2 U.S. firms on short list to operate terminals

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | March 10, 2006 | By William Glanz

[.cnI redruM]

The list of U.S. companies most prepared to operate terminals at six ports DP World planned to take over is short. SSA Marine and Maher Terminals appear to be candidates to operate ports in New York, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami, Philadelphia and Newark, N.J., after the decision by DP World yesterday to end weeks of political controversy by divesting itself of the terminals. Sen. John W. Warner, Virginia Republican and chairman of the Armed Services Committee, satisfied lawmakers who opposed DP World's takeover of terminal operations when he read a statement on the Senate floor signaling the company's decision to bow to pressure from Congress

[.cnI redruM]

As much as I hoped they ere in the running, neither Haliburton nor The Carlyle Group will acquire the ports Dubai World Ports is selling it's intrest in.

[umgud]

We need to know which politicians have stocks in these companies.

[SC_Republican]

nor should they.....thats not thier core business


microsoft wont be taking over GM anytime soon

[sarasota]

As Donald Trump said on Larry King last night: They'll probably sell it to a US company they have stock ownership in. Would imagine they'll get their money's worth, one way or another.

[trubluolyguy]

But...but I thoguht there was no U.S. firms that could run the ports?

Another Pro UAE argument flushed down the crapper.

[rhombus]

I can't find a ticker symbol for these companies.

[eyespysomething]

http://www.ssamarine.com/news/articles/010804.html

Jon Hemingway, SSA Marine's CEO:

With regard to the USAID contract SSA Marine won in April 2003 to reopen and operate the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, Hemingway finds it "hilarious" to have been portrayed as a Republican donor.

"Neither me, nor any member of my family has made a contribution to a presidential campaign of any side," he says, betraying a slight impatience. "And over the past five years, more money has gone to the Democrats than the Republicans. "The only politicians I have contributed to are those I personally know and have great admiration for, such as Norm Dicks, congressman for Washington State, and senator Patty Murray - we [Murray and I] grew up together," he explains.

[.cnI redruM]

SSA gives to Osuama Bin Murray! I'd rather have Dubai in charge of our ports than those guys.

I wonder if they model their company benefits on all the day care centers Sen. Murray says OBL opened in Afghanistan while the Taliban was in charge?

[.cnI redruM]

I'm actually somewhat relieved to see that their are. It would have been a RAGING clusterf--k if we had to bring the Brits or someone else back in because we couldn't do it ourselves.

[blaquebyrd]

Exactly, we were fed a big pile of BS.

[eyespysomething]

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?Order=N&txtName=Maher&txtState=&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=&txt2002=&txt2000=&txt1998=&txt1996=&txt1994=&txt1992=&txt1990=&txtSoft=N

MAHER, BASIL
CHATHAM,NJ 07928 MAHER TERMINALS INC 3/31/2005 $2,100 Kean Jr, Thomas H

MAHER, BASIL
CHATHAM,NJ 07928 MAHER TERMINALS INC 3/31/2005 $2,100 Kean Jr, Thomas H

MAHER, BASIL
CHATHAM,NJ 07928 MAHER TERMINALS INC. 3/23/2005 $2,100 Menendez, Robert

MAHER, M BRIAN
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 MAHER TERMINALS INC 3/31/2005 $2,100 Kean Jr, Thomas H

MAHER, M BRIAN
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 MAHER TERMINALS INC 3/31/2005 $2,100 Kean Jr, Thomas H

MAHER, M BRIAN
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 MAHER TERMINALS/CHAIRMAN AND C.E.O 3/23/2005 $2,100 Menendez, Robert

MAHER, MICHAEL J
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 MAHER TERMINALS INC./CONSULTANT 3/23/2005 $2,100 Menendez, Robert

MAHER, SANDRA M
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 HOMEMAKER 3/23/2005 $2,100 Menendez, Robert

MAHER, BASIL
CHATHAM,NJ 07928 MAHER TERMINALS INC./TERMINAL OPERA 3/23/2005 $1,900 Menendez, Robert

MAHER, M BRIAN
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 MAHER TERMINALS/CHAIRMAN AND C.E.O 3/23/2005 $1,900 Menendez, Robert

MAHER, MICHAEL J
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 MAHER TERMINALS INC./CONSULTANT 3/23/2005 $1,900 Menendez, Robert

MAHER, SANDRA M
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 HOMEMAKER 3/23/2005 $1,900 Menendez, Robert

MAHER, BASIL
CHATHAM,NJ 07928 MAHER TERMINALS 3/28/2005 $1,000 Lautenberg, Frank R

MAHER, M BRIAN
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 MAHER TERMINALS 3/28/2005 $1,000 Lautenberg, Frank R

MAHER, MICHAEL
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 MAHER TERMINALS 3/28/2005 $1,000 Lautenberg, Frank R

MAHER, SANDRA
SHORT HILLS,NJ 07078 HOMEMAKER 3/28/2005 $1,000 Lautenberg, Frank R

[eyespysomething]

Ping to posts #7 and #11

[.cnI redruM]

Guess who two of the biggest America-Firster Senators on this were?

Menendez, Robert (Swag = $16,000.00)
Lautenberg, Frank (Swag = $4,000.00)

Any statistics on Schumer or Murray????

[kaktuskid]

SSA is supposedly a non-union company...chew on that Longshoreman thugs!

[.cnI redruM]

Osauma Bin Murray must scold them over that one.

[Logical me]

And I suppose it is just a coincidence that these companies all of a sudden have an interest. Maybe before you speak we should find out why they never bid before. No stopped them.

[Logical me]

Correction: Nobody stopped them.

[trubluolyguy]

And I suppose it is just a coincidence that these companies all of a sudden have an interest. Maybe before you speak we should find out why they never bid before. No stopped them.

---

I agree with you that it should be looked at. My comment was simply that one of the arguments in favor of the deal with the UAE was that there were no U.S. companies that could do the job. Now we get this news. Once again, the kool-aiders are wrong.

[Mr. Jeeves]

But...but I thoguht there was no U.S. firms that could run the ports?

Probably none that aren't "mobbed-up", union-controlled conduits of funds to the Democratic Party. But they've been needing a funding boost, and Chuckie Schumer came through admirably for his party on this one.

[noexcuses]

Maybe before you speak we should find out why they never bid before.

The easy answer is that they didn't have the 6.9 billion dollars to compete. P&O sold a package deal. The ports are a small part of that deal.