Professionals are ignored in Long Beach spat
Long Beach port commissioners are fighting for their turf and showing valiant colors in fighting off City Hall. Despite some heavy pressure from the city's mayor and colleagues over changes to the amount of money the city can take from the port each year, commissioners stuck to their guns.
An extra proposal is being made by the city (for details on the original cause of the face-off, see previous blog posts) to transfer control of the oil production facilities within port boundaries to the city.
Combined with the plan to change the basis on which money is levied by the city, this led to a very heated argument at a city council meeting, with accusations of "liar" being thrown around and a port commissioner saying to the mayor, "Why didn't you just call me? You know my number", in reference to the unexpected and sudden demands that the city is making.
To many observers, the squeeze is on. City councilors vehemently deny this, with the mayor saying, "This isn't about two or three million dollars. This is about changing the culture." He lamented the "us vs. them" attitude and the vice-mayor said she is "stunned" at the situation.
To my reading, this is also the crux. Power and authority are at the bottom of it, with the city wanting to show who's boss, regardless of the consequences.
What is worrying maritime professionals is that little notice is being taken of their opinions, which oppose the city's plans. Future Ports and the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association told the council that, ultimately, port efficiency and operations will be affected. Michelle Grubbs of the PMSA implied that the council might start interfering with port-tenant contracts and huge projects for new terminals.
City councilors accuse the port of being too narrow in its "fiduciary interests" and looking only at what affects its operations rather than at the effect on all the city's residents.
The issue goes to city voters in November. Voting will probably re-affirm the old political adage of "there are two sides to every issue, but voters never know what they are."