Bay Planning Coalition

State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference 2011

BPC Staff — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:22:34 +0000

Click here for Conference Summary

Port Of Oakland Celebrates Golden Gate Bridge 75Th Anniversary Through Art, Trade And Tourism

BPC Staff — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:20:05 +0000

Port calls for artist participation in two contests depicting the Golden Gate Bridge to Oakland connection

ENS Weekly Legislative Update

BPC Staff — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:17:23 +0000

Weekly Update 02-3-2012

Wells Fargo Weekly Economic & Financial Commentary

BPC Staff — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:29:28 +0000

WeeklyEconomicFinancialCommentary_02032012

Jock O’Connell, 2012 DMC Key Note, in The Sacramento Bee

BPC Staff — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:14:45 +0000

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Should California spend more money on infrastructure for ports and expedite completion?

Click here for Mr. O’Connell’s article

2012 Decisionmakers Conference Call for Sponsors

BPC Staff — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:42:58 +0000

House Subcommittee Holds Oversight Hearing on Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and Tax

BPC Staff — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:21:01 +0000

On February 1, 2012, the House Ways and Means Subcommittees on Oversight and Select Revenue Measures held a joint hearing on harbor maintenance funding and maritime tax issues. The hearing focused on the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and Harbor Maintenance Tax, maintenance underfunding, and the tax treatment of foreign shipping operations.

Testimony was heard from: The Honorable Michael Strain, Commissioner, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry; Mr. Gary LaGrange, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port of New Orleans; Mr. Steven A. Fisher, Executive Director, American Great Lakes Ports Association; Mr. Morten Arntzen, President and Chief Executive Officer, Overseas Shipholding Group; Mr. James C. McCurry, Jr., Director of Administration, Georgia Ports Authority; and Mr. Michael Leone, Port Director, Massachusetts Port Authority.

All witnesses supported various measures currently under consideration by Congress. Mssrs. Strain, LaGrange, Fisher and Leone testified in support of the Realize America’s Maritime Promise (RAMP) Act, or H.R. 104 (Mr. McCurry testified in support of the general ideas embodied it). Mr. Arntzen testified in support of the American Shipping Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1031).

Topics discussed included:

- Recent free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, Korea, and the Panama Canal extension (scheduled to be complete in 2014), and their potential impact on the need for waterway infrastructure improvements.

- The RAMP Act, which would ensure funds in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) are utilized for the intended purpose of dredging and maintaining coastal ports, harbors and waterways.

- The American Shipping Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1031), which would make substantial changes to taxes and earnings regulations of foreign shipping companies doing business in the U.S.

- Misuse of Harbor Maintenance Tax revenues (including $6.1 billion in unspent funds in the Trust Fund). Some believe that this underfunding is causing an increasing need for major dredging operations to keep shipping routes viable.

- The concepts of “sort sea shipping” and “marine highways.”

- The Harbor Maintenance Tax, which may discourage companies from shipping by water when other options exist. This includes “double taxing” of cargo taken from freighters and further shipped by smaller craft.

For the testimony of the witnesses, go to: http://waysandmeans.house.gov .

Tell Congress our maritime highways are critical to our transportation infrastructure!

BPC Staff — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:13:22 +0000

“The port industry generates economic benefits, supporting about 13 million jobs and accounting for $4 trillion in economic impacts. As a nation that needs to compete in a global economy it is important to recognize that international trade represents about 30 percent of the U.S. GDP, much of which is transported through our nation’s ports and harbors.”

Senate Ltr to EPW re HMTF in transportation

Please send a letter to the Committee on Environment & Public Works today!

White House Announces National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security

BPC Staff — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:10:08 +0000

ACWA e-News February 1, 2012

BPC Staff — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:33:37 +0000

ACWA e-News February 1, 2012