How A 96-Year-Old Law Has Jeopardized America's Ports

Townhall.com ^ | December 2, 2014 | Jared Meyer

[thackney]

Then why don’t they stop at Canada between all the other coastal Alaska ports on the same trip?

[Stingray51]

The very first example cited by the author (Japan to Hawaii) contradicts his description of what the Jones Act applies to, i.e., transportation between U.S. ports. Poorly written.

[1rudeboy]

To paraphrase Milton Friedman, if you’re looking to save/create jobs, why not have domestic shipments delivered by oar-powered ships?

[Elsie]

Do we REALLY want NAFTA of the Sea?

[azcap]

The “We Love Big Government Protectionism Club” at Free Republic is quite popular.

[sportutegrl]

I don’t know. When I was shopping for an Alaskan cruise, I noticed that all cruise ships stopped in Canada at least once and I was told this was because of the Jones law. There is one cruise line that cruises around the Hawaiian islands but the ship is the Pride of America, an American ship.

[Cold Heart]

The West Coast longshoreman slow down has nothing what so ever to do with the Jones Act.

The article reads like a Hands Up Don’t Shoot sponsor.

[thackney]

Alright, thanks

[Bigg Red]

+1

[Impy]

I oppose anything that empowers unions at the expense of everyone else.

[Cold Heart]

The Jones Act is a National Security Act. That is the reason it has existed for 96 years. It covers NON unionized companies and workers as well. The US Army endorses a US Merchant Marine.

[okie01]

I want jobs kept in America. We have too much outsourcing already.

What purpose is served by screwing the American consumer?

If jobs are to be "kept in America", shouldn't the cost of labor at least be competitive?

[Colorado Doug]

Imagine how expensive flying would be if only planes constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. permanent residents could transport goods and people between American cities? Or, what if all trains had to be built in the United States and all taxis had to be U.S.-made and owned and operated by U.S. permanent residents?

These all sound like pretty good ideas to me.

[morphing libertarian]

China will hall build a huge port facility in Mexico and use Mexican trucks to ship to the US and Canada. LA, Long Beach and Seattle will lose 75% of their business.

[bicyclerepair]

After reading article and you all’s comments, I’m leaning towards TJA. Why not err on the side of nat’l security?

Yeah, make all the planes and cars here too. Let’s go for it.

[onedoug]

US Merchant Marine Academy

Had an alumnus math teacher in HS who took the time with me. I always appreciated that, and his alma mater.

[X Fretensis]

I am not sure that I would state the American ship building industry is booming. Since 1980 only 25 break bulk, RORO, container, LNG, barge carriers and ore carrier ships have been built in American ship yards. No cruise liners have been built here. The only bright spot in American shipbuilding is medium capacity tankers, of which 69 have been built since 1980. Since the year 2000 only three shipyards have built any commercial ships, Avondale in New Orleans, NASSCO at San Diego and Aker in Philadelphia. The big ship yards in Maine, Virginia and the Gulf Coast rely almost exclusively on construction or repair of ships for our Navy. Without Navy work, they would all close. I have read that Avondale is suppose to close in the near future.

[rdb3]

Apples and oranges. The slowdown in the ports are due to the longshoremen and then obsolence of the port facilities. The Jones Act doesn’t have anything to do with either of those.

Thank you. It's obvious, but many still miss it for some reason.

Jesus Christ: You can’t impeach Him and He ain’t gonna resign.