everybody it's Bruce here with traveling with Bruce today's date June the 29th
2019 I have an update for all of you from the state of Alaska I reported a
little while ago that the state of Alaska's governor was considering
canceling or stopping the ocean Ranger program this is where individuals with
Coast Guard US Coast Guard training are assigned to cruise ships in Alaska they
help monitor all of their discharges they help with safety they help with
monitoring water levels quality levels all that kind of stuff it's funded by
the passengers on cruise ships in Alaska this was a program that was voted on by
the Alaska voters in a special referendum in 2006 and has been running
now for over a dozen years now the story has been going that industry people the
cruise lines themselves have been trying to kill this program for years they have
been trying desperately to get the ocean Ranger program killed without the public
knowing about it's been behind the scenes lobbying going on and the
Republican governor just announced yesterday that he is vetoing funding for
this program he's killing it he is going to try to eliminate the ocean Ranger
program completely the catch is that the state doesn't pay a dime for this
service this service as I said is funded by cruise ship passengers as a special
levy and the funds collect every year the governor just won't allow the
funding to go to the rangers and effect he's stepping in the middle of the bank
account and stopping the checks from clearing the Ranger of this year of 2019
the ocean rangers will continue doing what they do next year it'll be funded
but there will be no ocean rangers paid to do the work and that's going to be
interesting the question - from reporters to the governor's why would
you do this when it makes no difference on the state's funds you can't take the
money for state purposes to go against the state deficit
and this information is quite valuable to to the industry and to the public had
to helps keep the waters pure in Alaska and he handed off the podium to one of
his lackeys and one of the quotes that came out from another recording a little
while ago there was a commissioner who said something about the lines of we
don't have mining Rangers there are no oil Rangers there are no fish processing
Rangers there are no timber Rangers and why should there be cruise ship Rangers
that was the answer why one of the Rangers was quoted as saying well cruise
ships move they move all the time and you can't inspect the cruise ship from
Juneau or from Ketchikan or Skagway you have to be on the ship to know what the
hell they're doing but apparently the governor just wasn't moved and decided
to beat all the program we'll find out how this plays out going forward because
apparently the legislature in Alaska could override this veto the question is
are there enough to to do it no one knows at this point I'm not an
expert in Alaska law and politics but boy oh boy he sure doesn't look good
doesn't you gotta wonder join me Monday to Friday five o'clock Eastern Time
Saturday's a - Eastern Time we talk cruise ships six days a week including
topics like this you think this is a good idea they will veto the ocean
Rangers program let me know in my comments below say yes or no they should
kill it or not if you like this video please give me a thumbs up and please
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bye for now