RDC and Alaskans Protecting Our Economy request your assistance to help defeat the Cruise Ship Initiative that will be on the ballot this fall. If this initiative passes it will have a long lasting impact on businesses and individuals across the state. The jobs provided by the industry, the tax revenue it produces, and the local businesses it helps sustain would be hit hard by a decline in cruise line tourism and the increase of bureaucracy.

We need as many RDC members as possible to sign the following resolution of opposition and send/fax it back. Please help protect the economy of Alaska from this initiative.

Click to see the initiative located on the division of Elections Website.

Overview:

Alaskans Protecting our Economy is a broad coalition of organizations, individuals and businesses throughout Alaska opposing Cruise Ship Ballot Initiative (the state has yet to assign a ballot measure number and refers to it as 03CTAX petition). We have passed a resolution of opposition in order to protect the economy of Alaska from this initiative and to join Alaskans Protecting Our Economy in defeating it.  On behalf of RDC, we respectfully request that you join in the effort to defeat this initiative.

The coalition includes RDC, the Alaska Hotel and Lodging Association, Alaska Restaurant and Beverage Association, Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, Alaska Travel Industry Association, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Anchorage CHARR, Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau, Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, Anchorage Port Commission, Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce, Haines Convention & Visitors Bureau, Juneau Chamber of Commerce, Ketchikan Visitors Bureau, Mat Su CVB, North West Cruiseship Association, Pacific & Arctic Railway & Navigation, Co., Seward Chamber of Commerce, Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of Skagway, Skagway Terminal Company, Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau, White Pass Enterprises, LLC, and White Pass & Yukon U.S. Inc. 

As you can see, a great deal of Alaska’s tourism groups, local chambers as well as representatives of local small businesses oppose the Cruise Ship Ballot Initiative 03CTAX.

By joining our coalition and opposing this measure you can stand in opposition to the California and Washington D.C. based groups who want to tell Alaskans what to do. If this initiative passes it will force the disclosure of confidential information about our local businesses.  Also, this initiative will raise the costs of visiting Alaska which will discourage tourism in Alaska and will therefore harm Alaska’s economy.  Due to nine pages of complex and confusing language this initiative's scope of reach is almost impossible to comprehend. Not only will there be an unnecessary increase in the amount or bureaucratic red tape and bureaucracy in Alaska, but there will be numerous unintended consequences. 

If this Initiative passes it will have a long lasting impact on businesses and individuals across the state.  Currently, the cruise lines of Alaska provide much needed revenue through many channels. For example:

• Cruise related spending accounts for more than 13,000 Alaska jobs and $428 million in statewide payroll.
• In 2003, the cruise lines made purchases from 588 Alaskan businesses accounting for over $145 million in spending.
• The cruise industry pays over $42 million annually in taxes to local governments in Alaska.
• Cruise passengers and cruise members spend over $500 million a year in Alaska on out of pocket expenses.

The Cruise Ship Initiative 03CTAX would have an adverse effect on the tourism industry in Alaska.  The jobs provided by the industry, the tax revenue it produces and the local businesses it helps sustain would be hit hard by a decline in cruise line tourism and the increase of bureaucracy. 

Action Requested:

Please join us in our fight against the Cruise Ship Initiative 03CTAX by signing the resolution of opposition. 

Thank you for your careful consideration of our request.  Please do not hesitate to contact Alaskans Protecting our Economy if you have any questions.