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Member
Posts: 794
Location: Elgin, Illinois | I've posted this on a few other boards, but I thought some here might be interested...
Many of you have been to Pool 14 of the Mississippi River and fished Pool 14. And, the bass guys hit it hard.
Well, the town instituted a tournament fee of $350... The only local fee in Illinois that has been found. But, the fee isn't the end of the story. No, there was an article in the Illinois Outdoor News that quoted the Mayor, her husband and a council member... In effect, they made it clear that the tournament folks and the out of town fishermen weren't all that welcome... The Mayor's husband stated that it was of no economic benefit to the city of Albany... Then there was the inevitable side wisecrack about folks who own $30,000 boats being able to afford the fee. In all, a not so nice article. You can find it on the www.outdoornews.com website... find the Illinois edition button on the bottom right, then the "archives" button on the top right and go to page 11 (phew, I'm tired just typing that info)
Seems like no matter what or where the "us" versus "them" attitude can be found in the most unlikely of places. I have always tried to be a good guest. I am also a smart guest, when I pump a $100 worth of gas into my truck/boat I find a way to let the guy at the register know I am an out of town fisherman. But, I won't be doing that in Albany, IL for the forseeable future. At least not till some Mayor apologizes and I am sure that will happen the day after pigs learn to fly.
Nobody has complained loudly if a local community has a small ($2-$5) launch fee for maintenance. So, it isn't a money thing with us. Just don't take our money and then tell us to stay out of town.
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Posts: 3899
| I bet the local marie dealer is real happy about this mayor. I know when I was down for the Legue Championship. I launched in Albany, and filled up at days end. $75 for diesel, and another $60 in the boat. Plus some soda, snacks, etc. Next time I am there, I will pull in the same station, let the person behind the counter know how much fuel I will not be buying there that day, and why. I would suggest anybody else traveling through there do the same. |
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Posts: 1188
Location: Chicago IL. | I fish out of Albany alot. There is 3 places to eat and 1 gas station, one marina. Everybody in town is nice and welcome fisherman. The town has a great launch that is free. Why dont they ask for non residents to pay $2 for the launch. That was brought up at that meeting and it was voted down. so I guess it is easier to try to get tourneys to pay. Most tourneys that go out of there are small with limited budgets already, and the one that started all of this said they were comming. Sorry the biz owners are going to be the ones that suffer the most. |
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Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | OK Just cannot seem to work the web very well. Can some one post the link to this article please, cannot seem to locate it with help. |
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Member
Posts: 3899
| Exactly, John. But they will also have the most to say back to the Mayor and the town board/council, when we stop buying there.
Just like the little towns in WI with their speed traps. Oxford is one. Constable pinched me for 29 in a 25 zone. I didn't argue with him, but I did inform him that I would never buy anything from that town again. I spent way, way more than the $70 fine elsewhere in the 11 years since. And I did stop at the gas station and the hardware store to let them know why I would not be back. |
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Member
Posts: 794
Location: Elgin, Illinois | Stacker, and anybody else that wants to see the article... Follow this link:
http://www.iloutdoornews.com/archives/ (Very, very slow to looad, but it will)
On the right hand side select the box to view the "Premiere Edition"... scroll through the Adobe Document to Page 11.
Edited by hgmeyer 12/6/2007 4:06 PM
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Member
Posts: 269
| I found it, better vote her out now!this is just the start. |
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Member
Posts: 794
Location: Elgin, Illinois | Anybody here interested in showing the businesses that we are bhind tem? We could "donate" to a fundraiser for "pro-fishing" candidates. |
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Location: Rhinelander | A classic case of a politician with no understanding of how the loacl economy actually works. If I EVER need gasoline when in that area, I'll go ahead and buy it there, but with the comment that I'm one of those out of towners with a $30,000.00 boat who makes no difference...and then suggest they might need to look at an economic development person in local Gov't there, and maybe a new Mayor. |
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