If the facts don't agree with an agency's point of view, it's becoming habitual to just sit on the facts.
In the meantime, parts of the initial boater study have been cited elsewhere; if the numbers hold up, the economic impact of recreational boaters easily exceeds that of commercial shipping. What boaters spend to enjoy their pastime (not including the boat purchase itself) is believed to support 107,000 jobs in the Great Lakes states, for example. That compares with 50,000 jobs tied to shipping, as noted in a 2002 report for the Great Lakes Navigation System Review.
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060415/OPINION01/604150313/1068/OPINION
Posted by Dave at April 16, 2006 05:26 PM