Bush backs sale of port operations to DP World

[shurato]

Both the Mayor of Baltimore and the Gov. of MD here are against the idea of this. 1st time they agreed on anything. They don't like each other as they will be running for the next gov. election. Like someone else said...are there really no American companies that can run these ports. This is really making me uneasy. Man, Bush and his administration never fails in making me feel uneasy week after week.

 

[jimkyser]

Originally posted by: Todd33

Originally posted by: jimkyser
I originally posted this in the other thread about this that was locked as a repost.

Hey, it's open market capitalism at it's best. No one wants the government running the ports because that is bureaucratic and inefficient, so it gets outsourced to private industry. Everyone wants private industry to maximize returns for shareholders, so they sell assets when the offer is good. The thing is, you really have no control over who is the final corporate 'owner' this way.

Of course all of the other ports begin run by Dubai Ports are hot beds of terrorism, aren't they? I mean they're an Islamic emirate, how could it be any different?

This is a government company (just not ours) and not a private one. They had past issues with terrorist smuggling in their home country in a port run by the same folks, so why not use them?

They may be a government owned company in Dubai, but to us they are just another company. They bought a non-governmental entity, P&O out of London, that had held these contracts for some period of time.

 

[NJDevil]

To the Republicans defending this ... what would you be saying if some Democrat did this?

Honestly, partisan politics can just be ridiculous sometimes. Who here actually thinks this is a good idea?

 

[Finality]

Currently 80% of all US ports are controlled by foreign corporations.

You wanna sell all port assets back to US companies?

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
Just Bush doing everything that he can to make us safer. :disgust:

...and unemployed, underemployed, and underpaid. I don't see why we couldn't just hire Americans.

 

[piasabird]

The same Union longshoremen will be doing the same jobs. Our coast guard will still be responsible and we will still be operating our own security.

The biggest problem is no one is explaining this to the American people so we dont even know what is going on.

We could just give up and hire Haliburton to run the show.

 

[Todd33]

The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.

According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system.

After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden's bank accounts.

Do we still have some supoorters of this around? At what point do you support your party over the country?

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: piasabird
The same Union longshoremen will be doing the same jobs. Our coast guard will still be responsible and we will still be operating our own security.

Are you sure about that? I'm reading that it would be staffed by foreign workers.

And there are lots of republicans who are against this:

The Republican chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security said the deal should not go through without a complete investigation.

"I would urge the president to freeze the contract, hold this contract, until a full and thorough and complete investigation can be conducted," said Rep. Peter King of New York.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/21/port.security/index.html

Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist called on the administration to stop the deal, raising the ante on a fight that several congressmen, governors and mayors are waging with the White House.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11474440/

So do you think it's just the Democrats that are cashing in on this decision to up their anti-Bush rhetoric?

 

[catnap1972]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: piasabird
The same Union longshoremen will be doing the same jobs. Our coast guard will still be responsible and we will still be operating our own security.

Are you sure about that? I'm reading that it would be staffed by foreign workers.

And there are lots of republicans who are against this:

The Republican chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security said the deal should not go through without a complete investigation.

"I would urge the president to freeze the contract, hold this contract, until a full and thorough and complete investigation can be conducted," said Rep. Peter King of New York.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/21/port.security/index.html

Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist called on the administration to stop the deal, raising the ante on a fight that several congressmen, governors and mayors are waging with the White House.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11474440/

So do you think it's just the Democrats that are cashing in on this decision to up their anti-Bush rhetoric?

I wouldn't take what either of them (King or Frist) are saying seriously. They're just smelling that the political winds are blowing the wrong way on this and don't want to be swept off.

Both of them would turn the keys to the country over to China tomorrow if they could get away with it.

 

[Looney]

I wouldn't take what either of them (King or Frist) are saying seriously. They're just smelling that the political winds are blowing the wrong way on this and don't want to be swept off.

Both of them would turn the keys to the country over to China tomorrow if they could get away with it.

So whose words do you take? Bush?

 

[dahunan]

Originally posted by: Todd33

The UAE was one of three countries in the world to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The UAE has been a key transfer point for illegal shipments of nuclear components to Iran, North Korea and Lybia.

According to the FBI, money was transferred to the 9/11 hijackers through the UAE banking system.

After 9/11, the Treasury Department reported that the UAE was not cooperating in efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden's bank accounts.

Do we still have some supoorters of this around? At what point do you support your party over the country?

He is doing God's work.. don't second guess the C- President

 

[catnap1972]

Originally posted by: Looney

I wouldn't take what either of them (King or Frist) are saying seriously. They're just smelling that the political winds are blowing the wrong way on this and don't want to be swept off.

Both of them would turn the keys to the country over to China tomorrow if they could get away with it.

So whose words do you take? Bush?

Even worse--I wouldn't be surprised if he actually DID turn the keys over tomorrow (everyone else be damned)

 

[Strk]

In all fairness, the security is done by DHS, not the port company.

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: Strk
In all fairness, the security is done by DHS, not the port company.

Uh . . . that doesn't make me feel much better. We were inspecting a small fraction of cargo items. Even we DOUBLE inspections that wouldn't improve our safety if you have reason to suspect the dock/ship workers are MORE likely to try something in the first place.

I do find it laughable (or maybe a cryable) that after 5+ years of crappy government/legislation this is Bush's first hardcore veto threat. I hope Congress shows some fortitude. I think a veto would be easily overrided.

If the deal goes through I think the GOP campaign mantra "We will keep you safe and the Democrats don't know how" will be out the window.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

Originally posted by: Strk
In all fairness, the security is done by DHS, not the port company.

Uh . . . that doesn't make me feel much better. We were inspecting a small fraction of cargo items. Even we DOUBLE inspections that wouldn't improve our safety if you have reason to suspect the dock/ship workers are MORE likely to try something in the first place.

I do find it laughable (or maybe a cryable) that after 5+ years of crappy government/legislation this is Bush's first hardcore veto threat. I hope Congress shows some fortitude. I think a veto would be easily overrided.

If the deal goes through I think the GOP campaign mantra "We will keep you safe and the Democrats don't know how" will be out the window.

I know, I was just saying it, because it is just another effort to avoid the real issue. Port security sucks and we're the ones in charge of it, regardless of who owns the port.

 

[Todd33]

President Bush was unaware of the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates until the deal already had been approved by his administration, the White House said Wednesday.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/storie...LATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-02-22-10-50-29

Worst president and administration ever, lol.

 

[HBalzer]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

Originally posted by: RightIsWrong
Just Bush doing everything that he can to make us safer. :disgust:

...and unemployed, underemployed, and underpaid. I don't see why we couldn't just hire Americans.

You must be crazy! Maybe if you didn't graduate from High School. Unemployment in America is lower than most countries and pay on average is way higher.

The Americans that would take this job for $10-12 an hour can?t even get my order right at McDonalds.

 

[Pens1566]

The unemployment RATE is low. But what about the people who aren't included in the fuzzy math that calculates that rate? And real wages are actually declining.

 

[FuzzyBee]

Originally posted by: Strk
In all fairness, the security is done by DHS, not the port company.

Actually, it's done by Customs and the Coast Guard.

 

[Pens1566]

Originally posted by: FuzzyBee

Originally posted by: Strk
In all fairness, the security is done by DHS, not the port company.

Actually, it's done by Customs and the Coast Guard.

Which are both parts of the DHS.