Representative Tom DeLay's proposal to use a cruise ship as a hotel and entertainment center during the Republican National Convention next summer has infuriated local labor unions and given gleeful New York Democrats an issue to use against their adversaries.þþDemocratic members of Congress said they planned to send a letter today to Gov. George E. Pataki, a Republican, asking him to lean on Representative DeLay, the House majority leader, to kill the idea. On the labor front, at least one union leader said that if the ship is used, his union might consider void an agreement with the Republicans not to strike during the convention.þþWith Representative Carolyn B. Maloney taking the lead yesterday, Democrats used rapid-fire one-liners to attack the Republicans for Mr. DeLay's suggestion to charter the luxury cruise liner Norwegian Dawn. þþÿListen, it's no love for New York on this boat,ÿ Ms. Maloney, who represents Manhattan and Queens, said in a telephone interview. ÿI've got to tell you, it is a titanically bad idea. The Republicans are acting like an island unto themselves.ÿþþMr. DeLay, of Texas, has proposed chartering the 2,240-passenger luxury cruise liner for the convention, docking it in the Hudson River, so that Republican members of Congress and their guests can all stay at one place. The deal has not been sealed, but Mr. DeLay has given no indication that he plans to back down.þþThe ship company, however, said it would go through with the charter only if it made business sense, and so far it is unclear if there will be enough people interested in staying on board to make it worthwhile. þþJonathan Grella, a spokesman for Mr. DeLay, dismissed the Democratic attacks yesterday, writing in an e-mail message: ÿThe Democrats' real beef is with their own party for choosing Boston over New York for their convention. They're the ones who will be wearing Red Sox hats next summer.ÿþþThe Republicans may be able to shake off the partisan sniping, but they risk running into trouble with city labor unions, a prospect that could undermine the operation of the convention. Labor leaders said yesterday that to help bring the convention to New York, they had agreed to guarantee they would not strike during the convention, which is scheduled for Aug. 30 to Sept 2. They would still be bound by their negotiated labor contracts, a union official said.þþBut leaders of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, representing about 100,000 workers, and the Hotel Trades Council, representing 25,000 members, said that if the cruise liner is used, it will mean that the Republicans negotiated in bad faith.þþÿWe feel the agreement that we signed may be null and void,ÿ said Ed Malloy, president of the construction trades council, whose members will build sets and prepare other facilities inside and outside Madison Square Garden, where the convention will be held.þþPeter Ward, president of the New York Hotel Trades Council, representing virtually all hotel workers, said he was furious about the DeLay plan.þþÿEverything that every union leader did, every civic leader did, every government leader did to bring the convention here was done for one reason: to bring business into the city to stimulate jobs and raise the tax base,ÿ Mr. Ward said. ÿAnd for these guys to rent a boat to stay out in the river, and not pay hotel occupancy tax, is just an outrage.ÿþþA spokesman for the convention did not return phone calls or reply to e-mail messages seeking comment.þþThe Democrats apparently raised the issue with Mr. Pataki because he is an official host of the convention and the state's highest-ranking elected Republican. Mr. Pataki also held a fund-raiser for Mr. DeLay in September.þþLisa Dewald Stoll, a spokeswoman for Mr. Pataki, said she could not comment on the Democrats' letter. þþÿWe make it a practice to actually receive and review letters before responding to them,ÿ she said. ÿThe governor has made it perfectly clear all convention attendees should take advantage of New York City's world-class accommodations.ÿ þþ
Source: NY Times
