SS BADGER STEAMS ON INTO THE FUTURE. WONDERFUL NEWS. BILL PASSES WITH MAJORITY IN HOUSE TODAY!

[AQUAMAN]

Well, looks like our Rep. Bill Huizinga pulled a miracle today. The House of Reps. in DC unanimously passed new legislation for OUR BADGER to sail on as is, without the EPA mandate of new engines, for the entirety of her life on our Great Lake Michigan. I applaud the House of Reps. for such devotion and trust in our $35Million industry so vital for Ludington and Manitowoc. It's terrific news to me, and should be for all here in Mason County. This will help keep the needed jobs and link to Wisconsin going well into the future, and beyond. It's all our Mason County folks heritage to be proud of, now as in the past. Thank you Representatives for your undying loyalty to a most worthy and beneficial cause for us Locals.

[Willy]

Aquaman. Do you have a link regarding this story. Does the Senate have to pass this legislation. If and when this decision is final, the Cities of Ludington and Manitowoc should sign a huge thank you card and send it to Huizinga and Congress. This should have been the outcome all along and makes the most sense.

[XLFD]

Found the story on Mlive, where, of course, they have mixed emotions.  It's not a done deal, the story says:  "The Coast Guard authorization bill, with the amendment, still needs approval of the U.S. House and Senate, along with the president's signature, before it becomes law. Huizenga's office expects the bill to be considered by the House during the week of Nov. 14."  http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2011/11/us_house_actio...

This is potentially great news for Ludington and Manitowoc, and all who love the carferry as it is.

[Willy]

Thanks for the link X. What's so silly about the whole thing is that small water craft engine exhaust including burnt oil from 2 cycle engines is vented directly into the water. When you consider there are millions of small craft mixing their unhealthy emissions directly into the water it truly makes the Badger an insignificant contributor of pollution to the Great Lakes. I truly believe this Badger bashing started with Lake Express because until they were a factor in the tourist ferry business the coal ash was a mute point and not considered worthy of serious attention.

[XLFD]

Whenever the Muskegon Chronicle/MLive does a story on the SS Badger, they do get a lot of people commenting as if they are Lake Express shareholders.  You are likely on point, Willie. 

This is also the main reason why I think the awareness program started this spring actually hurt the cause a little.  It energized the opposition-- not only the Lake Express partisans, but also the environuts from all over, and people from other coastal cities along Lake Michigan to critique the SS Badger's unique propulsion, fairly or not. 

[Marty Redman]

This is not by any means a done deal.  The Democrat-led Senate and President will hear from their eco-guerillas and EPA-Apes before this is pushed through.  The Chicago Tribune published this less than complimentary article over the weekend http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-lake-michigan-car-f....  Plus there was a recent accident that happened at a wisconsin energy plant which led to a bunch of coal ash going into Lake Michigan. 

[snide]

Not ready to give Bill H. a medal just yet. He is a US REP. meaning that you don't get accolades for doing what you are SUPPOSED TO BE DOING ! Representation is just that, represent OUR concerns-- not an agenda like Hoekstra did. I hope this means that Ludington (Mason Co. ,too !) now HAS a Rep. that actually gives a rip about us.

 

That being said I AM grateful that they got on it now instead of waiting until the last minute ! Glad to see the wheels turning......

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Welcome back to the forum snide... And points taken in your above...

[XLFD]

Good point, Snide; Hoekstra from Holland did not appear to stick his neck out enough to try and help the continuation of the SS Badger's run, and you may have to think that he just wasn't that interested in it, or that the competition down in Muskegon may have had his ear more than those folks in Ludington did.

[Marty Redman]

Our idiot ultra-lib senator DICK Durbin has his mind set on nixing the deals being made to try to keep the Badger running past 2012.  The Chicago Trib has ran with two anti-Badger stories the last two days.  All Illinois visitors to Ludington and Manaitowoc need to let him know this is not good for all of us:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-durbin-no-pro...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-badger-ferry-durbin... 

[easymoney]

If you read the article, it has to pass the desk of Ken Salenger before it gets to O. Good Luck with that.

Ken is from chicago and hand picked by O If you care to check salengers mental state, read the book he wrote called Nugded(sp?) It calls for cattle, pigs and widlife be entitled to attorneys to fight for their rights against slaughter for food. If this guy had his way, meat products would be outlawed. He's a complete nut, but, has the credentials that O was looking for.

[XLFD]

Ken Salazar is out there on some issues, Easy, but wikipedia notes "Several prominent environmentalist groups are wary of Salazar, noting his strong ties with the coal and mining industries."  Durbin's position in the Senate could throw more weight against this bill if he continues to be adamantly against it.  I believe Salazar isn't likely to attack it severely unless he is budged by others, including his state-mate Durbin.

[Willy]

What irks me is that the Asian Carp will be entering the Great Lakes by way of Chicago because they refused to cut off access to Lake Michigan. What a bunch of hypocrites.