[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 63 (Thursday, May 16, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S4491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-243. A engrossed resolution adopted by the Assembly of 
     the State of Wisconsin relative to the authorization of 
     funding for modernization of lock and dam infrastructure on 
     the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers' Inland Waterways 
     Transportation System; to the Committee on Environment and 
     Public Works.

                      2001 Assembly Resolution 56

       Whereas, the state of Wisconsin borders or contains over 
     360 miles of the upper Mississippi River and 11 navigation 
     locks and dams along those borders; and
       Whereas, many of Wisconsin's locks and dams are more than 
     60 years old and only 600 feet long, making them unable to 
     accommodate modern barge tows of 1,200 feet long, nearly 
     tripling locking times and causing lengthy delays and 
     ultimately increasing shipping costs; and
       Whereas, the use of 1,200-foot locks has been proven 
     nationwide as the best method of improving efficiency, 
     reducing congestion, and modernizing the inland waterways; 
     and
       Whereas, the construction of the lock and dam system has 
     spurred economic growth and a higher standard of living in 
     the Mississippi and Illinois river basin, and today supplies 
     more than 300,000,000 tons of the nation's cargo, supporting 
     more than 400,000 jobs, including 90,000 in manufacturing; 
     and
       Whereas, more than 60% of American agricultural exports, 
     including corn, wheat, and soybeans, are shipped down the 
     Mississippi and Illinois rivers on the way to foreign 
     markets; and
       Whereas, Wisconsin farmers, producers, and consumers rely 
     on efficient transportation to remain competitive in a global 
     economy, and efficiencies in river transport offset higher 
     production costs compared to those incurred by foreign 
     competitors; and
       Whereas, the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers lock and 
     dam system saves our nation more than $1.5 billion in higher 
     transportation costs each year, and failing to construct 
     1,200-foot locks will cause farmers to use more expensive 
     alternative modes of transportation, including trucks and 
     trains; and
       Whereaas, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
     congestion along the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers is 
     costing Wisconsin and other producers and consumers in the 
     basin $98,000,000 per year in higher transportation costs; 
     and
       Whereas, river transportation is the most environmentally 
     friendly form of transporting goods and commodities, creating 
     almost no noise pollution and emitting 35% to 60% fewer 
     pollutants than either trucks or trains, according to the 
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and
       Whereas, moving away from river transport would add 
     millions of trucks and railcars to our nation's 
     infrastructure, adding air pollution, traffic congestion, and 
     greater wear and tear on highways; and
       Whereas, backwater lakes created by the lock and dam system 
     provide breeding grounds for migratory waterfowl and fish; 
     and
       Whereas, the lakes and 500 miles of wildlife refuge also 
     support a one-billion-dollar per year recreational industry, 
     including hunting, fishing, and tourism jobs; and
       Whereas, upgrading the system of locks and dams on the 
     upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers will provide 3,000 
     construction and related jobs over a 15-year to 20-year 
     period; and
       Whereas, in 1999 the state of Wisconsin shipped 1,100,000 
     tons of commodities, including grain, coal, chemicals, 
     aggregates, and other products; and
       Whereas, 3,900,000 tons of commodities, including grain, 
     coal, chemicals, aggregates, and other products, were shipped 
     to, from, and within Wisconsin by barge, representing 
     $313,000,000 in value; and
       Whereas, shippers moving by barge in Wisconsin realized a 
     savings of approximately $40,000,000 compared to other 
     transportation modes; and
       Whereas, Wisconsin docks shipped products by barge to 6 
     states and received products from 11 states; and
       Whereas, there are approximately 20 manufacturing 
     facilities, terminals, and docks on the waterways of 
     Wisconsin, representing thousand of jobs in the state; and
       Whereas, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a 
     collaborative navigation study of the economic and 
     environmental factors to be considered when examining capital 
     improvements to the upper Mississippi River system; and
       Whereas, the navigation study will release initial results 
     in a summer 2002 report; now, therefore,
       Resolved by the assembly, That the Wisconsin assembly 
     formally recognizes the upper Mississippi River as a river of 
     statewide significance for natural, navigational, and 
     recreational benefits; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the Wisconsin assembly recognizes the 
     importance of timely modernization of the inland waterway 
     transportation infrastructure to Wisconsin agriculture and 
     industry in this state, the region, and the nation and, 
     pending results of the navigation study, urges Congress to 
     authorize funding to construct 1,200-foot locks on the upper 
     Mississippi and Illinois river system; and, be it further
       Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the president and secretary of 
     the U.S. senate, the speaker and clerk of the U.S. house of 
     representatives, the chair of the senate committee on 
     commerce, science, and transportation, the chair of the house 
     committee on transportation and infrastructure, and the 
     members of the congressional delegation from this state.
                                  ____

       POM-244. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Michigan relative to the Death 
     Tax; to the Committee on Finance.

                       Senate Resolution No. 195

       Whereas, Under tax relief legislation passed in 2001, the 
     federal death tax was temporarily--not permanently--
     eliminated; and
       Whereas, Women and minorities are very often owners of 
     small and medium sized businesses, and the death tax prevents 
     their children from reaping the rewards of a lifetime trying 
     to make a better life; and
       Whereas, Farmers will face losing their farms if the 
     federal government resumes the heavy taxation of the estates 
     of people who invested most of their earnings back into their 
     farms; and
       Whereas, Employees suffer when they lose their jobs because 
     many small and medium sized businesses are liquidated to pay 
     death taxes and because high capital costs depress the number 
     of new businesses that could offer them a job; and
       Whereas, If the federal estate tax had been repealed in 
     1996, over the next nine years the United States economy 
     would have averaged as much as $11 billion per year in extra 
     output, and an average of 145,000 new jobs would have been 
     created; and
       Whereas, the persistent uncertainty created by the sunset 
     provision prevents families and small businesses from taking 
     full advantage of the repeal; and
       Whereas, Having passed both houses of the Congress of the 
     United States, elimination of the death tax has proven to 
     hold widespread bipartisan support; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we memorialize the Congress of 
     the United States to repeal permanently the federal death 
     tax; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and the members of 
     the Michigan congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-245. A resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners 
     of Warren County, Georgia relative to a U.S. Postal stamp 
     honoring the late Senator Tom Watson; to the Committee on 
     Governmental Affairs.

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