I don't fear this deal either, but for different reasons than the Dubai deal.
However, how hard would it be to get an untrained but cleared american to take a full-time assignment in the bahamas?
They don't have to be trained, the equipment operates itself. Surely the port company doesn't care about that one job, and if they do the customs guy can sit shotgun.
Of course, it will be hard to get to this simple, common-sense solution because the argument will turn to a screaming match about chinese taking over our ports again.
Congress, if it wasn't too busy sending political messages to save it's sorry behind, could have passed a law a few weeks ago requiring a U.S. government employeee to be full-time at every US port terminal run by a foreign company, and at every foreign port terminal loading cargo bound for the U.S.
It wouldn't make us safer, but then we wouldn't have to put up with Chuck Schumer lying (I wonder if Eller wants this contract?) and stupid republican lawmakers trying to out-schumer schumer.
I don't think I'll get any more involved in this discussion, as if all the revelations of the last two weeks about how the opponents to the Dubai deal were taken for a ride haven't changed anybody's opinions, nothing I say will.
Bush already has that agreement with 43 countries but congress has to provide the money for new agents. Hutchinson has no problem with a agent there. they are in other foreign Hutchinson ports and were in DPW. We don't have any trained nor is there money to do so.