The president has caused ripples in the boating world after making some unsavoury comments about buying boats
US president Barack Obama has angered the US boating industry after making some rather disparaging comments about buying boats in a speech in New Hampshire.
“When times are tough, you tighten your belts. You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage,” the president said in the speech announcing his Small Business Lending Initiative.
“You don’t blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you’re trying to save for college. You prioritise. You make tough choices. And it’s time your government did the same.”
President Obama has already apologised to a Nevada politician about his Vegas comment and now the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the US recreational boating industry’s largest trade group, has written him a letter asking him to “clarify” his remarks about boat buying.
In it, the NMMA says, “By associating buying a boat with irresponsible spending, you send a very negative and unfortunate signal to boatbuilding workers, marine dealers, marina owners, marine suppliers and the thousands of marine industry employees in the United States.
“We cannot over emphasize how important it is to fuel American middle class recovery and growth with confidence and through responsible spending, rather than calling out an industry that is trying to work alongside your administration to support job growth and US manufacturing.”
As far as we know, the president is yet to reply.
