Passenger Service Vessel Act and Alaskan Cruises

 I probably would be opposed to loosening the PSVA or the Jones Act because of the potential damage to Americans seeking to operate vessels in a very competitive international shipping environment. One could open a Pandora’s box of international firms operating around the nation including Alaska that might endanger national security and otherwise could serve to make being an American even more irrelevant in the corporate, globalist economy.

In a year or so the Covid 19 vaccines probably will let the cruise industry return to normal. Before Covid Juneau had maybe 30,000 visitors a day and even small towns like Wrangell were anticipating a rise in the number of cruise ships tying up. That all crashed in 2020 and 2021.

Rather than end existing legislation it would be better to stimulate land transport to Alaska through Canada on hyper-tubes for cargo. People have discussed extended a rail road to Alaska for more than a half century and that should be upgraded to hyper-tube technology.

Alaska hasn’t got a tradition of bright and innovative politicians except for jay Hammond and Steve Cowper in the office of governor in my opinion. The present fine governor seems not to understand the marine Highway System very well- not that his predecessors did either, and has let it atrophy during the budget crisis. Some private enterprise has stepped in to provide passenger service locally and that should be supported with contracts of some type and perhaps bids to provide private rather than state-owned ferry service in S.E. Alaska at least.

Alaska should try to be more modern an work to upgrade an infrastructure and housing that are ecologically sustainable and practical such as giving tax breaks to earth homes that stay warm when it is -30 F outside and developing fuel cell power plants in remote sites.

The state of Alaska had dumped Prudhoe Bay oil money for decades and that brought a brand of politicians to Juneau that didn’t need to do much besides apportion pork; critical thinking and fundamental policies that governments have used such as a state income tax have never needed to be on the agenda of political leadership. I believe they still cannot reconcile themselves to the end of easy oil royalties as the basis for state government. Clever free enterprise and invention can go a long way to make an economy function well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886