New Anti-Detecting Legislation in PA

Viddy

Sr. Member
Aug 16, 2011
447
220
Harrisburg, PA
Detector(s) used
Xterra 705, F2, Etrac, T2, V3i, AT Pro, CTX3030, Equinox 800, Vanquish 540, Go-Find 66, F5, Q60, Apex
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
The State of Pennsylvania will be voting on a piece of legislation regarding 'hobby metal detecting' on Monday, April 15th, in Harrisburg, at the State Capital, and it many Legislators from other states will be taking notice. Rumor has it that other States have already pre-drawn up similar drafts, but are waiting to see how the Pennsylvania vote goes. The Legislation act nicknamed the 'MDetect-925 Act' pretty much states as follows...

---Pennsylvania detectorist will have fees and regulations to metal detect as of 2014, if THIS IS VOTED IN! And I am sure MANY STATES WILL FOLLOW!--- THIS IS URGENT! PLEASE READ!

1st... there is a State fee called a 'FREQUENCY TRANSMISSION COMPENSATION FEE'. You have to pay it to the State if your detector has a coil on it. A coil that sends signals into the ground. My local Senator said that the 'money goes to fund the recovery of earth worms, meal worms, grubs, or any other local underground dwelling creature that are found to be harmed/proved by sending detecting waves into the ground from a metal detector's frequency'.

2nd... there is a State fee called the 'DETECTING TRANSPORTATION FEE'. It is a fee you pay because as you walk around swinging your detector, the State Government says you are transporting your detector, hence the fee for transportation. To avoid the fee, you must not be carrying your detector on person.

3rd... There is a Local tax called the 'SITE EXCAVATION TAX'. It is a prepaid tax you pay to the local municipaility you will be hunting in. The prepaid tax goes to the Local Government to hold in a State drawn account. It is for the chance you injure yourself while digging your plug/cut. If injured, the prepaid tax goes to the local hospital you will probably be frequenting. If you are not injured, the prepaid tax is kept by the Local Government to fund the future 'Safe Digging' class that detectorists will be required to take, and the 'Safe Digging' class will also have it's own fee, in addition.

4th... There is a State fee that pays into a fund called the 'CLAD DISTRIBUTION FUND'. This fee goes into a fund to offset the clad coins that detectorists remove from the ground and put back into circulation into the US market. The State realizes that there is a remote chance clad coins can upend the market and cause a direct impact on inflation-or-deflation of the monetary system, so the fee covers any adjustments to the local market that may need re-adjusting, since metal detectorists can cause such unplanned swings in the money market unconditionally.

5th... There is a Local fee called the 'FINDS ROYALTY FEE'. This fee paid to the Local Municipality that you will be detecting in, to account for the treasure you will be removing from their grounds. The Local Municipalities have deemed the tax automatic on all detectorists, since most detectorists/citizens are predetermined to be dishonest and will not report all finds, so a royalty tax has been imposed and will be justly paid.
So what do you think?

Think it will pass?

Can you see this actually happen?

Would you ever think that such insanity would ever be suggested?

At any point reading this, do you ever think that this could be seriously done?

Have you ever heard similar insanity suggested?

Would any Government even care about a hobby like ours?

Would a Government try and bilk us because they knew we would just pay it easily and not even object or question the common sense to any of it other than a desperate 'moneygrab'?


.............This is just a joke! I just wrote this as an.... April Fool's joke, and to also mock the bogus and stupid legislation brought by desperate and dumb politicians at all levels of any Government. I always wondered if they knew they were laughed at(?)
 

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.... At any point reading this, do you ever think that this could be seriously done? .....

No, would not be done, with that amount of silly-ness. But sure, rules about md'ing can, at any time, come forth. But to be honest with you viddy, it's threads that talk about them (or posts like yours, that joke about them), that cause skittish persons to start to worry and wonder "the sky is falling" and "oh no, I wonder if there's laws/rules where I'm at, that I should inquire about and ask permission so as to not fall-afoul-of-laws". Yes I realize your particular post here is a joke. But on the other hand, a joke that's as if to say "be prepared" or something. And as such, often-time causes the very results that they predict: People worry and wonder (after reading "scary posts"), and go scurrying off to their local city, county, state, etc.... asking "can I?" And presto, rules like you joke about, are conjured up to answer the "pressing question". Just becomes a big vicious circle, to the point that .... I wish there were some forum mechansim to dis-allow any such "scary posts".

It seems logical to rally for "solidarity". And seems logical to post about bootings, laws, etc.... Afterall, they're hobby-related. And afterall, you "can't be too safe". And afterall, you "want to warn others" and so forth, right? But the odd effect is, it just seems to create the snow-ball effect, that results in more of the same :(
 

Then again you did say this was for PA. Remember the cities have more delegates than the counties and it could pass. I think your Gov would veto it as he may wish to get re-elected and fees and taxes are a hot seller in politics.
 

The sad thing is that while reading this post I did NOT doubt that our government would pass a law like this. It is a shame that when reading something like this that I did not immediately know it was a joke. Shows how far we have gotten away from sanity in government
 

It may sound like I'm giving in to the man but if I could pay a flat fee to detect fed,state,county and town land without discrimination

I would do it.
 

I agree with Joe. Personally, I'd prefer to pay a little money and know that I'm covered with the rights needed to detect most state and county lands. I'd definitely welcome some sort of affordable license. It would also go a long way toward eliminating those people who aren't really serious about learning the rules. It would also mean that an agency would be declared to be in charge of hearing our grievances and more importantly, getting to know our hobby better. You can't make a good impression to the right people if you don't even know who those people are.
 

I agree with Joe. Personally, I'd prefer to pay a little money and know that I'm covered with the rights needed to detect most state and county lands. I'd definitely welcome some sort of affordable license. It would also go a long way toward eliminating those people who aren't really serious about learning the rules. It would also mean that an agency would be declared to be in charge of hearing our grievances and more importantly, getting to know our hobby better. You can't make a good impression to the right people if you don't even know who those people are.

One license fee like the one you get to drive, not five or six different fees. Maybe mke it like most states fishing license, if you are out of state and wish to hunt you can either buy the full out of state one for the year, or you can buy a 3 day one. But they would have to open up some of their land as well, it cannot be I buy it to hunt private land that would be uncool.
 

May only be an April fools joke but if it got in the wrongs hands such as a politician or anti detectorist it may give them some ideas. You have to remember the government wants to take your money so fees and taxes would be possible . Just a little food for thought
Paul
 

NOT FUNNY!!!!! Those meatheads up on the hill dont need anymore ideas to raise cash to support their bloated and over developed egos. They are so out of touch the points you brought up could way too easily become a reality. Be careful of what you speak or write or think in todays world, it may find you in tomorrows reality.
 

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