What exactly does it mean to "run our ports"?

[napi21]

I did a quick google of this deal to have 6 of our US ports run by a Gov't Company in the UAE.

Here's the link I looked at.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,185107,00.html

I see, they currently are being "run" buy a London based company.

I understand all the reasons why we wouldn't want any control in the hands of the UAE, but can someone tell me exactly what it means to "run the ports"? WHAT exactly do they do????

[Botany]

1. it so they can bring in a WMD and set it off .....

........ someplace so as to allow * & company to declare martial law and use their
newly built "camp" that KBR built for 400 million bucks.

:tinfoilhat:

[jus_the_facts]

2. Yeah down on the Louisiana coast....the port of New Orleans....

:evilfrown:

:tinfoilhat:

[flobee1]

3. Call me crazy but....

Isnt this what he said would happen if Kerry was elected?

the outsourcing of our security?

[emulatorloo]

6. disgusting, isn;t it?

And By The Way WELCOME TO DU!!!!!! :hi:

[0rganism]

9. bushco always accuses opponents of exactly what they did or plan to do

It's become something of a trademark, really. Very effective, very underhanded.

[napi21]

4. No, you don't understand my question. What things does a

port operator do? No matter what compay it is. Operationally, or physically, what exactly do they do?

I guess I'm wondering why someone in the US doesn't just do our own? I don't know what they do! Do they schedule the ships? Do they hore the customs agents to clear the loads?

Do you see what I mean?

[Botany]

5. sorry ....

.... I was being a smart ass.

Port operation would coordinate shipping in & out, docks, rail and truck pick up and delivery of
cargo, infrastructure, and would coordinate with labor jobs to be done. They would also be
responsible for some aspects of security.

As to why a foreign company is doing this ..... I bet it has to do with money or who somebody
knows ..... we are in a race to the bottom.

[napi21]

7. No prob. I've been a smart ass all my life! I'm really worried about

this deal with the UAE though. I wonder how long this London based Co. has done the job? Have we EVER done it ourselves?

The thing that bothers me the most is that when they had that announcement on Dobbs' show, it was "The WH has just said they REFUSE to reconsider this decision." Secretary Snow has made the decision!!!!

What the hell is going on here? Even a CFO of a major Corp. will listen to his chief associates objections if there are enough of them!

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. P & O built up the list of US ports from 1999 to 2001

# USA Acquired ITO – multiport stevedore/terminal operator, June 1999.
...
# New Orleans, USA Acquired Gulf Services, also in May 2000.
...
# New York, USA November 2000, entered into joint venture (PNCT) with P&O Nedlloyd in Port of New York and New Jersey with terminal capacity of 1M TEUs.
...
# Baltimore, USA Awarded 6 year contract to manage two facilities in May 2001.

http://portal.pohub.com/portal/page?_pageid=36,1,36_31151:36_32105&_dad=pogprtl&_schema=POGPRTL

P & O and its partner bought the Port Newark Container Terminal from Maersk (a Danish company) and Universal Maritime Service Corp., whose main claim to fame seems to be a court case with a longshoreman, if the Google search is anything to go by.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. Do they run the hot and cold

water during the different seasons??? Talk about smart ass.... hee hee!!! Yeah.. I'd like to know just wtf they do.... run the port indeed. :)

[Cleita]

10. I'm not an expert, but having been to sea and lived near a

commercial port, I think that there is a lot that has to be done, like docking the ships that are coming in. I think they have to be issued permits before they can enter a harbor and dock. Then the ships have to be unloaded and then loaded again so you have longshoremen to be concerned about as well as passengers from cruise ships.

Then there's the customs and looking for drugs and contraband. It's pretty involved and I don't think private companies or other countries should be doing it, especially while we are having a "war on terra". I was surprised to learn that this has been outsourced particularly since the brouhaha about illegals crossing into here from Mexico because they could be "terraists".

[napi21]

13. Doesn't every Country have their own regulations, and whatever

Company "runs the port" would have to comply with those regs? I guess my question is, when BMW owns a plant in SC and their profits all go back to their home Country, they still have to operate under US laws. I hate the idea that we are not running these ports ourselves, but aren't there some kind of monitoring agencies to make sure things are being done right? After all, US Customs does work out of there too!

[Cleita]

17. All, I can say is that I hope there is some government

oversight there. It would seem to me that the city or county that the port is in should be running it. I think Port of Los Angeles is run by the city or county or it used to be when I lived there. It would seem to be the right thing to do.

[Ksec]

11. Its amazing the amount of security theyve

given up for a few bucks in profits and paybacks.

Our corporations and the GOP which is literally owned by them, have become antiAmerican. Theyve sold the American worker down the road. Theyve endangered us by transferring American wealth to China which is becoming a military threat second to none.

The transfer of wealth and jobs is treasonous enough without even considering the future threats this will bring down on us.

Is anyone paying attention?

[oneighty]

12. Union busting be my bet

Union wages are a terrible burden to port authorities and shippers.

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[napi21]

14. Does that mean all the longshoremen would work for this UAE Co?

If that's true, and they really are trying to bust the union, I'm glad I don't live or work near any port! I grew up in Pgh, and the steel unions. They were tough! But word was they were NOTHING like the longshoremen!

[oneighty]

16. Just a thought on my part

Longshoremen men may be tough but losing a job takes wind out of anyone's sails. Recall the strike in California early on in the Iraq invasion. I think the military was about to be called in to take over.

Of course it can happen again.

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