(From left) Barack Obama became the first black U.S. president Nov. 4, but what
effect will his administration have on the marine industry? Passage of the Clean
Boating Act saved recreational boaters from a compliance requirement for
unwieldy EPA permitting regulations.
As of the beginning of 2009, gasoline
prices had plummeted around the country to well under $2 a gallon, which may
help bring more people back into boating come spring and summer — if prices
remain low.
5.Barack Obama made history
by being elected the nation’s
The election — On Nov. 4,
first black president. While it is still
too early to say how an Obama administration will affect the economy in
general, and the boating industry
specifically, some say brighter days
are ahead.
“With the changes in Washington and
this change psychologically of what’s
going on in our government … I think all
of this is going to have an effect,” Genmar
chairman Irwin Jacobs told Trade Only in
December. He predicted Obama’s elec-
tion would go a long way to restoring
consumer confidence, which is critical to
the success of the boating industry.
“I’m watching Obama doing things
I have not seen being done,” Jacobs
said. “I am proud as hell he’s the
president-elect of our country right
now, and I didn’t think I’d ever say
that, but I am because he’s doing
what’s necessary.”
6.ing Act of 2008 — In July,
President Bush signed the
Passage of the Clean Boat-
Clean Boating Act into law, protecting
the nation’s estimated 17 million recreational boaters from cumbersome and
complicated federal regulations. Without the legislative relief, boaters would
have been forced to comply with new
permitting regulations set up under
court order by the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency.
The National Marine Manufacturers
Association and BoatU.S. formed a
group called Boat Blue in 2006 and put
together a grassroots effort to get the
legislation passed before an Oct. 1,
2008 deadline. An estimated 150,000
people sent e-mails to Congress on the
issue, with 120,000 of those coming
from the BoatBlue.org Web site.
“It’s just a wonderful day for boating,” said BoatU.S. vice president for
government affairs Margaret Podlich
the morning after the bill was signed.
“The beauty of this year-plus effort is
that everybody came together toward
this common goal.”
7.In October, the National Marine
Manufacturers Association an-
Changes to Grow Boating —
nounced it was temporarily redirecting
Grow Boating assessments because the
money collected would not be enough
to pay for a national campaign. It was
agreed that 85 percent of what’s collected from engine assessments would
be given back to manufacturers to pass
along to dealers to help spur sales. The
remaining 15 percent would support
public relations, the Discover Boating
Web site, the Marine Industry Dealership Certification program and other
core programs.
Industry leaders expect about $6.5
million to be redistributed back to manufacturers. They plan to revisit the program later this year. Safeguards were
put in place to ensure manufacturers
were directing the money toward their
dealers.
Dealers contacted by Trade Only had
mixed reactions.
“We all agreed as dealers and manufacturers and the NMMA that the
money was supposed to be spent for
the Grow Boating campaign,” says Jim
Thorpe of Spring Brook Marina in Illinois. “We’ve paid into it all these
years and all of the sudden a bunch of
guys get together and redirect it and
[decide] not to use it for what it was
meant to be for. I think it’s the most
ridiculous thing.”
Larry Russo Sr., of Massachusetts-based Russo Marine, was involved in
the decision to change direction.
“We need buyers today, not next
year and the year after, and all of our
marketing messages were geared toward non-boaters in non-boating venues, non-boating publications, attracting and trying to persuade new participants into the recreation of boating,” he says.
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