[QUOTE=capitanahn;43031]If I can add what foreign mariners enjoy is that they do not usually pay rents or sometimes mortgages at all (about 90% of population). Even if they usually make less than U.S. Mariners but their disposable income may be higher. Next big differece is their income tax specially rated for the income generated outside of the country.( from 1% ~10%?) We know how much we have to pay for taxes, federal, state, city…etc…
.[/QUOTE]
If you want to do a 12 month straight hitch, or base yourself in another country, you too can get a tax break.
[QUOTE=CaptAndrew;43039]If you want to do a 12 month straight hitch, or base yourself in another country, you too can get a tax break.[/QUOTE]
The above is True, with the caveat that time sailing in international waters doesn’t count for US tax exemptions, time sailing in an others country’s EEZ will, (ref US Tax Pub 54) 
[QUOTE=anchorman;42546]The obvious answer, to me, would be to have an international register of ships, Certificates of Equivalency issued only to those US flagged ships under the register, and to have a separate register for those in the Jones Act trade where CEC’s are not valid. This is a valid approach done by other countries to become STCW compliant while observing cabotage laws. Some flag states go as far as making CECs’ valid only for a specific ship.[/QUOTE]
That is what this forum’s members should be putting in the comments. This solicitation for comments is requesting input in how to implement this policy, not whether or not to implement it at all. We should give comments asking them to limit the CECs to vessels that are already legally allowed to carry foreigners (that excludes the waiver boats).
This policy will not allow foreigners onto US ships that aren’t already allowed, but set guidelines for deciding what foreign documents are equivalent to ours and are legitimately issued so that the American vessels with foreign mariners won’t get into trouble for being improperly crewed.
If you are worried that it will allow foreigners into AMO and MM&P then get the unions to make citizenship requirements or say that their members must have USCG licenses, not CECs.
Lastly, write your congressmen to let them know that you are opposed to the repeal of the Jones Act and that you are outraged at the abuse of the ‘no available US mariners’ clause in the USC!!!