From: Tom Warner <[log in to unmask]> 04/06/03 11:16PM >>>
Subject: A Message to our Clients and Friends
M A R A Z U L C H A R T E R S , I N C .
725 River Rd.
Edgewater, NJ 07020
http://www.marazulcharters.com
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(800) 223 - 5334
April 4, 2003
Dear Clients and Friends,
As you know, the U.S. has maintained restrictions on travel
to Cuba for most of the last 40 years. For the past dozen
years, the door has opened more and more, and tens of
thousands of people like yourselves have traveled to Cuba on
educational, humanitarian, and religious licenses. On March
24th, the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets
Control (OFAC) which issues these licenses - announced
they are eliminating the license for people to people
educational exchange, the second largest category of travel
to Cuba (after family visits).....(see further arguments at bottom)
We urge you to do the following as quickly as possible:
- Write to OFAC (they will accept comments until May 23) at:
Chief of Records Attn: Request for Comments
Office of Foreign Assets Control
Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20220
- Send a copy of your letter to your Congressional
representative and your Senators and urge them to join the
House or Senate Cuba Working Groups (see attached lists),
both of which are leading efforts to end the travel
restrictions.
- Send us copies of your correspondence.
If we remain silent, our rights will be taken away and the
progress we have made will be reversed. Freedom is a
constant struggle and we need to act immediately.
The Senate Cuba Working Group
-----------------------------
Member List
Democrats
1. Max Baucus, MT
2. Byron Dorgan, ND
3. Maria Cantwell, WA
4. Blanche Lincoln, AR
5. Jeff Bingaman, NM
6. Chris Dodd, CT
Republicans
1. Michael Enzi, WY
2. Chuck Hagel, NE
3. Norm Coleman, MN
4. Jim Talent, MO
5. Pat Roberts, KS
6. Kit Bond, MO
The House Cuba Working Group
----------------------------
Member List
Democrats
1. Neil Abercombie (HI-01)
2. Tammy Baldwin (WI-02)
3. Howard Berman (CA-26)
4. Marion Berry (AR-01)
5. William Lacy Clay (MO-01)
6. Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
7. William Delahunt (MA-10)
8. Rosa DeLauro (CT-3)
9. Cal Dooley (CA-20)
10. Sam Farr (CA-17)
11. Nick Lampson (TX-09)
12. Stephen Lynch (MA-09)
13. Jim McGovern (MA-03)
14. Collin Peterson (MN-07)
15. Charlie Rangel (NY-15)
16. Mike Ross (AR-04)
17. Vic Snyder (AR-02)
18. Hilda Solis (CA-31)
19. Charlie Stenholm (TX-17)
20. John Tanner (TN-08)
21. Mike Thompson (CA-01)
22. Edolphus Towns (NY-10)
23. Chris Van Hollen (MD-8)
24. Mike Doyle (PA-14)
Republicans
1. John Boozman (AR-03)
2. Kevin Brady (TX-08)
3. Dave Camp (MI-04)
4. Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08)
5. Jeff Flake (AZ-01)
6. Sam Graves (MO-06)
7. Wally Herger (CA-02)
8. Tim Johnson (IL-05)
9. Ray LaHood (IL-18)
10. Jim Leach (IA-01)
11. Jerry Moran (KS-01)
12. George Nethercutt (WA-05)
13. Tom Osborne (NE-03)
14. Butch Otter (ID-01)
15. Ron Paul (TX-14)
16. Jim Ramstad (MN-03)
17. Dennis Rehberg (MT-At Large)
18. Paul Ryan (WI-01)
19. Chris Shays (CT-04)
20. John Shimkus (IL-20)
21. Nick Smith (MI-07)
22. Pat Tiberi (OH-12)
23. Edward Whitfield (KY-1)
24. Jim Greenwood (PA-8)
Under this license, ordinary people from our country have
been able to travel and exchange with their counterparts on
the island. They have visited urban and rural communities,
museums and galleries of all varieties, schools from day
care through the university level, polyclinics and
hospitals, and developing architectural treasures from Old
Havana to Trinidad to Camaguey to Santiago. They have
traveled through the length and breadth of Cuba visiting
with people from all walks of life, exchanging ideas and
experiences, breaking through walls of prejudice and
preconceptions nurtured through lack of contact. They have
experienced the incredibly rich, intertwined cultural lives
of both our countries grounded in our common multi-racial,
multi-national heritage. They have found that we listen to
the same music and watch and play the same sports. Lives
have been enriched here and there. The world has been made a
little better place.
75% of the American people as a whole and half of the
Cuban-American community in Miami are opposed to
any travel restrictions to Cuba.
A majority in the House of Representatives voted last year to end
enforcement of these restrictions. Ignoring the public and the Congress,
OFAC has acted to end these educational exchanges, further restricting
our freedom as Americans to travel.
In solidarity,
Thomas W. Warner (Secretary Seattle/Cuba Friendship Committee)
8923 2nd Ave. N.E.
Seattle, WA, 98115
(206) 523-1720
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http://www.seattlecuba.org
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