DeLay pulls plan to hold convention on ship

[Jason]

By SARA KUGLER

The Associated Press

12/2/03 8:00 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- Faced with increasing pressure from New York City officials, industry associations and labor leaders, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay decided Tuesday to cancel plans to house guests for the 2004 Republican National Convention on a cruise ship off Manhattan, his spokesman said.

"Where we hold events for the Republican convention is not something he cares about, it's not worth spending energy on," said DeLay's communications director, Stuart Roy. "He'll go to the mat on things that matter, but this does not."

Also, Norwegian Cruise Line, which owns the ship DeLay planned to charter, said in a statement it was pulling out of the deal because it determined the use of the ship for the convention was not commercially viable.

The turnaround came hours after the city's hotel association, labor leaders and Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney urged Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. George Pataki to pressure GOP leaders to scuttle the plan, saying the river retreat would draw more than $3 million away from city businesses during the Aug. 30-Sept. 2 convention.

"I'm glad Congressman DeLay has decided to sink this idea once and for all," Maloney said late Tuesday. "It's good for New York and good for the Republican convention."

The plan was to house visiting convention-goers on the Norwegian Dawn, which is usually used to take vacationers from New York to Florida and the Bahamas. The ship features 10 restaurants, 14 bars, several swimming pools, basketball courts, movie theaters and a spa and could have accommodated more than 2,200 conventioneers, who critics said would otherwise spend their money in city hotels, restaurants and theaters.

"We don't need to have this party out in the river; we need to have this party and this convention in New York City," said Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel Trades Council, a union that represents 25,000 hotel workers. "Our citizens and my members in the hotel industry are expecting the revenue."

A spokesman for Bloomberg said the mayor had called DeLay on Monday in an effort to talk him out of the cruise ship idea, and they when they finally spoke on Tuesday, DeLay agreed to put the idea aside.

A spokeswoman for Pataki said the governor had always encouraged convention attendees to use the city's hotels and said he believed the right decision was made.

DeLay had argued that a ship docked on the Hudson River, a few blocks from convention headquarters at Madison Square Garden, would allow increased privacy and security for the members of Congress, lobbyists and others who stay aboard.

[Jason]

By SARA KUGLER

The Associated Press

12/2/03 8:00 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -- Faced with increasing pressure from New York City officials, industry associations and labor leaders, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay decided Tuesday to cancel plans to house guests for the 2004 Republican National Convention on a cruise ship off Manhattan, his spokesman said.

"Where we hold events for the Republican convention is not something he cares about, it's not worth spending energy on," said DeLay's communications director, Stuart Roy. "He'll go to the mat on things that matter, but this does not."

Also, Norwegian Cruise Line, which owns the ship DeLay planned to charter, said in a statement it was pulling out of the deal because it determined the use of the ship for the convention was not commercially viable.

The turnaround came hours after the city's hotel association, labor leaders and Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney urged Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. George Pataki to pressure GOP leaders to scuttle the plan, saying the river retreat would draw more than $3 million away from city businesses during the Aug. 30-Sept. 2 convention.

"I'm glad Congressman DeLay has decided to sink this idea once and for all," Maloney said late Tuesday. "It's good for New York and good for the Republican convention."

The plan was to house visiting convention-goers on the Norwegian Dawn, which is usually used to take vacationers from New York to Florida and the Bahamas. The ship features 10 restaurants, 14 bars, several swimming pools, basketball courts, movie theaters and a spa and could have accommodated more than 2,200 conventioneers, who critics said would otherwise spend their money in city hotels, restaurants and theaters.

"We don't need to have this party out in the river; we need to have this party and this convention in New York City," said Peter Ward, president of the New York Hotel Trades Council, a union that represents 25,000 hotel workers. "Our citizens and my members in the hotel industry are expecting the revenue."

A spokesman for Bloomberg said the mayor had called DeLay on Monday in an effort to talk him out of the cruise ship idea, and they when they finally spoke on Tuesday, DeLay agreed to put the idea aside.

A spokeswoman for Pataki said the governor had always encouraged convention attendees to use the city's hotels and said he believed the right decision was made.

DeLay had argued that a ship docked on the Hudson River, a few blocks from convention headquarters at Madison Square Garden, would allow increased privacy and security for the members of Congress, lobbyists and others who stay aboard.