摘要: |
If I have learned one thing in my 53 years in the marine business, it's that the cards are generally not stacked in favor of small business when it comes to winning disputes with the government. While there are processes in place to allow operators to disagree with rulings, time is not generally in our favor. As a marine operator, I can disagree with my Coast Guard inspector. Everyone has the right to appeal a decision within 30 days of an inspector's notification of a deficiency. This is not a very complicated process. But the problem is that while I must appeal within 30 days of receving a deficiency notice, the Coast Guard has no such time constraint to rule on my appeal. During this time, I am faced with mounting costs and lost business. |