President Jimmie Carter’s Non Visit.

Senator Proxmire had been making a name for himself in the country with his anti  business expense account  policies.  There was inflation and interest rates as high as 23 per cent.  It was a very depressed time for businesses across the country.  President Carter released a news release supporting Senator Proxmire’s position disallowing all business-entertaining expenses.  My business and many others were very dependent on Corporate Entertaining.

My telephone rang one morning and a reporter from Newsweek Magazine asked my opinion of President Carter’s position.   I was never a fan of President Jimmie Carter and his beer drinking Red Neck Brother Billy.  His bible-thumping sister, with the Jailbird son and best friend Larry Flint of Hustler Magazine.  I felt that whole First Family was something more a kin to a low life soap opera and most of the time was an embarrassment with their trashy antics.  I cringed every time President Carter traveled out side  our country.  Very often he made such blunders with protocol that he set foreign relations back. 

So when this reporter from Newsweek  asked me the question; “What do you think of Jimmie Carter’s  stand against business entertaining”?

I gave a very strong reply.  It headlined his article in bold print;

“What do expect from a peanut farmer who thinks Formal Entertainment is serving Kool Aid on the White House Lawn”?

States: Mary K. Smalley, President of Mariner Yacht Charters, whose business is 90 percent Corporate Entertaining on San Francisco Bay.

I put the incident out of my mind.  It was a few weeks later I received a call from the Mayor’s office asking if my Yacht; “The Mariner II” was available on a particular date the following month.  I checked and said it was available.  They booked the date for President Carter because he  was making a tour of Oakland and the Bay.

Having had  political people on board,  we were prepared to go through all the security checks.

About a week before the Presidential Cruise,  I was having lunch at the “SirLoin Restaurant” on Grand Ave.  with a client.  When some friends  came in  laughing and waving the magazine at us. “You made News Week Magazine,  with that quote about President Carter”  they chuckled.

I had forgotten the whole thing.  and had to read the article to refresh my memory.  “ Oh yes,  that was a pretty good one line jab.”  I say, proudly,  rather pleased with my acid wit.

Two days later I receive a telephone call form the Mayor’s office canceling the  cruise. Telling  me they have decided it would be more appropriate to use the Oakland Fire Boat, for the President’s tour.

I guess someone pointed out the article in News Week.

I laughed and said we won’t  be getting much business from the White House this administration.  Oh well…..