"I can't understand how they can possibly do that." Really?

[speak easy]

"Now they’re taking away my vote?" You betcha. They are Republicans.

Rough waters in Key West as city, cruise industry and state lawmakers tangle over its future.

It was another balmy day in paradise when Key West, Fla., voters decided they’d had enough of the thousands of here-today, gone-tonight tourists who regularly pour from giant cruise ships onto the streets of their iconic city.

By decisive, even overwhelming margins, the voters approved ballot measures to immediately slash the number of passengers who can disembark daily as well as ban the biggest ships. But several months later, in an end-around that has incensed locals, the cruise industry is fighting back. Two state lawmakers with broad industry backing are pushing bills to nullify the vote and prohibit Key West from regulating such activity in its own port.

“I am so furious that I can hardly see straight,” said Kate Miano, owner of the luxe Gardens Hotel, where century-old brick walkways wind past orchid-festooned trees. "We battled the big cruise ship companies, and now they’re taking away my vote? I can’t understand how they can possibly do that.”

Yes, they can, say legislators now meeting in Tallahassee. And there’s a good chance they will soon succeed.

“We can’t simply have a group of 10,000 people closing down the port of Key West and holding the state of Florida hostage,” Rep. Spencer Roach (R) said at a hearing this month, his number referring to the total votes cast in support of the three city charter changes.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rough-waters-in-key-west-as-city-cruise-industry-and-state-lawmakers-tangle-over-its-future/2021/03/26/6fedba3e-8ca3-11eb-a6bd-0eb91c03305a_story.html

In other (Fox) news

Florida Gov DeSantis threatens to sue US over cruise ship ban

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to launch a lawsuit against the federal government Friday, unless the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lift the no-sail coronavirus order by this summer.

[brewens]

1. I remember DeSantis wanting to not allow a couple cruise ships with COVID to dock in

Florida. They did and I though they should, but I wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't. By that time, all of those passengers should have known the risk despite what the former guy and all the RW media were telling them. Factual information was out there that they chose to ignore.

[rickyhall]

2. Best governor money can buy.

[Tarc]

3. I'd side on the state gov't on this, tbh

Local town councils don't get to regulate maritime commerce.

[speak easy]

4. Key West is an island community of 25,000 residents.

Do they have an obligation to 'welcome' a million tourists a year?

10 years ago the numbers were half that.

How many is too many? 2, 5, 10 million? No limit at all?

Perhaps the cruise ship companies could lobby for a terminal to 'service' Palm Beach, and see what happens.

[maxrandb]

5. Santorini Greece says; "hold my beer"

I've traveled quite a bit, in the Navy and as a civilian.

A few decades back, one of my Navy ships had an opportunity to visit the island of Santorini Greece.

It was beautiful. It was stunning. There were tourist, but it was not extreme.

Two years ago, I took my bride on a dream vacation to her Greek homeland.

One of the stops was Santorini, where they expanded the port and are doing more construction to expand it even more.

There were so many people you couldn't move.

There have to be limits.

[speak easy]

6. Santorini: 2 million tourists a year; 850,000 on cruise ships.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/28/santorini-popularity-soars-but-locals-say-it-has-hit-saturation-point?CMP=twt_a-travel_b-gdntravel

Santorini Is Capping Cruise Ship Tourism
https://thepointsguy.com/news/santorini-is-capping-cruise-ship-tourism/