Please fill this out

http://www.boatblue.org/takeaction.aspx

Lets protect our rights as boaters.

I hope this does not get passed, but we all know government is controlled by $ and special interests, this is one way we can try to help ourselves out if at all possible.

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done!! thanks Glen!

I'm on it!

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Actual bill text here: http://thomas.loc.gov/
Just search for bill number s. 2766

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I am going to send this to everyone I know!

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`(r) Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operation of Recreational Vessels- No permit shall be required under this Act by the Administrator (or a State, in the case of a permit program approved under subsection (b)) for the discharge of any graywater, bilge water, cooling water, weather deck runoff, oil water separator effluent, or effluent from properly functioning marine engines, or any other discharge that is incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, if the discharge is from a recreational vessel.'.



I am not an expert on political verbage. Are they trying to pass a law that makes it illegal to use "lake water" for the cooling system? Would boats have to go to a closed circut for cooling? or are they trying to make it illegal to use ballast? im confused.

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Will do. this bill needs to be amended/fixed.

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anyone care to explain what this is about? I cant read that legal stuff and make any sence out of it.

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it's for tighter smog restrictions to be applied to boats!

Did it too.

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previously rec boaters were exempted from regulations that only pertained to commercial ships. However due to a September 2006 landmark court ruling, the EPA will have to devise a permitting scheme by September 30, 2008, for engine cooling water, bilge water, gray water, and deck runoff from rec(wake)boats and commercial boats that rec boats were previously exempted under the Clean Water Act. Congress now needs amend/fix this court decision before Sept 2008. That is why we need to contact our Senators to show our support in changing this court ruling.

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good one andy

everyone send to all your friends as well, even if they dont ride or have a boat.

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done, my BU dealer sent this link to me today too

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someone please explain...maybe im looking too closely into the verbage...

so this law, if passed, would mean all of our boats would have to be permited as "non-polluters"? Please, someone specify...

I dont like signing onto something unless I know what its all about.

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Read it, signed it.

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This is a huge deal and most boaters don't realize the situation. You wouldn't be able to rinse off the outside of your boat, let alone run a bilge pump. (which is usually a good idea to keep it from sinking)

I just don't understand how out of touch these idiots really are...

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done too, also sent it to all my homies!!!

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Here is the reply to the email I sent to Senator Sherrod Brown.

Dear Mr. Nichols:

Thank you for writing me regarding the recent exemption made to an EPA regulation on the Clean Water Act regarding recreational boating

The Clean Water Act was originally enacted in 1948, but was significantly revised in 1972. Part of the bill, which set out to improve water quality, required permits for ships known for heavy polluting, such as cruise ships, container ships, and supertankers. While the legislation affected all aquatic vessels, the EPA exempted small recreational boats. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals recently determined that the EPA was acting beyond its scope with the exemption, and required the creation of a new permit system by September 2008.

We should be proud of the abundance of outdoor and recreational activities Ohio has to offer. Our state is home to the country’s eighth largest group of registered watercraft users, and the boating industry contributes $5.4 million in watercraft registration fees, $15.6 million in marine fuel taxes annually, and has an estimated overall impact of $2 billion dollars a year on Ohio's economy. Implementation of a new permit system has the potential to deter prospective recreational boat buyers and could also be harmful to the industry not only in Ohio, but across the United States as well.

I will continue to monitor this issue in the months ahead and will keep your thoughts in mind as legislation regarding this issue moves before the Senate.


Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown

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I'm confused as well, but this is what I took from it.

When comercial ships use thier ballast tanks they sometimes suck up little water dwelling species, case, point, zebra muscle, its an invasive species. Im not sure if thats what this bill or act or whatever is about, but when they said ballast regulations I just assumed. I did send one though.

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Im not sure about this piece of legislation. First and foremost.....it has Barbera Boxer's name on it. She is a big buddy of Al Gore who is going to push a carbon tax on emmissions for all motor vehicles. But the real crappy deal.....ANYTHING THAT IS RECREATIONAL WILL GET THE CARBON TAX TWICE...BOATS, MOTOCROSS, ATV ETC ETC. Your asking..how are they going to do that. It will be passed down from our buddy Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to our local governments that will push a much higher registration fees to ride anywhere that is shared by the public. So that covers the private lakes too. I thought differently at first...but once I deep dived it found out that to be true. I wrote my congressman Mike Rogers and he said that this carbon emmissions tax is for real and most likely will be part of our future unfortunately. So just a heads up... Reread your article..like I said I am real hesitant with Barbera Boxer's name on it. she is Nancy Pelosi's buddy from Cali...and both of them are EPA's best allies.

I got the same reply from Sntr Brown.

So you're unsure of this legislation because the person sponsoring the bill supports an unrelated piece of legislation that you disagree with? There's nothing about carbon tax in this bill. The text is right there. There's nothing to be unsure of. It looks to be on the up and up. If we're missing something, feel free to point it out. There's a big difference between agreeing with someone politically and agreeing with a specific piece of legislation.

As far as being a "big buddy" of Al Gore, who cares? Al Gore has no elected office and has yet to use his position as professional environmental guest speaker to do anything other than fetch nice paychecks. As much press as he gets, he's irrelevant now.

Seems to me that there is a whole lot to be unsure of. What is defined by the bill, other than direction for the Administrator to come up with a "management practice"?

It seems that everyone is dogpiling on to support a bill that is going to give discretionary control of the issue to a single (appointed?) position. The person in that position will determine what the "management practice" could be. This is NOT an exemption like we had before, it is only a call for regulation of rec boats as a seperate class. From there, who knows what will happen.

Ultimately, we don't know what that "management practice" could mean. It takes a very small amount of text to include language that prohibits what we do with ballast, even for recreational boats.

Hopefully I'm missing something.

There is a single Administrator but the states (or whoever governs the body of water) can petition the Administrator to run their own program provided they follow the proper guidelines. This "Administrator" already exists (which I read to currently be the EPA based on Title 33 Chapter 26 which this bill is altering) and therefore won't be created with the passage of this bill. The Administrator does have a lot of power but will lose it quickly if it decides to clash with the states when the states' plans are meeting the guidelines set forth. This just relaxes those minimum guidelines. The Administrator or state is free to impose additional requirements if they choose to. This also is not something new in the bill. They already have that power, too.

My understanding of the current situation, is that all of those powers exits...but that rec boats are EXEMPTED. This bill, while seperating us from the cargo ships, will still bring us into the fold...but as a seperate class.

This is certainly better than being bunched in with the big guys, but it is by no means clear about what the outcome will be, nor is it nearly as good as the current exemption.

I guess it gets back to the "slippery slope" thing. You have chosen to support the establishment of regulation...and are doing so with NO indications of what that regulation will be. I can understand that many will find giving in to this bill beats getting lumped with the cargo ships...but I would see it only as a last resort. Ideally, we would have representatives willing to structure a bill such that we have an exemption similar to what exists now.

But good OR bad as compared to the alternatives, the idea that this bill will somehow "protect our rights as boaters", is completely false. It does the exact opposite and subjects us to the discretionary powers of a single federal office.

"This is certainly better than being bunched in with the big guys, but it is by no means clear about what the outcome will be, nor is it nearly as good as the current exemption."

While you are correct, the time to bring that up would've been back when the already-passed Federal Water Pollution Control Act was on the floor in Congress. It's too late now. We're already lumped in (EDIT: effective September 2008). This bill protects nothing but gives the powers that be an out for recreational vehicles if they choose to use it.

(Message edited by hal2814 on March 26, 2008)

(Message edited by hal2814 on March 26, 2008)

LOLOLOLOLOL - I filled it out and got this reply:

Dear Mr. Cook:

Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 394, the Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act of 2007. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

The Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act of 2007, introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), directs the Secretary of Agriculture to publicize regulations to provide for the humane treatment, handling, and humane disposition of nonambulatory livestock. I believe animals should be treated humanely and not be subjected to cruel and unnecessary treatment. S. 394 was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Should this legislation be brought before the full Senate, you may be certain I will keep your views in mind.

I appreciate hearing from you and hope you will not hesitate to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.

Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator

284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5922 (tel)
202-224-0776 (fax)
http://hutchison.senate.gov

To signup for Senator Hutchison's weekly e-newsletter, please send your request to newsletter@hutchison.senate.gov.

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE AS SENATOR@HUTCHISON.SENATE.GOV IS NOT A VALID E-MAIL ADDRESS.
Due to the tremendous volume of mail Senator Hutchison receives each day, she requests that all email messages be sent through the contact form found on her website at http://hutchison.senate.gov/contact.html. Thank you.

World of hurt is coming for those who think this bill is harmless. More Government control. Everything the government has touched has become spoiled and tainted. Medicare, Medicade, Railroads, Pensions. Your name is agreeing to things that are part of a hidden agenda. Example: how many of you knew that the NAFTA that Clinton signed in opened the door for outsourcing your jobs...engineering, manufacturing etc. etc to overseas. Well it says..North America Free Trade Agreement...not national. WRONG! There is double speak everywhere and small hidden words (like on those credit card enrollments...too much text...too small to sift through..just sign it) I work in Automotive...I can not believe what is happening to our jobs. But that is a different subject. Mark my words "ANYTHING WITH BARBERA BOXER'S NAME ON IT.........IS BAD!" If this goes through and the small speak comes out....well....I told you so. Since when do you trust a politician to do whats right for you and me and our sport. Have not seen anything good yet. The motivation behind most of their legislation equals $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Don't be a fool!

Scott, wow, you alright today? I usually just glance through replies but you seemed pretty worked up.

Not to get too far off the current subject of the bill. While I can't entirely disagree about your comments about Boxer or government control or hidden agendas, the outsourcing of jobs is a by-product of the current times. (Ever read the World Is Flat?) Seeing that you work in automotive, I won't be able to convince you of this but the reality is that if you don't start cross-training your skill set, or learning something new, you might be unemployable in 5 or 10 years. (That includes all of us.)

Jobs will continue to be outsourced but I would still look at it this way. Our county still leads the world in innovation, and ideas, and of things to come (I would agree that this is now shifting). This will open up 1000's of new employment opportunities for those trained to fill them. It's a crappy deal but it's reality. I know I won't convince you of this as I know a couple of individuals that are life-long (unemployed) union workers in the same industry but I hope your day goes better.

Steve I know what your saying...let me start by saying...I am not a union factory worker. I am a white collar CAD designer. But your right...my job is in trouble too. I have looked into other fields of work...Your choices are health care (because of babyboomers getting older) or something in the legal department. Steve I work and live in Michigan...our un-employment rate is 7.2%...while national average is 4.5. This is awful. Ford Motor just announced their sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to TATA (Indian company). My feelings are...if these good paying jobs..like mine..and factory workers included continue to lose... America will lose. I think Michigan's infection will spread eventually to the rest of the country is my opinion. We lose about 22,000 people moving out per year from the state. If they go...the money goes with it. I feel the same is true for products made overseas. If you outsource SOOOO much. the people will lose their jobs and moneys will disappear with it. No money equals no sales (food, services, goods etc. etc) Our retail sales in Michigan is horrible. Our roads are terrible. No money! How many times will I have to go back to school. I have completed three bachelor's degree already. What should be my next career shift. Sorry for being negative...but come visit Michigan and you will see what I am talking about. Gasoline on average is 3.50 a gallon. That's low for here..ugh! All the car companies are going global...but so are the jobs in the process and automotive sales are projected to be way down in North America. Not sure what the answer is. I wish it was innovation....but a lot of our innovation at my company is getting sent from TATA in India right now.

This legislation has been going in circles for the past couple years. If the EPA decides to permit ballast tanks on recreational boats we will be paying a significant permit. The National Marine Manufactures Association says the minumum permit fee is currently $500/year. Here is the response from my senator.

Dear Mr. Aslinger,

Thank you for taking time to contact my office to share your thoughts regarding the Clean Boating Act of 2008. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

I agree with you that recreational and pleasure boats should not be subject to the same water discharge regulations as commercial shipping vessels. I had the opportunity to speak before the Marine Manufacturers Association and they shared with me a great deal of information regarding this legislation. As you know, the Clean Boating Act is currently before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Should this legislation come before the full Senate, I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind.

Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me.

Bob Corker

Scott, have you considered joining the 22,000? Why compete with such a large pool of unemployed applicants when you can go elsewhere and have much better odds of getting and keeping employment? Being that close to any part of the country getting hit so hard by global industrialization is bound to be depressing but there are parts of the country where things are new and growing and unemployment is low.

That bill is bunch of bullsh*t. If it passes the authorities can kiss my a**

Anyway just sent to Senator Clinton and Shumer of NY

I hear what your saying Dante'.....But I do get paid good. I know if I was to be a CAD designer outta state....the money would be almost cut in half. Yhea more security. I do get paid decent becasue in automotive we work to really tight tolerances. .001 mm gap to be exact. Which makes my job challenging. But because people like me that get paid good....we get replaced by CAD designers from India and China that are much cheaper. Once the whole country catches on...the same thing will happen to people in other states doing my line of work. Look at wakeboards....not even 5 years ago majority of the boards were made in the USA. Now the only ones I know of are CWB high end boards, HYperlite SubVI , the Murray, and Slingshot boards. You will notice these boards come with a higher price tag. But to me.....it's worth it. The quality is much better on my New Murray board compared to my Ronix Frontier. BTW...I am currently not in any danger of losing my current job that I know of. I am just frustrated because I am always cleaning up the overseas models that get sent back. To me that is a waste of money! As for the bill....looks legit from everything I have read so far. But I am still skeptical. Like George said it's been going on for years. They had the Clean Boating Act of 2007 sponsored by Debbie Stabenow from Michigan. That one read more straight forward than this new one from Barbera Boxer. I think there is something hiding in there. She is one of the politician's pushing for higher emmission standards from automotive companies. Which BTW the is predicted to bankrupt Ford, hurt GM, Toyota, Honda...all of them basically. In five years the automotive world is going to look really foreigh and really...really small cars.

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I am a consultant and get to see many different industries in the eastern US. I live in Chattanooga, TN. In 1980 35 percent of the jobs were manufacturing. The automotive foundry I worked in was paying $12-$15/hour in 1980. Employment in Chattanooga is now 12% manufacturing, major growth in insurance call centers, processing, retail, food service. Sure unemployment is only 4% but the majority of jobs pay about $10/hour or less. You can't buy boats and SUV's on those wages even with dual income families. Good jobs go to China and get replaced with low paying service jobs. The wage gap gets narrower between US and China by lowering wages here.

As Scott said engineering jobs are moving to India. I was in a hospital last week discussing quality improvement. The healthcare industry is beginning to outsource diagnostics (reading x-rays, MRI's, lab analysis, etc) to India. They can hire a Doctor for $30,000/year.

Everyone should read "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman. If your job does not involve hands-on face-to-face contact with the customer someone is working on moving it to Mexico, China, India, etc.

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