Letter From A Reader

November 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

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Badly Negotiated Cruise Contracts Will Haunt Our Future

Chapter 50 contracts gave benefits to the cruise lines, but nothing back to the town. These are the most badly negotiated contracts I have ever seen; in fact, they couldn’t have been more one sided if they were literally written by the pier owners and cruise lines themselves.

The ONLY benefit given to the town was the waiver, outside the contract to not sue over Chapter 50. They can still sue over the contract, even over the waiver, and can fund an “independent” group to sue, as is often done by corporations.

What benefits could we have had? Funding to mitigate the environmental impact, funding for a town shuttle, even funding for the general fund to spend as the town saw fit. Anything in the contract is independent from the rules regulating “cruise fees,” which can only be spent on cruise line specific activities–as even CLIA has stated recently.

Benefits for the cruise lines—five-year contract term with no escape clause—any cancellation requires the contract be in effect until the end of the term. There is only a 90-day window each year the council can cancel—requiring a town meeting vote to ratify. They get to review and reject what cruise fees are spent on before see the budget—and can sue if the town disagrees. All of these are benefits.

The pier have a contract giving them special rights as well, some that allow the contract to override even existing laws, if in conflict. There is no apparent benefit of this contract, as the piers should not have a reason to sue over Chapter 50, since it does not regulate them.

I strongly urge everyone to Vote No on 4; we really can do better.

Al Boynton, Bar Harbor

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