Here is the email I sent to the Mayor of Kingston, Mayor Rosen
hrosen@cityofkingston.ca
Dear Mayor Rosen,
I write to you in regards to an alarming issue currently under consideration by you and your council members. The consideration of boycotting the “1,000 Islands Poker Run”.
After reading several publications regarding the request to boycott this event, it quickly becomes apparent that there are those that wish to utilize the claim of benefiting the environment in order to further fulfill their own agenda. These groups, such as “SPLASH” demonstrate great bias and discrimination against a wonderful event.
I see mention in various articles about the carbon foot print “poker run boats” make however, I see no mention (or issue taken) with the carbon foot print tourist boats, sail boat motors, fishing boats, or even tourist cars make. This boycott is clearly an attempt to strong arm an event in order to gain compensation due to the appearance of a “cash cow”.
I’m sure I need not remind you of the fact that those that participate in this event and come to watch this event spend thousands upon thousands of dollars. To give you an example of the type of money your city brings in during this poker run, the Key West (Fl.) poker run brings in an estimated 5 million dollars to the city of Key West, during the Florida Powerboat Club’s November poker run. Another example is the Lake Havasu (Az.) Poker Run brings in an estimated 4-6 million during the weekend of the “Desert Storm Poker Run” hosted by Lake Racer LLC. The city of Lake Havasu is so grateful to have the influx of revenue to the city, they are currently in talks with the organizer’s to help offset some of the expenses of this event.
I think the recommendation of a carbon offset fee borderlines on gluttony. To single out an organization and require them to pay into a carbon offset bank, to be used by the city coffers, when the city itself is already raking in millions in revenue is quite simply transparent and shameful.
This event has been covered by various national and world wide publications as well as being voted a top ten boating event by Powerboat Magazine (the worlds leading performance boating magazine). I personally live in California and though I have not had the chance to visit Kingston, nor attend this event, it is most definitely on my family’s to-do list.
I realize that the threat of this event leaving Kingston and moving to another town along the river, most likely pleases some (including SPLASH) because there is a minority of people that I assume are using the claim of environmental impact as a ruse to get rid of the event which they view negatively as bringing loud boats, crowds of people, congestion and revelers to their quite city. However, it truly would be unfortunate to cease what has obviously become a great partnership between the City of Kingston and Poker Run’s America.
I hope my plea to keep the 1,000 Islands Poker Run in Kingston does not fall on deaf ears. And I hope the Kingston City Counsel come to the correct conclusion; that this event should go on, un-hampered.
Respectfully,
Tank Sears
Channel Islands, Ca.
