Topic starter
03/11/2010 9:25 am
James Oberstar has lost his re-election !!! (According to the Duluth Star-News)
Even if he had won, he would have been out as the House Transportation Committee head.
"Oberstar, a Democrat from Chisholm, watched an early lead dwindle throughout the night, and, in the end, Cravaack won 48 percent of the vote to Oberstar’s 47, with a spread of about 4,200 votes between them out of more than 270,000 cast.
Oberstar walked into his election night party in Duluth predicting “ a good night, a good victory.”
But in Oberstar’s 36 years in Congress, it was the Democrat’s toughest race."
and
Steve Chabot has been re-elected!
May the Delta Queen cruise again in 2011!
Oh man, am I smiling!!!
-Jim Herron
03/11/2010 12:43 pm
New Committee Chair?
Who is the ranking Republican on Oberstar's former committee?
Wesley
03/11/2010 1:06 pm
John L Micca - 7th Florida District, and he won his reelection.
03/11/2010 5:00 pm
Words cannot describe how happy that makes me. Even though I've never sailed on the DQ before, I have walked around her, and what a beautiful boat she is. There is now a chance for me, someday, to become a passenger instead of a visitor 🙂
03/11/2010 5:38 pm
AJ Richardson;23715 wrote: Game of Musical Chairs Begins for Committee Posts - Washington Wire - WSJ
This article doesn't take into consideration that Republicans will be heading the committees. That error reflects poorly on the current owner of the WSJ.
03/11/2010 6:44 pm
This is the best news I've heard in a while in regard to the Delta Queen!! Maybe we now finally have a chance of getting the exemption needed to get her back on the rivers where she belongs!! Too bad though about what's already been allowed to happen to her sisters, the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen. These sisters weren't even all that old.
03/11/2010 8:23 pm
*RE: Election/Oberstar/Economy*
Dear steamboating colleagues:
Yes, I was also amazed at yesterday's election results. The people spoke and in strident terms. Rep. Steve Chabot here is back 'in' as you all may have heard. Yet, let's all not rush to conculsions relating to what we all appreciate so much until the dust settles and things filter out. The economy needs attention [i.e. jacking up] and that takes time no matter who is 'in' or 'out.'
The issue of the DELTA QUEEN now in limbo isn't answered. The boat, a private corporate entity, is well outside the public domain. An exemption doesn't answer, to my knowledge, her present limited passenger carrying allowance at 49 to 50. No profit margin there if my calculator keys here are any proof. Several Congressonal contacts to me here within the last year to my letters stated nearly the same in so many words, "Congress can't over-ride the findings/reccommendations of the U.S. Coast Guard." The Coast Guard, even with criticism, a vested branch of the U.S. Military.
No criticism or sour grapes on my part--just questions. I've had my head kicked in along with related bruises and scars too many times in political arenas to do other than wonder. Have the operators of the DQ Boutique Hotel in Chattanooga received approval for this week's fund raiser? Doesn't this in some way come under limitations with 501 (C) 3 tax exempt accounts with limitations from the general public to private corporate entities? Hope I'm proven wrong. Well, what do I know?
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.
03/11/2010 9:35 pm
Now, now, folks..
How uncharitable of us to take joy in the defeat of Rep. Oberstar, rather we should wish him well in his early retirement. Now he'll finally have a chance to take a relaxing cruise on the DELTA QUEEN... oops, scratch that. Well, he can at least take a flight to a vacation spot on one of those 737s that were never inspected during his watch, many of which were found to have substantial mechanical deficiencies. Off he goes... into the wild blue yonder!!!
03/11/2010 9:54 pm
*RE: Now, now folks*
Hi, Judy,
That was a good one for sure! "Early retirement" [Or any retirement from Congress] comes with some very nice perks, health care--heads or tails they win. Beware though. Old or retired Congress 'persons' never die, they just fade away joining corporate, civic, legal, financial boards. Cheers.
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati
04/11/2010 1:14 am
Richard Weisenberger;23723 wrote: This is the best news I've heard in a while in regard to the Delta Queen!! Maybe we now finally have a chance of getting the exemption needed to get her back on the rivers where she belongs!! Too bad though about what's already been allowed to happen to her sisters, the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen. These sisters weren't even all that old.
Is there something I'm missing? To my knowledge nothing bad has happened to the American Queen. Yes, she is laid up in MARAD's yard waiting for a new owner, but they didn't just stick her there to rot, I believe in a earlier thread someone stated that one of her previous engineers had been hired to take care of her.
As for the Mississippi Queen, yes it is sad what happened to her, and yes she was to young to go, and yes i will miss seeing and hearing her passing by on the Ohio River.
As for Oberstar, even speaking from my trucking background, YAY He's Outta There!!
04/11/2010 1:47 am
AQ
Last I heard she was still sitting tightly closed up in the MARAD fleet in Beaumont.
04/11/2010 2:07 am
Check out the love in his hometown newspaper!
Sounds like the DQ was but one of his arrogance's many victims.
04/11/2010 6:07 am
YA HOOO!!!!
Mr. Oberstar has found out what Mr Garmatz (sp?) learned a long time ago--Don't mess with the Delta Queen! I don't know how much she helped to dump this, ahh, gentleman, but I'll give her, and Cap't. Greene credit!
And, yes, congress can overrule the Coast Guard--but the CG did not condemn the DQ, the poorly written law the passed many decades ago did. Let's get the exemption passed! (there's still the matter of the Senate though)
S'
David D.
07/11/2010 6:34 am
Moving Forward in 2011
I'm not sure how you all feel but I think our best chance at getting the DQ rollin' again is to hit our newly elected Congressman up now to have this exemption passed. Although they aren't going to be in office until January, giving them a "heads up" or gentle reminder will not hurt!
Once the committee chairs are seated and the new Congress gets underway, we could have a legitimate and exceptional chance to see this exemption become reality again after three years! Is this not what we have been waiting for??
There's a chance this could be one of the only piece of bipartisan legislation that this Congress can get passed AND its something President Obama supported in his 2008 campaign. These promises were made, it is our duty to hold them to this. It creates jobs, stimulates local river economies (as we all well know) and brings an iconic jewel of America back!
I am openly suggesting we start a new Save the Delta Queen Campaign now and rekindle this fire started three years ago. We can't sit by and expect them to just pass this, it isn't going to happen. We need to fight and fight hard to make them see that we are a viable and serious group of people and that the Delta Queen stands for something more than just a tourist attraction. She's an icon of America and a symbol of our river history. It's time we get her steaming again!
Taylor