The last petition update, Cruise Lines – A bad business decision, outlined the unsavory business practices of the cruise industry and pointed to their record as polluters. Since that post, Preserve Yorktown received a letter from Karla Hart that is a testimonial to the unsavory practices that she calls the “colonization and exploitation” by the cruise industry. Karla is a resident of Juneau, Alaska. Juneau has struggled to restrict the cruise industry, including Princess Cruises, as the small community was overrun. They have had to fight against pollution - the Juneau Empire reported, “Princess Cruise Line accrued the most wastewater violations. The Star Princess and the Emerald Princess, both Princess Cruise Line ships, were each cited twice.” The article also states that there were nine air quality violations. They have also had to restrict cruise ships due to population saturation. 

Karla ran tourism businesses for 10 years and was a founding member of the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association. She served alongside cruise executives as a Governor’s Appointee to the Alaska Tourism Marketing Council. Karla is also no stranger to Yorktown – she knows and understands the charm of our community. We should heed her words. 

Preserve Yorktown,

I am writing from Juneau, Alaska. I co-founded the Global Cruise Activist Network so that those of us facing cruise industry colonization and impacts can network. Glimpses of my town appear throughout the propaganda video shared at the meeting Princess held in Yorktown. 

You are in a critical moment, and I am encouraged to see you organizing so quickly. The industry are colonizers, and they go through stages in their colonization and exploitation. I think you could be in the position to be assertive and in their face and turn them away. If they start coming, they will get locals who sell out and every local who gets money from them will make it harder to stop.

They promise the sun and the moon. They will externalize all costs, make demands that have you giving up what is dear to you, and frame a lot of "facts" that are not facts.

Listening to the Princess CEO... Building the cruise business is long term... Guests need to love Yorktown.... we heard similar false claims in Juneau.  He is a snake oil salesman.  Listening to them talk about their federal felonies as if they were past tense and all is good. They are recidivist felons.

I biked across the United States in 1976 and ended with a photo of our group on the Victory Monument in Yorktown. I don't want to see your town exploited as is mine and so many others.

Karla Hart - Juneau, Alaska

In a follow-on email Karla warns of cruise industry tactics – 

• “they will invite onto the ship a scout troop or classroom and some select opinion leaders to wine and dine” 
• “they are out with their sniffers in the community finding any good target of a non-profit to donate.”
• “they do things that get people to “sign on” to their efforts before they are sensitive about going against a business that gave them a scrap for their silence”

This is exactly what we have seen in Yorktown. Princess Cruises donated to the Watermen’s Museum and members of the Board of Supervisors toured one of their ships. At the invitation-only meeting held by Princess, they wined and dined and brought in a celebrity from the Love Boat and paid experts to tell their story - multiple Board of Supervisor members were there as well. As expected, the information they provide was wholly one-sided. 

Preserve Yorktown is attempting to tell the rest of the story so our community can make an informed business decision. Please tell the Board of Supervisors at board meetings or via email (bos@yorkcounty.gov) that the cruise industry is a bad business decision for Yorktown. Talk to your friends and share our petition with them. 

Preserve Yorktown!

Learn more about the Cruise Industry violations in Juneau:

• Juneau Empire: Air violations issued cruise ships
• Juneau Empire: Wastewater treatment violations
•  Port cities are fighting to restrict cruises
• Southeast Alaska Conservation Council: Reasons for Concern
• Scrubbers – Air and Water Pollution