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Strictly Business
| August 27, 2009
Stop The
Bullying, Los Angeles
For many
decades, the Port of Long Beach has been a particularly
strong point of pride for our city, both as an economic
engine and a major employer. Massive amounts of
container traffic passed through our harbor each and
every day, helping to make Southern California’s
second-largest port essential to the financial health of
the entire country.
The Port has
been an economic steward for so long, and has taken on a
new role as an environmental caretaker in recent years
after implementing new practices to reverse
environmental harms that they have caused to the region.
It has been a noble and successful fight as the Port of
Long Beach has become one of the most
environmentally-friendly ports in America, and the
world.
The nearby Port of Los Angeles joined into the spirit of
this new “Green” transition, but with a few small
differences. Unfortunately, today we are seeing that
these differences have caused huge rifts in the
transportation industry that may negatively affect
business in the entire region, and prove that the Port
of Los Angeles was using the veil of environmental
efficiency to attempt an industry takeover based on
power and greed. Now, when the shipping industry is
slowing rapidly and ports should do everything they can
to attract business, the Port of Los Angeles is pushing
potential clients away and alienating those that work
long, dangerous hours for them. And they may be dragging
the Port of Long Beach down with them.
The Port of Los Angeles is lobbying the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization
Act (F4A) so they can have greater control over the trucking
industry. Their ultimate goal: to prevent independent
truckers from operating at their Port that will lead to
full unionization of all truckers. The Port of Long
Beach is not participating in this advocacy sham. Obviously, the Port of Los
Angeles signed up with the Clean Trucks Act not to
improve the environment, but to impose its will on its
business partners.
Why does this matter in Long Beach? Well, the two ports
are in such close proximity to one another that they are
often confused to be one large port, and any bullying
tactics used in Los Angeles could also be negatively
attributed to Long Beach. Ultimately this will make
shipping companies less willing to do business here.
Such a chain reaction would be devastating to the Port
of Long Beach, which has seen container traffic steadily
decline for the last two years with no signs of
relenting. In fact, because of increasing fees, taxes
and generally poor reputations (thanks to the Port of
Los Angeles), shipping companies have made it no secret
that they prefer to take their business elsewhere.
In about
five years, a widening of the Panama Canal will make it
easier for Asian companies to bypass the West Coast and
head to the other side of the nation – something they
will gladly do to avoid higher fees. Meanwhile, Gulf
Coast and East Coast ports are expanding in anticipation
of the surge in business.
The Port of Los Angeles is lobbying hard to pass their bullying tactics into the
F4A. Well, we must lobby Congress even harder to ensure that
their efforts are not successful. The Port of Long Beach
has been an excellent community partner for many
decades, and it’s time we step up for them…
…and that’s Strictly Business.
Randy Gordon
President and CEO
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Pictured above: (left) Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
and (right) Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster.
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