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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2004

SCHUMER TO CUSTOMS: FIX ROCHESTER'S MALFUNCTIONING VIDEOPHONES NOW

Schumer got Customs to install videophones at three Lake Ontario locations to help boaters entering from Canada pass through quickly and securely, but none of the three videophones are operating properly

Schumer: Customs should identify problems and fix them immediately

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today blasted the Bureau of Customs & Border Protection for allowing the three videophones in Rochester, Point Breeze, and Sodus Bay to malfunction to the point of inoperability. Schumer warned that if the videophones aren't fixed soon, boaters could wind up bypassing Rochester and other lake shore communities when visiting the United States. As a result, Schumer demanded that Customs repair them immediately.

"The boaters of Rochester waited long enough to finally get videophones - and now are finding that the phones don't even work," Schumer said. "The bottom line is that if we want boaters to pass through Rochester and our lake shore communities, we need to make it convenient and efficient. Videophones are a good solution because they enable us to monitor our waters while allowing boats to pass through in a timely fashion. If they aren't working, the impact on boating and leisure boat tourism in Rochester could be devastating and Customs needs to address this problem without delay."

As a result of the heightened security requirements brought on by the September 11 attacks, boaters entering the United States are now required to do one of four things: possess a Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit; possess a Nexus card; report in person to US Customs or INS officials; or check in with immigration officials by videophone. Videophones area a convenient option for boaters to meet reporting requirements as they pass into US waters. With the videophones in disrepair, boaters have been forced to report in person to customs officials, causing major delays and inconvenience.

Schumer successfully sought to get videophones at Rochester, Sodus Bay and Point Breeze to avoid such problems. Schumer mediated a discussion between customs and local officials last year and got them to agree to locate a videophone at Shumway Marine in Irondequoit. With the videophones no longer working, however, Schumer said that boaters could be motivated to go elsewhere to avoid the hassle.

“I appreciate that videophones were installed in Rochester, Point Breeze, and Sodus Bay, but if they do not function properly and it’s not easy for boaters to get to these communities, local economies that rely on tourism during the summer could be left out in the cold,” Schumer wrote in a letter today to Customs Commission Robert C. Bonner. “I urge you to repair the videophones at Rochester with all due speed.”

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