The US Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) has mixed feelings about the impact on their sector of President Obama's FY 2014 budget proposals.
WCI's initial views were as follows:
“This budget request is not unexpected in the age of sequester and belt-tightening. The Administration’s per-vessel user fee proposal appears to be out of touch with the appropriate level of investment from the industry that is being advocated in the RIVER Act in the Senate and WAVE 4 in the House for an increase of between 30-45% in the diesel fuel user fee the industry pays into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund,” said Michael J. Toohey, President/CEO, WCI. “The industry and its many stakeholders in labor, manufacturing, agriculture, conservation and towing operations continue to urge inclusion of the Capital Development Plan-initiated user fee proposal in a WRDA bill as it moves through Congress,” he continued.
Waterways Council, Inc. is the national public policy organization advocating for a modern and well-maintained national system of ports and inland waterways.