Congressman Updates Chamber on Locally Important National Issues

BURLEIGH — According to U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-2nd), the Chamber of Commerce should have a seat at the table to help pull the country from its current economic mess.
“The administration’s current plan involving selective bailouts of different industries may be good in theory, but it doesn’t work in the real world,” LoBiondo said. With practical knowledge of the situation, the Chamber has a better idea of what direction would really help American businesses grow jobs and boost the economy, he noted.
“Why isn’t the U.S. Chamber at the table?” he asked.
LoBiondo made this observation during an address to the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce at the group’s legislative update luncheon at the Wildwood Golf Club on Thur., Aug. 19.
LoBiondo noted that he utilizes Chamber resources to help him understand complicated economic issues and how they affect businesses.
Geoff O’Hara, executive director of the U.S. Chamber’s eastern region, also attended the county Chamber meeting. He presented LoBiondo with an award recognizing the congressman for his business-friendly legislative votes. LoBiondo received a mark of 87 in the Chamber’s “How They Voted” scorecard.
In addition to his views on the U.S. Chamber’s role in the county’s economic recovery, LoBiondo also updated the local Chamber on some national issues important to Cape May County:
• The congressman said that despite the importance of this county’s beaches to New Jersey’s economy, he thinks that beach replenishment funding is “really in trouble,” with the administration’s policy of pulling its funding and combining it with bills funding the operations of other departments into a single “omnibus” appropriation bill.
• Regarding tourism, which is this county’s biggest industry, LoBiondo said unfortunately there are no federal funds for it.
• However, LoBiondo had two items of news on fishing, the county’s second biggest industry. He was able to help secure a three-year moratorium on recently enacted environmental sanctions against commercial fishing boat owners that could have imposed fines of $32,000 per incident for rainwater washing off a boat’s deck into the sea.
Regarding recreational fishing, LoBiondo noted that he was against the federal saltwater license, which costs $15 per person, noting that a family of four visiting Cape May County would have to shell out $60 before even renting rods and bait or chartering a boat. The state is currently pursuing its own fishing registry, he said.
• LoBiondo, who is the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, noted his pride in the relationship between the Cape May County community and the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Cape May. He opposes the current administration’s desire to cut 1,200 positions from the Coast Guard’s ranks.
• On aviation, LoBiondo said the regions scored some significant good news recently when the Atlantic City International Airport was selected as the site to develop the next generation of air traffic control that utilizes satellite technology. The multi-billion dollar project is expected to bring 2,000 engineering jobs to the region, making it South Jersey’s version of “silicon valley,” he said.
• Speaking on energy, LoBiondo said he was in favor of offshore drilling, but not off New Jersey’s coast. He opposes President Obama’s moratorium on drilling, and notes that federal inspectors should be on offshore oilrigs like they are in nuclear power plants to prevent disasters like the one in the Gulf from happening.
He said the country should be involved in alternative energy, including wind, natural gas and solar, but also increase its use of nuclear energy, noting there are plans to build another nuclear plant in South Jersey.