During Tuesday night's Town Hall debate with Governor Romney, President Obama told the American people that his fair trade "task force" was "going after anybody who is taking advantage of American workers or businesses and not creating a level playing field."
NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — In a Second1 Open Letter to President Obama, World City America Inc. President Stephanie Gallagher asks just how this fair trade "task force" could have overlooked the high profile foreign flag cruise industry which is operating out of US ports with mostly American passengers aboard and generating $40 billion-a-year in revenues? "How is it," Gallagher asks, "that your fair trade 'task force' missed an industry that is among the top ten contributors to our record trade deficit, along with countries such as Japan, China, Mexico and Germany?"
"How could the task force miss an industry that competes — side-by-side — with US hotels, resorts, theme parks, restaurants, shopping complexes, casinos and entertainment facilities without having to pay taxes or hire Americans?"
"Much more revealing in terms of the credibility of the President in pressing this line of argument in the debate," says Gallagher, "is that this Administration has gone further than turning a
blind eye to such unfair competition. It has actually enacted a policy which attempts to preclude Americans from capturing a share of this US-driven industry which would create thousands of new jobs and generate billions in new tax revenues."
World City America Inc. has devoted more than fifteen years and invested $60 million in an effort to claim for the American economy and American jobs a share of this US-driven — but foreign-dominated — industry.
"It's discouraging to see our President stand there and brag about his Administration's fair trade policies and programs when we know for a fact that — at least in terms of the booming cruise industry — that there is no such policy or program and, worse, this Administration has actually acted to pre-empt American participation," says Gallagher. "It's not only anti-American — it's a job-killing initiative that plays right into the hands of the rich foreign-flag cruise lobby. Level playing field? Fair trade task force? We don't see it."
ABOUT THE AMERICAN FLAGSHIP PROJECT
World City America Inc. was formed to design, build and operate a new class of passenger vessel that could be constructed competitively in the United States and compete successfully in the foreign-dominated cruise sector under a US-flag operation. More information about the American Flagship project can be found on its website: www.americanflagship.com
Second Open Letter to Obama: www.ereleases.com/pic/WorldCityLettertoObama.pdf
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Contact:
Stephanie Gallagher, President
World City America Inc.
Cold Spring Landing
22 West Street
Cold Spring, New York 10516
212-972-9000; fax 212-972-9006
worldcity@aol.com