Port Sales
Right now there is a whole lot of noise going on about the sale of some ports. The Port Of Miami is one of the ports up for sale. This port is not too far from where I live.
Anyway - one part of me says "who cares". After all, what is this company going to do? Pack the Port Of Miami up and ship it out? And the security of the port is still in the charge of the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security.
Also, the ports up for sale have been "owned" by a United Kingdom firm for some time now.
Plus, it is unclear to me exactly what the company owned - and what exactly is for sale. I was under the impression that the Port of Miami was being administered by Dade County. I think I remember seeing Miami-Dade County marked vehicles at the port, while I was out in the boat. This would have been in the cargo area, the cruise ship area has a terminal which I have never set foot inside of.
On the other hand, this sale causes some concern for me. A foreign company administering USA ports? Can't a domestic company do this? There HAS TO be money to be made in that place. Or if the County is not running the port - why the hell not? Miami-Dade County could manage the port just fine. The County already runs a major international airport, and the roof only leaks when it rains. But more importantly, the airfield at Miami International has passed FAA inspection with the highest rating for decades. The terminal roof may leak, but the airport is a safe and secure place for aircraft to operate from. So why do we need a foreign company to manage - and make a profit from - our seaport when that profit could go to the PUBLIC and not into the pockets of some asshole overseas. This is what I do not get.
But most of all - the fact that Bush is so in favor of the sale causes me great alarm. He is going to use his veto for the first time in his two terms now? What is in it for him? There has to be something in this sale for him. Just exactly what I can not even begin to speculate on - I just know there has to be something.
posted by The Lazy Iguana @ 22:29
5 Comments:
Iguana!
I think it is pretty clearly a "pay off" to the UAE for allowing US warplanes to use their fuel and bases to bomb Al-Qaeda-uhh, Iraq into the stoneage for their WMD's, err, or something.
Bush claims to have known nothing about the deal until 2 days ago? Is that a reassurance? Ports were highlighted as the major weakness in US domestic security, so you'd think someone one the panel that claims to have investigated this would have brought up the fact that 2 of the 9/11 hijackers were from the UAE. The Bush governmental policy seems to be based on "hindsight",and is devoid of "foresight"
Lets throw into this mess of lies that the US Secretary John Snow has close ties to the Dubai company [yet claims he learned about the sale through the media]and more than likely Dick "Shooter" Cheney's baby Halliburton has been in bed with Dubai Ports World, as well.
People deserve the government they elect. The first Bush victory was a robbery, the second is the fault of all those who voted for him... Nonetheless, no-one deserves a leader with this little integrity and brainpower.
VL
Ditto. Plus, we have only the Coast Guard to do security in the ports, and they can only check 5% of what comes in. Pretty good odds for terrorists and other nogoodniks, if you ask me.
So, if we leave the running of the ports to a different nationality, especially one that has sided w/ terrorists before, they definately are in the position to take advantage of that 95%.
as far as ownership goes it reminds of when the Japanese were in the process in buying everything on the West Coast and subsequently lost their socks in ownership
I do not know how much of the ports is "owned", or what exactly is managed. What I DO know is that the profit from the Port of Miami ought to go to the TAXPAYERS of Dade County, and not to a group of men in suits living over seas. The multi-national companies have executives who do not live here, so any money that they get from US ports is money sucked OUT of here and sent over there.
I say - keep it all HERE. Miami-Dade County could use the money.
Your last paragraph hit the nail on the head. With this administration more than any other we have to "follow the money" in order to find out what really motivates their behavior on ANY subject. Great post.
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