Posted on 03/07/2006 4:47:40 PM PST by Tulsa Ramjet
In Washington today, House Republicans vowed to defy President Bush's effort to have a Dubai company take over six major U.S. ports. But ABC News has learned about a port threat from within — a major security breach at the ports of New York and New Jersey.
The two ports handle millions of tons of cargo, with scores of cruise ships passing through each year. Truckers who transport much of the cargo are issued ID cards, which give them access to all areas of the port.
ABC News has learned that the cards, given to thousands of truckers by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, were issued with virtually no background checks. The Department of Homeland Security recently investigated the New York and New Jersey ports, and found stunning gaps in security.
The new DHS report, obtained by ABC News, shows that of the 9,000 truckers checked, nearly half had evidence of criminal records. More than 500 held bogus driver's licenses, leaving officials unsure of their real identities.
"We have no idea who's in the ports. And many of the folks who come in to service the ports, that drive the trucks back and forth, are people who don't have very distinguished backgrounds. May have criminal backgrounds," said Stephen Flynn, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan think tank.
The intelligence report found truck drivers had been convicted of homicide, assault, weapons charges, sex offenses, arson, drug dealing, identity theft and cargo theft.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Hidden behind a veil called Unions
If it's happening there no doubt it's happening here.
Unions can kiss my @@@. I worked in a union only shop and trust me other than taking my money they were pro mgmt. not pro worker.
Clue: The ports are ALREADY corrupt and dangerous.
And they're Americans!
The unions CANNOT be happy about this.........somebody's going to LOOK into the ports!
NO way would I want that job. I'm sure the ports in Philly are mob run (union run)also.
Yep
Unions can kiss my @@@. I worked in a union only shop and trust me other than taking my money they were pro mgmt. not pro worker.
I worked as a meat cutter many many moons ago and had to join a Union
They took my money and I got nothing in return also
I'm thinking it's a pretty good bet the mob unions won't like this one bit
Exactly. Problems at the ports have nothing to do with which company has the contract to unload containers.
Paying attention to the Port Authorities (US gov't entities!) matters more.
BTW .. this is one example of why I am worried about this port deal
The problem is--this is how it is NOW--before the Dubai takeover. Can't blame the CFIUS for this.
Can't blame the CFIUS for this.
No reason to blame. We just need to fix it:
Define the problem
Fix it.
Identify the root cause
Take corrective action
Evaluate solution
Yes they are already corrupt. Now where are the Senators from NY and NJ and what exactly are they really protecting with their theatrical port deal protests?
A trucker with a criminal background? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!
Well, as a truck driver and the owner of a small trucking company, let me give you some facts.
The Ports of NY and NJ handle more than 2,382,600 container shipments a year.
There are more than 3 million licensed commercial drivers active today.
So they think they found 500 with "bogus" licenses? That doesn't amount to a mole on an gnat's arse. Please define bogus for me. The system is so screwed up that once I was told my license was "probably" fraudulent because the state I used to live in reported it as "returned-inactive". I had simply moved and turned it in, as per the law, to receive a new one.
Of the 9,000 truckers checked, nearly half had evidence of criminal records. Did you know that a logbook violation can be considered a "criminal offense"? A simple math error, and you could be a criminal.
There is no doubt that there is some criminal element in trucking, that goes without saying, but, the labor laws say we can not discriminate against a person who has served their time. I once had an application from a convicted murderer. He even received a pardon from the former governor...8 years after he was released. I did not want to hire him. But this guy knew his rights. I can't say what I did, but suffice it to say he never did get behind the wheel of one of my trucks.
"The logs also highlighted an incident involving "four cabs without containers [which] exited the terminal without stopping at the red light and ignored verbal commands to stop."
Well, for many years, that was the procedure at all ports and railheads. If you have no trailer/container on, proceed directly to the exit, do not stop, just get out. It still is the practice at many ports and railheads.
I, and my drivers, have had extensive background checks, and training from DHS. We've gone through several different processes to make sure we weren't bad guys. FAST, SEA LINK, Highway Watch, etc. We've been through the system more than 6 times. As well, our trucks are routinely xray'd coming out of the ports and the railheads.(well before the exit gates)
Now, as for the so called criminal element, consider this...
Port work is just about the lowest paying type of trucking there is. Ever noticed the trucks that pull containers? They are the oldest, least kept up trucks on the road, now you know why.
Most truckers are under educated, and under employed/under paid. It stands to reason that they won't have the money to hire an attorney to defend themselves when, not if, they are charged with a crime. It also stands to reason they will be blamed...just because.
This article is just more leftie nutso MSM crap to throw at the Bush admin. I'm gettin' real sick of it, too.
:O)
P
For those of you who do not know or understand, the waterfront has always been a place for employment for many of the lawless so to speak. Also, where does one work after being released from prison. Either we keep them in jail for life, keep them on welfare or let them work and be a part of society again.
Crimeny. Is anyone in Congress paying a BIT of attention to anything except infighting?
Since when has the Mob hidden itself?
As the term "US Government Agency" is normally used, a state agency is not one.
Did you see how casually that federal judge tossed the state of New Jersey out of court in their lawsuit on the "ports" deal? That's because the state of New Jersey, through the New York Port Authority (to which it is a signatory) let the contracts and leases that involve the control of the property at issue. If there can be a solution, it's gotta' come from New Jersey ~ unfortunately, that's a Mob controlled state, top to bottom.
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