OT-Our Tax Dollars at Work-$300,000 Boston Whaler for NOAA-gctid353872

[mmichellich]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...aaboat18m.html

This article is about NOAA purchasing a 35 foot Boston Whaler for over $300,000 to watch whale watchers and halibut fishermen. According to the article it was mostly if not completely used for entertainment. I do not know how much you can believe the article tho as it calls the outboard powered 35 foot boat a 14 passenger vessel. Why couldn't they have just picked up a confiscated drug smuggling boat for free?

[Guest]

Thanks for that post and direction to the article. This is why law enforcement should never get to get funding from fines etc. Humans are weak, and we just can not be trusted with that sort of direct relationship between fines and slush funds. These folks managed to go from a perhaps well intentioned organization, to banana republic theives. The only thing that allows that to happen is this direct relationship of self funding. The even worse part is that there is a direct relationship between fines and the depth of the slush fund. Talk about a reason to over law enforce, lie, or give out fines to those that don't deserve them!!! Hell, they aren't doing law enforcement they are buying their new toy! Worse again is that they are very rarely dealt with harshly. No one here is going to be docked a days pay,.... let alone lose a job or face jail time for theft. On the lighter side I suppose there is going to be a great deal comming up on a 35 foot Whaler...........

[JimMc]

The government is just trying to fund the economy. At least they actually know what they spent the money on.

[p91473]

I see it differently. That is an American made boat and it brings revenue to an American company which keeps and maintains jobs. I hope the government buys a crap load of those boats and Boston Whaler has to hire 40 more fulltime employees to fill the orders

[iceclimber]

Whoever authorized the purchase should be canned, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. The Iraq war cost slightly more than this boat. Also, not sure this thread belongs in motoryachts; unless of course someone wants to trade that boat for MY motoryacht.

Sounds to me like Scott Brown has it in for someone

[bhawes]

You'd have to wonder about the credibility of this article when they state that a $10,000 motor was blown out. I have to think that that Whaler has at least 250hp Mercs pushing it, and if you can replace one of those for $10,000, it's time for me to move South!

[Guest]

I really liked their excuse for using it as a party boat - so people wont get suspicious that is a whale watching watcher.

Whattafermentingloadofbuffalocrap.

They must also believe that unmarked patrol cars should be used for bar-hopping.

[boatworkfl]

Using fines to support law enforcement is great, I saw a 60 ft tour boat out of Seward AK run the boat trying to get a good view of some whales ,there was about 20' between the whales and shore, I was less than 100' from shore fishing, the tour boat ran between me and the whales, the tourist got a good view, the tour boat was way in bounds of what was permited by law, I support the use of fines to support the law.

Where do you think all the ill gotton conficated money goes, it goes to the local law enforcement agency and the feds, it is split, it is not tax payers money, less taxes for me and for you.

Do you remember President Regan, he was on TV and when asked where the money for drug enforcement would come from, He pointed to the pile of conficated drug money on the table, and never said another word about it on TV.

The Alaska state troopers stated to me when I asked: "Where do you get the money for the airplanes?; The answer was: "We get them for free, thery are conficated"

They do buy some out of state money though.

[Guest]

boatworkfl wrote:
Using fines to support law enforcement is great, I saw a 60 ft tour boat out of Seward AK run the boat trying to get a good view of some whales ,there was about 20' between the whales and shore, I was less than 100' from shore fishing, the tour boat ran between me and the whales, the tourist got a good view, the tour boat was way in bounds of what was permited by law, I support the use of fines to support the law.

Where do you think all the ill gotton conficated money goes, it goes to the local law enforcement agency and the feds, it is split, it is not tax payers money, less taxes for me and for you.

Do you remember President Regan, he was on TV and when asked where the money for drug enforcement would come from, He pointed to the pile of conficated drug money on the table, and never said another word about it on TV.

The Alaska state troopers stated to me when I asked: "Where do you get the money for the airplanes?; The answer was: "We get them for free, thery are conficated"

They do buy some out of state money though.

Wilbur & Orville came up with a great way to monitor whale watching boats, heck you can even rent them nowadays. Buying a brand new boston whaler ( which stands out like a sore thumb around here ) was stupid from the get-go. There are lots of boat charter/rentals around here if they really feel the need to get up close and personal.