Replies

"Duncan is wrong. Big Time."
The opposition are all wrong IF, it can be proven DPW will not in any way pose a security threat. It is so hard for many of us to stomach, I hate to oppose anyone on this issue who feel they cannot be trusted.
But I try to weight all the facts presented, which include the fact that many foreign companies have licences to operate terminals in our ports. Some of us seem to continue to forget the fact American workers run the terminals in essence. This Dubai company in essense would simply make money on the labors of others, just like so many companies do.
If their people have no physical presence at the terminal facilities, nor are foreigners involved in any of the operation they might hire, e.g. our stevadores do the work, and the port security is controled by the state/city/port authorities, and the US customs and US Coast Guard are resposible for the container inspections (that is a known weak area as some have brought up, simply not sufficient tools and personel to inspect all incoming containers, a rather shabby 5% often being thrown out), it would appear DPW has little control over anything in the reality of things.
And if the chicoms where known to have allowed shipment of AK47 into the terminal facilities at Long Beach some years back, why are they still operating there? But that is perhaps a curve ball.
All we can do is wait to hear the verdict on this one as usual. I continue to favor the deal.
Lastly, I am more concerned with why we are not spending huge amounts of money to hire/train/employ whatever level is required to do 100% container inspections. And that little problem has been written about for a number of years. It is not a newly revealed issue. The rubber meets the road at the inspections stations not some shipping company, IMHO.