WASHINGTON, D.C. – The number of threats faced by the boating
industry in the legislative and regulatory arenas – and the
seriousness of those threats – is now greater than at any other
time in its history, according to the National Marine
Manufacturers Association.
For that reason, the association is stressing the importance of
participation in its annual American Boating Congress (ABC).
“ABC is about getting members of the boating industry to come here
and be forceful advocates along with us here in the Washington,
D.C. NMMA office, to get people to recognize the boating industry
is an important American industry employing American workers,”
said Scott Gudes, NMMA’s vice president of government relations,
in an interview yesterday.
Not only does the event, scheduled to take place April 27-29 at
the L’Enfant Hotel in Washington, D.C., give the industry an
opportunity to learn more about those legislative and regulatory
issues most likely to impact its businesses, it’s also a chance
for the industry to join together in educating Congress about its
concerns – and therefore be more effective than the sum total of
members’ individual efforts.
“It’s important to make sure members of Congress understand the
importance of the boating industry,” Gudes commented. “And ABC is
organized in such a way to make it more effective than if you came
[to Washington, D.C.] alone.”
Permitting tops the list
Among those threats, the most urgent is the federal boat
permitting issue, which some refer to as ballast water.
“If we don’t get a legislative fix by September, all boats will
have to have a national or state permit for incidental discharge,”
explained Gudes. “That includes washing your boat or running your
bilge pump. It’s absolutely unfathomable. We’re working hard to
get legislation passed by Congress to restore our recreational
boating exemption from permit requirements of the Clean Water Act.
We need members of the boating community to come to Washington to
make that argument forcibly with legislative members.”
Other boating industry concerns include water access, tax reform,
the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act and the nexus issue, he
added.
“The state tax nexus issue is huge,” said Gudes. “It’s not just
about the boating industry. It affects a number of industries.
Several states have suddenly decided they are going to tax
manufacturers based on business activity in states in which they
don’t have a brick or mortar presence. A number of boat
manufacturers have had their boats impounded at a state line and
been told, ‘You have to pay us $40,000’ or more. It’s literally
highway robbery. There are at least two pieces of legislation
being put forward to try to address it.”
A new ABC
Organizers of ABC 2008 are trying to grow the event by widening
its appeal and attracting more high-level speakers from the
administration and Congress than ever before. They’ve also reduced
the cost of registration to $250.
“ABC is about the total boating community,” commented Gudes. “Boat
manufacturers are an important part of that, but it’s not just
about boating manufacturers. Marinas, dealers and boating
organizations are a part of that too.”
For that reason, the topics of the event’s sessions are diverse,
from a look at advances in marine weather forecasting and a window
into future Congressional tax policy to an overview of marina and
boatyard challenges and a session on exporting. Speakers include
top officials and executives from the American Petroleum
Institute, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National
Marine Sanctuary program, UBS and the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security. In addition, several senators and congressional speakers
are expected to present, and political commentator Charlie Cook is
scheduled to headline the Marshall Funk NMMA Boat PAC Dinner and
Awards Presentation.
“It’s an ambitious ABC, very business focused and results focused.
We’re asking participants to be promoters, ambassadors for the
industry,” said Gudes. “When a manufacturer, marina or dealer
comes to see members of Congress, they take note and listen. With
a focused message, we all together become that much more
influential in Washington. And what happens in Washington can
impact your bottom line.”
For more information on or to register for the 2008 American
Boating Congress, visit www.nmma.org/abc.
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