Hatteras ferry long lines...

I had heard that there were really long lines and delays at the Hatteras ferry, but I didn't know much about it (or even whether it was true, or if the long lines were just the usual long lines of summer). Then, I saw a flyer, directed at vacationers, addressing the issue. So I guess it is true. Here's the info. from the flyer...so you can follow up to try to help if you would like to do so.

(I copied this exactly as it appears on the flyer...so all incorrect capitalization, missing punctuation and less-than-perfect grammar is intact. At least it didn't have any unnecessary quotation marks)

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Many of you have mentioned the long ferry lines at the Hatteras/Ocracoke ferry and the diminished Ocracoke Ferry Schedule to Cedar Island and Swan Quarter. The Hyde County Commissioners share your concerns as do Senator Basnight and Representative Spear. The cuts in the Ferry Service were made in response to the higher fuel prices last summer, the coast Guard regulations that began being enforced in the winter/spring, and the overall State revenue shortfall experienced since last fall.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED if the ferry service is to be returned to its former level of service. The NCDOT recommended adequate funding for the ferry service in its budget proposal - the Governor has included the funding in her budget proposal, and the Senate has included the ferry request in the budget that passed that Chamber. The House is now writing its budget, but is facing a large shortfall. Please email your House members and ask them to support the NCDOT request from the Ferry System. Their addresses can be found on www.ncleg.net. Not only are the ferries essential to keeping Ocracoke alive, but 2/3rds of every sales tax dollar created on Ocracoke by a ferry rider goes into the STATE BUDGET, so reducing the traffic to Ocracoke hurts all of North Carolina!

Please help spread the word - the Ferry System supports the entire state not just Ocracoke!! Contact your state representatives!