Bureaucracy, stupid regulation... and oh yeah... Congress' meddling hand will prevent the Delta Queen, the last original paddle wheel boat from continuing operation:

Depending on whom you ask, the reason Congress has opposed granting the Queen its 10th exemption since the federal law was approved is either a legitimate fear of fire on a wooden vessel, or special-interest politics.

"It's a revered and historic structure - but it's wood," said Representative James L. Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat who refused Majestic's request for an exemption in his position as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "I see no compelling case that can be made to move an exemption."

But Majestic's owner, Ambassadors International, says the real issue is opposition from the Seafarers International Union, which represented most of the steamboat's employees until last year. At that time, Majestic bought the Delta Queen and two other riverboats for $40 million and forced the union off the boats.

Joseph McCarthy, general counsel for Ambassadors International, said the company had offered to let the union back on the Delta Queen in return for the union's support for the exemption, but the union would not budge unless it was welcomed back onto all seven of Majestic's boats.

Don't mess with the unions... or they'll send you to the bottom of the river.  Another wonderful example of how "well intentioned" regulations can be used by special interest groups to strong arm people into submission, or destroy historic structures.  Also nice to know that those in power are so easily swayed by special interests at the cost of a historic monument.