Okay so how long have our ports not been owned / run by the US?

[WePurrsevere]

Although I know I'm not the only person who was unaware I must admuit that I feel a bit foolish that it never occured to me that our ports could be owned by anyone other then the US no less a business outside the US.

Does anyone know the history of our ports ownership and operations? When did we last actually own and run our own ports and who has owned them since we first sold them? All I know is about the UK selling them to the UAE and my admittedly quick Google search didn't yield much.

TIA B-)

[enigami]

1. The politicians (both sides) and their corporate handlers

sold this country out years ago. Not just the ports but everything else too.

[rodeodance]

2. Kerry told us several times during the campaign

[Richardo]

3. It's a complex question.

Some ports are state entities, some are private concerns, some are 'special districts' within a political jurisdiction (state, county, local, etc).

Ports usally hire a terminal operating company to run the cranes, manage the traffic, etc. To me the issue is not that this work is 'privatized' but WHO it is privatized to. A company owned by a foreign government (ANY foreign government) would be right off my list.

Much as US domestic freight MUST be handled by a US carrier (The Jones Act) I think the operations of US ports should be as much as possible performed by, or at least under the supervision of, US entities.

[Coastie for Truth]

5. The change in operational management

coincided with the transition from "break bulk" to "roll on-roll off" and then to "containers." The change in technology began in the late 1960's to early 1970's.

I would favor bringing port operators under the Jones Act.

[WePurrsevere]

11. The Jones Act... I don't recall learning about that so Googled it...

Although I don't have time to read it all right now (but will later) from what I found quickly it does sound like the ports could be added to that. If so that would be an excellent idea.

[sandnsea]

4. P&O is an old old old company

Been around since 1830. Not quite the same thing as the UAE. Still, a country has to have some control over its own assets to still be considered a country. It would seem to me, ports and borders is one of them.

[WePurrsevere]

7. I agree w/ "ports and borders is one of them". n/t

[ramapo]

6. My thoughts exactly

I posted on another thread that the issue should've been that this is another outsourcing deal....send more money overseas. Somebody replied that there aren't any American companies that do this.

Doesn't that seem rather absurd? No American companies specialize in running port operations. Unbelievable. We're a country on morons that deserve whatever crappy economic condition we inflict upon ourselves.

[slor]

8. I have tried to find out that info...

have not had much luck. It is an important question, because I do not think it has been a long standing relationship. I seem to remember hearing as recently as the year 2000 for one of the ports. But as I said, I do not know...hopefully someone with a better knowledge of this area will respond.

[Emit]

9. I was unaware too, and found this info the other day

During the Clinton administration, a Long Beach port (and perhaps others) was sold to Hutchinson-Wampoa (known as COSCO -- China Ocean Shipping Company, a state -owned enterprise of the People's Republic of China).

for details:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=485828&mesg_id=486258

[slor]

10. I found a link that...

that mentions P&O signing a 30 year lease in 2000. Needless to say, 2006 is well short of that.


<http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-19-port-steps_x.htm>

[WePurrsevere]

12. So P&O leased the ports from the states & is basically sub-leasing to UAE?

If NY can cancel it's lease with P&O then the port belongs to the state and like any landlord the state should have a right to approve whomever the tenant (P&O) wants to sub-lease too (UAE) right?

New York's legal options could include canceling the lease for operation, effectively shutting out Dubai Ports World from port activities. P&O signed a 30-year lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 2000 to operate the Port Newark Container Terminal.

Okay... to go a step further... Who owns/runs the entry "ports" at the Canadian and Mexican borders? Who owns/runs the entry "ports" at the International Airports? There's a heck of a lot of International Commerce that comes into our country that way as well so who's in charge there?

[Deja Q]

13. Maybe the UK is playing a game with the US...

Looks like it's working.

B)