewal on I get a bit off the cost!!

BTW, thank you for your service Rob!!

Dive safe,

Celia

[Diverlee]

I would quit diving them. There are a lot more caves than those that don't cost a thing.



On another note, I got a call from the District 1 Park manager today in response to my e-mail. The 5 district managers had a conference call meeting this morning and have put this on hold. All parks are going back to their normal operation pre-memo. They will be having meetings concerning this issue. Apparently, this started in the Orlando district with a manager asking for a clarification and snowballed from there. The intent was not to start charging daily fees to annual pass holders for diving. In fact, some of the managers weren't even aware that there were any changes. The District 1 manager (the only park where diving is allowed that he oversees is Wakulla) told me his park is doing things as before. If you hold an annual pass, you don't have to pay the daily fee to dive Emerald. The other parks should be doing the same. He will be contacting me with further updates as they arise.

Thanks Rob. Excellent!

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sludge, yes paying for both the annual pass and daily cave diving fee is redundant and useless if you only cave dive at state parks. i don't. i go to many florida state parks, for many reasons, spend nearly 1/4 of the year in florida. so the annual and daily use fee make sense.

we've all heard the bloated government, taxed enough already, and the it's my money bull crap since Moses. There's always those who think they pay too much for too little and make a big deal of it. I understand if you dive every day and the idea of paying nearly 500 bucks per month to dive is unreasonable, but if i were to dive commercial sites here in TN (or any other state, including florida), I'd be charged at least $20.00 a day to dive. Why is it that florida cave divers think the state of florida is obligated to keep cave diving essentially free? We've been getting a free ride for decades. Time to pay the piper.

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[ssmdive]

but if i were to dive commercial sites here in TN (or any other state, including florida), I'd be charged at least $20.00 a day to dive.

How would you feel if you bought a year long pass for 50 bucks and then you were told that it didn't include diving anymore and it would be an additional 20 a day?
I think the State has the right to raise rates as well. They should not be allowed to raise the rates in the middle.

Simple fact is that sites like Peacock pretty much ONLY exist for diving. Who else is going to go there?

We've been getting a free ride for decades. Time to pay the piper.

I hear the same argument from democrats about raising the tax rate to 90+% again like they were in the mid 40's and 51-63. That still does not mean it is a good idea and we should just suck it up and mindlessly follow the herd. You may not mind (and since you don't live in FL your exposure the the issue is much less than residents) but your attitude of "suck it up" is contrary to a free system of government.

I know my visits to Peacock and Manatee will drop greatly if I have to pay a daily use fee.... Plenty of other places to dive that charge less/nothing.

I also know I will not be buying another annual pass if it does not include diving.