Last month, the Port of Oakland reached a major funding milestone of nearly $350 million for harbor deepening and maintenance, thereby enhancing its position as a leading U.S. ocean cargo export gateway.
The Port of Oakland recently reached a funding milestone of nearly $350 million for harbor deepening and maintenance. Photo by Joel Williams
By Patrick Burnson
Published: November, 2011
Last month, the Port of Oakland reached a major funding milestone of nearly $350 million for harbor deepening and maintenance, thereby enhancing its position as a leading U.S. ocean cargo export gateway.
"Deeper vessel channels mean that the port can remain globally competitive, support job retention and growth and drive positive economic impact for the region, state and nation," said Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who helped drive the initiative.
Of the nearly $350 million, Lee has ensured that the port received $242 million for harbor deepening and $103 million for maintenance dredging. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already begun its annual maintenance dredging that keeps Oakland’s harbor navigable and at a depth of minus 50 feet.
Lee also co-sponsored H.R. 104, which would ensure that harbor maintenance tax collection is spent every year for dredging. Annually, port customers pay taxes into the harbor maintenance trust fund with assurances that the money will be available to pay for navigational maintenance and harbor improvements. Industry observers, note, however, that the revenues deposited in the fund are not always being fully spent.
The Port of Oakland intends to reverse that trend by investing these funds rather than adding to a surplus of over $5 billion.
Port spokesmen noted that 2,000 container ships call Oakland each year, and many leave fully-loaded with California exports. Indeed, Oakland is the only major container port on the U.S. West Coast that exports more than it imports, with the volume of its export business at 55 percent and imports at 45 percent.
Jock O’Connell, Beacon Economics’ international trade adviser, said that he expects continued gains in California’s export trade through the remainder of the year, as the U.S. and world economies overcome the negative shocks that hit earlier in the year.
Despite occasional dockside labor disruptions, Oakland has been and continues to be a premier U.S. export seaport for agricultural goods. Its terminals are relatively new and uncrowded. The port is also close to California’s Central Valley and the wine country. Furthermore, the port is the only U.S. west coast gateway that has all top 20 ocean carriers with regular service.
ILWU Supports ‘Occupy’ Protests
From the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Oakland headquarters comes this statement in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests:
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
On behalf of 40,000 members in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), I want to thank you for organizing your "Occupy Wall Street" protest in New York City which is inspiring millions of Americans.
Most of us are tired of seeing a handful of the richest corporations and executives behave as though they’re entitled to live like kings at everyone’s expense:
They aren’t paying their fair share of taxes, so schools are cutting back and colleges are raising fees—leaving students with obscene debts. It’s time for the millionaires – the richest 1 percent—to start paying their fair share so we can support education and other vital services.
They’re destroying our democracy and right to a voice in the workplace. By making it almost impossible for workers to form unions and negotiate fair agreements, corporate America is dragging down the living standards for all working families.
They’re threatening to destroy Social Security and Medicare for future generations. We can’t allow corporations to privatize and profit from these programs. Instead, we should close the loopholes so corporations and the rich start paying the same contributions as everyone else.
Your decision to bring these and other issues to corporate America’s doorstep is courageous—and involves some risks. We weren’t surprised that some of you have faced beatings and pepper spray from overzealous police. Your crusade to shine a light on the corruption and injustice that’s infecting Wall Street is bound to ruffle some feathers. We’ve experienced some similar rough treatment in Longview, Washington, where ILWU families are also taking a stand against corporate greed. Our fight there is against EGT, a multi-national corporation that took taxpayer subsidies to build a grain export terminal—then betrayed workers and the community.
Like you, ILWU members in Longview have been arrested, beaten and pepper spayed. We know that justice won’t be won by asking greedy employers for permission or waiting for politicians to pass laws. That’s why we hope that you’ll stand your ground on Wall Street while we do the same in Longview—because An Injury To One Is An Injury To All!
