The Congress hasn’t refused the exemption yet!
There is a general misunderstanding on what happened on the political scene so far regarding the Delta Queen’s exemption from the Safety at Sea Act: The Congress, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, hasn’t even voted on an exemption for the Delta Queen yet.
So far it’s only a single, totally uninformed and most likely Union-influenced Representative from Minnesota, Rep. James Oberstar (D), chairman of the Transportation committee, who refuses to present the exemtion to the full House of Representatives for vote. And it’s one single Union-controlled Senator, Sen. Inouye or Hawaii (D), who does the same thing in the Senate. According to an article in the Winona Daily News, the Transportation Committee of the House at least has discussed the issue, citing Rep. Walz, member of this committee: "I voted in committee for the exemption, and my reasoning was … for historical preservation". And it seams that the committee is as uninformed as its chairman is. By the way: Walz is not member of the Coast Guard subcommittee where this issue should belong to.
Let’s not blame the Congress for this, so far. Let’s force Sen. Inouye and Rep. Oberstar to respect basic democratic rules and let the people’s representatives vote on the exemption for the Delta Queen!
Let’s sent a letter-to-the-editor to every newspaper that is repeating the nonsense of "the Congress has denied the exemption". Remind them of the facts, ask them to stop copying the press release of Majestic America Line who originally has published this Congress-denied-exemption nonsense.
September 2nd, 2007 at 9:38 pm
well get out your pens,pencils and type some more…
The fight is just geting good…Let’s keep it up..this is a postive thing…seems someone really thought they had us…!
Keep getting the word out to everyone you see!
I’ve recived calls from all over due to the articles in the Louisville and Cincy papers..
Keep emailing newspapers and politicans in river towns.
Lets save the Delta Queen
September 3rd, 2007 at 5:17 am
My wife and I just completed a seven day cruise on the Delta Queen from Little Rock to Memphis, while it was not without insident (we had rudder problems) it still provided us with the true steamboat experience found nowhere else. That was our fourth trip on the DQ and I will do all I can do insure that it won’t be our last.
September 7th, 2007 at 12:53 am
This was our first trip on the Delta Queen and we loved every bit of the experence. The food, the service, the people and even the rudder repair was entertaining. It’s sad that non genuine reasons are being used to dismiss the service of this true river Queen. I will try to join her once again before her fate is sealed.
September 20th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
i live in one of the so called river towns named savannah,tn . i have a idea if the majestic company won’t let the queen sail at night , then go to the commisioners of hardin co tenn ,and ask if they can subsidise the queen for use ,by the folks when the river run comes here ,and maybe a rich person here will save it.
September 29th, 2007 at 5:38 am
Like all things in life, sadly it will end. I refuse to go see the Delta Queen as a”land-locked” hotel or museum like the Ticonderoga Steamboat in the East, or the Delta King in the West. The fast paced rust and ruin catch up fast to riverboat museums all along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Museums can’t scrape up funds to constantly upkeep the vessels and the suffer neglect. If congress will not come up with a permenant exemption for the Delta Queen,then perhaps MAL can have a NEW Delta Queen built that will pass the current SOLAS laws.
September 29th, 2007 at 7:09 am
Please lets do what we can to save th Delta Queen. With each voyage she makes she becomes a part of each persons history, and a part of her history as well as the United States of America. Havent we lost enough of our history?
October 26th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
In reply to Allen Dale Strange’s comment of Sept. 29, 2007, 5:38 AM –
Mr. Strange,
Please be aware that new boats have already been built that pass the SOLAS laws. The boats are called the American Queen and the Mississsippi Queen, plus others in the Northwest United States. They are no doubt extremely safe. They also have none of the charm of the Delta Queen.
October 27th, 2007 at 7:34 am
Dear franz, I am well aware of the fact that NO Steamboat has the Charm of the Delta Queen. NoSteamboat has the charm of the Belle of Louisville either! My point is simply that the Dq has bastardized so badly over the years that she hardly resembles the steamboat i loved as a kid. her main deck windows are obscurely placed now and not lined up all pretty in a row. They made a new maid’s closet in front of the Texas Lounge area, and she just looks like an 81 year old lady. I just think this is the time to say let her go , Lord, let her go! We need to ge a NEW Delta Queen made that can do BOTHE the charm and current applications for riverboats in general. They can take the engines and parts needed for a new steamboat and have something the same size as teh current DQ and still look better than the AQ with it’s TOO SMALL paddlewheel. BTW… Do you happen to a recording of the AQ’s current air whistle? Thanks, Allen Dale.