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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>At a recent administrative hearing, Assistant
Program Manager James Hull stated in sworn testimony that there is no compliance
issue for those operators who are assessed a 50% penalty for late payment of
set-aside fees, but who do not pay the penalty as required by rule. Rule
27 states that the penalty payment is due with the next vending facility monthly
report following notification of the penalty.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If there's no compelling reason for payment of
the late fee on time and no consequence where compliance goes, then why
even have this so-called penalty in our rules? Licenses can be (but almost
never are) revoked for failure to pay almost everybody else while operating a
facility; including the set-aside fee itself. Somehow I doubt that the
Treasury Department takes such a relaxed view when it comes to monies owed to
the state for any lawful reason.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you have ever been slapped with the 50% penalty
or you've been hit recently with and agree that you owe the 50% late fee and
have not paid it promptly for any reason, I'd like to hear from you regarding
statements made by BEP staff and your situation. I may be reached
at:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="mailto:suncat0@gmail.com">suncat0@gmail.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>or look me up in the Lansing
phonebook.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Sontag</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>