Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On Sat, 29 Sep 2007 08:40:59 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

.
I couldn't get a straight answer from Cantwell's office or from Norm
Dicks' office regarding their positions on exempting small pleasure
craft from the requirement that each and every sort of discharge would
be subject to permit. Comments like, "This is a complex issue with
environmental as well as recreational aspects......", seem to indicate
a lot of political pre$$ure from the Sierra Club, etc.

The last part of that is the critical part.

I spoke directly to my Representative's right hand dudette and she
basically told me that the shipping companies don't care one way or
the other - they will comply with whatever comes up. With respect to
recreational boaters, they are not viewed as an election threat "like
the Sierra Club".

Don't know what that implies, but it don't sound good to me.

It means that the recreational boating industry and constituency doesn't
have a PAC with enough cash to get the attention of Congresspeople.

On Sat, 29 Sep 2007 17:36:53 -0400, BAR wrote:

It means that the recreational boating industry and constituency doesn't
have a PAC with enough cash to get the attention of Congresspeople.

Boat US was supposed to fill that role but they have gotten too
wrapped up in their own business interests for my taste. I for one
would be happy to give them more money if they'd get more politically
active.