Transcripts For CSPAN2 Capital News Today 20130807

We will get to them in just a few minutes. Rodney was talking. Was thinking about the what this all means for this area. The governor asks you to sit on this board, went to get a local businessman perspective. What does this mean to the community and the state of virginia . Left with a lot of possibilities. Obviously we are a huge military base here. Barber is the Largest Naval base in the world. So it is vibrant. The economic engine is definitely the port of virginia. We started off by saying it had 43 billion in the commonwealth. 343,000 jobs, one in 11 jobs in the state is tied to the port of virginia. So about 2 million containers per year right now. If you do the math every sixth container that might be going down the road are on a train represents one virginia job. Every container has an impact of 20,000 to our states economy. The port of virginia is huge to the commonwealth of virginia. So the governor understands that the board of commissioners, our responsibility is to return the body to the state and the shareholders, and that this board they are the citizens of virginia. Out of the benefits . Absolutely by jobs. Something of the cover and governor is very focused on, Economic Development. A lot of activity it goes around the port of virginia, indirectly and directly. The people who work here, who are they on average . What kind of waste of them made . Well, the majority of workers working on terminal are he and Union Employees working for the International Longshoremens association. Their wages are roughly 30 per hour. Summer hire. Summer. Of course you have the staff from the operating company that performs the maintenance. The Union Employee who works with the ships in the ship line and services the needs. Then at the Virginia Port Authority we have security staff that make sure that the terminals are secure as well as the Marketing Development staff and administration. So how does this court compete if it does, and explain that. Other ports around the country, is it ranked among the top 20, how does it compete . An interesting dynamic. The real driver of for where carter will go is the beneficial cargo owners, people that have the cargo and on it. So there are a lot of costs involved along the way, from manufacturer to where it is being exported from. The ship line, the port of virginia. So we compete, obviously, by cost which is extremely important, but also by efficiency, how quickly we can get the cargo on its way to its final destination. One of those cost drivers are the ship line costs, how much it costs to move a container across the ocean. Theyre is a eugenic a player right now, and that is the size of the ship. A ship that carries 5,000 see using go through that panama canal and come into most ports. Ships on the ocean right now that carry 12,500 ceus requires adept at 50 feet. So viejo is the only port on the east coast that can take a ship the requires a 50foot draft. No overhead obstruction, so we can take the big ships now. We set the record a few months ago. Came in drafting 49 and a half feet. So it is cheaper to put cargo on a large ship because of volume. Those large ships need summer and viejo is the place. The president recently has been going around the country at ports in florida talking about infrastructure of the nations ports, calling for investments. Port officials are saying, we are about 40 feet. Many to be at least 47 feet, dredging, in order to take a super tanker coming from the new panama canal. Explain that. Right. It is all about the depth. Not only to the port, but also see lanes to get end. Most people when you get to the notion they assume it is deep. Is just not at every port. So we are authorized to right now at 50 feet. The only board authorized to go the 55 seats. Not only that, but we have right now i capacity to do to win a half million per year. But we have the potential and capacity to grow the 6 million. So if you like a federal dollars as an example in 2014 federal work dollars across the eastern seaboard port starts virginia ranks number eight in the amount of federal dollars were getting , 27 million compared to jacksonville, to under 84 million. The ability to get to 55 feet, the potential to pass. A great Investment Firm national dollars. What the u. S. Before . More federal dollars. Also, an important thing, we won for the east coast. A lot of our consumer a lot of our products go on trying to the midwest. The port of virginia is the airport as well. Nor folks seven and a csx help us get our products to the midwest for their is a Larger Consumer base as well. We want the midwest dates to join with hours to go after those federal dollars. What is it looking like right now, the prospects of getting federal dollars . Our viewers know that washington is talking about sequestration, spending cuts, annual spending bills are not getting done. How do you get the money . The next to jump in you have on will definitely have an answer for that. What do you think . It is steadily at the left, a difficult thing to come by these days, federal dollars. Thankfully we had the foresight and when i say we i dont include myself. Leaders before us. The foresight to see the need to build to 50 feet and to authorize 505 feet. They get that accomplished in early 2000. So we are well ahead of the curve. The good thing about it is it is cheaper to dredge year in virginia and then it is virtually anywhere else on the east coast. We have this beautiful area right behind you. A great outlet for the port. Very inexpensive for us to build. You know, we have soft bottom out here. We are really just picking of sand and relocating it. Other ports, new york, for example, it is bad rock. Dynamite, explode. Move it off. It might be a difference of 40 per cubic square foot to 400. The advantage of dredging in the board of virginia is huge. And that means the epa is involved. That is one federal agency that has a role at the nations ports along with the man and the coast guard, of course. So we want to turn to all of you and get your questions and comments about the nations sports as we are live here from the port of virginia. Let me begin with bob in fort lauderdale, democratic caller. Hi, bob. Caller high. I think mr. Jeff wassmer answered the first question fest but i really wonder how much this is a democrat or republican issue rather than just an economic pursuit. Guest that is a great point. Really in virginia we are getting ready to have an election and will have a new governor. Which way that goes is not important. I have actually sat down with both candidates, and they understand the vibrancy of the port of virginia, an economic engine and is not a political football. We are blessed to have leaders currently and in the future that understand this. The panama canal, i think it is interesting because we hear a lot of talk about expansion of the panama canal. Right now it can hold 5,000 ceus. The new panama canal, they can hold much larger, 12,500. Larger ships can come through there. Host how much are we talking about in goods . With 12,000 containers . Guest one container holds 84,000. Host which is . Guest cds. There are other statistics i cannot remember, but it holds a lot of things. When you look at the cost of shipping, hong kong to the port of virginia through the panama canal, it is about 11,000 to 20 miles. So if you were to ship from hong kong to the port of virginia through the suez canal, 11,700 miles. It is not that much difference as far as this it difference as far as distance. The real difference will be the cost because it might be more economically feasible to come through the suez to get to the port of virginia if youre calling from hong kong. So the old panama canal dynamic will play out over the next few years. Host and the president is saying for our ports test a competitive this is what needs to happen. If they dont come to the United States, where would they go, these big supertankers . Guest well, one dynamic is that there are the airports that could be built in the caribbean that could take larger ships, and then we would get smaller ships year. We want to be able to the advantages when you have a ship come in first port of call, we are last port of call. First well on love a lot of goods and last will export a lot of goods. We want them coming here first and not to a smaller part. Host republican from fort myers. Go ahead. Caller how are you doing. Talked about host good morning. Caller good morning to you. Talkedabout virginia and the security of it and how deep the waters are and what comes through the port and how big the containers are. Is there anything else you would like to tell al qaeda about our situation here . Host chris, are you still there . Caller yes,. Host repeater question. Anything theyre want to tell you about what . Caller chief al qaeda, anything else they want to tell al qaeda about our situation in the United States. You have told them a lot about our ports. Host i see your point. The vulnerability of letting misinformation out and how it all works as a Security Threat. It is a question we were asking our viewers later this month to cover earlier this morning. What do you think . Guest obviously since september 11th there have been dramatic changes in security around port authorities. As you know, today you have to have an escort. We have security badges that are required. You need to go through the federal id to get your credentials to make sure that you are eligible to be on the terminal. You also have customs and Border Protection on site. They are opening certain containers to ensure that the cargo that is in areas where it is represented to be. We also scan 100 percent of the containers to go out of the facility for radiation. So no dirty bond, no Nuclear Threat leaving the terminal. And we also are very cognizant of Cyber Security, too. Working with there was a study that was done a few years ago on Cyber Security and the possible effects on up port. A few years ago we commissioned a study about Cyber Security, having an assessment done and over the last year we have been implementing the results of that assessment and actually hired a firm to come in and do intrusion protection to see if they could penetrate our firewall. We made corrective actions. Host for that type of situation do you ask for federal money to upgrade your Computer Systems to avoid some sort of hacker, at al qaeda or otherwise, or is it something that the state has to pay for out of pocket . Guest since september 11th there have been a federal security dollars allocated. It initially started out allocated for physical security, but more and more of those dollars are being used for Cyber Security. And we have done that. Guest and a lot of those dollars are matched by state dollars as well, so there is a contribution from the state. Host security, little bit more, lets talk about it. Before container is put on the ships from another country, is it getting looked at by u. S. Officials . Guest it is. There are officials in those home ports around the world that are inspecting not every container, but they are inspecting containers before they get here. They also are doing the same here in the u. S. Host is that some sort of voluntary partnership with countries, some sort of treaty agreement . Guest it is. I dont know what the acronym stands for, but it is a security certification that this port has and many other parts around the world to. Host if a country is not participating in that, do you still take containers from that country . Guest we do, but they are monitored differently. Host for security. Guest it is not the Virginia Port Authority that monitors. It is the federal government. Host and here at the port of virginia what countries are we talking about here . What countries are bringing in containers . Guest our biggest partners are china, germany, brazil, india. Import and export cargo throughout the world. Host what are we bringing into this country . What are we exporting out from the part of virginia . Guest generally we are importing finished goods and exporting raw materials. Guest taking rolm as cereals and turning them overseas. Finished goods are coming back. We import beverages to model parts, in the finished goods. We export Paper Products worldwide. Host i want to go back to security. Concerns about what were talking about. One aspect, once that contain there is put on a trek every thing is scant. Explain that process. What happens when it goes to leave the port of virginia . Guest it has to go through Radiation Protection device. The radiation stand affects minor amounts detects minor amounts of radiation. Host we will go to bruce and virginia. Independent caller. Hello, bruce. Good morning. Youre on the air. Go head. Thank you for waiting. Caller you commented about the poor in virginia. Could you explain a little further the purpose of the port and the areas in the United States that it serves and how cargo is dispersed to the port and from the port. Guest i would love to. We call the viejo inland port, there is no water. Its what we called intermodal transPort Security. Cargo moves by rail from here up to the viejo inland port. Its taking off and moved by truck to a final destination. It enables the end user, the big box retailer is our manufacturers, multiple transits in a day. Then make some sort of trip five times a day. They drive all the way down here and our folk, they can only do that once a day. A big vibrant part of the port. Im happy to say that we started the Virginia Park 24 years ago. This is not catching on the use of inland ports on the rest of the east coast. Host next, and depend caller. Caller are was calling about truckers. The process of getting a contract with the port to do containers . Guest the viejo Maritime Association has said trucker Training Program that is always looking for Truck Drivers. That is probably the best place to go. Contact that association. They can be reached online as well. Caller are those Truck Drivers, each person vetted for security concerns . Guest they are. Every truck driver has got to call have what they call it twitch card. That is issued by the federal governments. Host lawrence in miami florida. Go ahead. Caller averages like to find out how much of a difference is the export and import of american man slips with ivans made in america compared to the foreign ships with items and products made in foreign lands . If theyre is a lot of balance there at least why would we want to have more foreign chips . How many homes are we going to lose . Said the one okay. Guest in the part of virginia i can tell you that our ratio of import to export is about 5050 which is a great place to be. From this country we are sending over, like i said before, you know, paper and pulp and logs and agriculture and importing those foreign finished things that are made, you know, elsewhere. In the United States their is a huge push tow reassure some offshore manufacturing. The part of virginia wants to be the conduit for trade. Host you said it is 5050, pretty much equal. What does that matter, do you think . Guest we obviously want commerce coming and going from both, you know, manufacturers, producers, agriculture and the debt is states, both farmers and businesses want places to send their goods. There is a demand overseas, and we have to Pay Attention to both export and import. Having containers full going both ways is a good thing. Host how much does it cost for a container to sit empty . Guest i have never seen tests in that manner, but i sure the ship lines to not like to have containers sitting empty. Host i think jeff gave me at figure earlier that each container represents about 20,000 in Economic Impact on the community. And so, given that, how quickly do these shippers, these Companies Want you to get them on and off . What did they expect . Guest the answer before, our goal is to not have cargoes sitting in the port of virginia. Our goal is to get it on the ship, heading out, heading in order to the end user. In America Today we have this just in time where people want their product, parts for whenever it is to show up just in time. That makes timing at the port of virginia and in the port very critical. Our goal is to get cargo on rail and out of here within 24 to 48 hours. Host i think i heard in researching this that this justintime delivery system, there is a certain supply of goods in our country at any point in time. Can you speak to that of little bit, rodney . This justintime delivery system, what does that mean . If, for example, one or several ports would shut down, what would happen in this country . Guest there would be a significant impact, not necessarily immediately, but within of one to two weeks there would be. Obviously the Distribution Centers that support their Retail Establishment that we are geared to, walmart and target and the like. But within one week they would be without kids in their Distribution Centers which would translate into the store shelves. Guest an interesting dynamic as well. Some of the justintime logistic concepts have spurred a lot of Economic Growth for communities as well. For example, car manufacturer, some are saying apart for a car cannot shop to the Assembly Line eight hours before it is ready to go on the vehicle. What that has caused is the tire manufacturer creates a distribution center. Every part manufacturer creates a distribution center, so when you track manufacturing it is not just the plan that puts it together, but the whole distribution center. So they stockpile locally to be able to respond to customers. Host and it cannot show up eight hours before because, like a mother would have to pay for it sittinghere . Ue they would ra distributor stocking, responsible for it, and then not have to where hows it. Host republican in beach haven, pennsylvania. Welcome to the conversation. Caller good morning to you all. I just want to say, i appreciate your comments and security. I am wondering if cspan realizes what is going on with our security . Responsible to be asking certain questions, but i have to say to my do have every confidence in realizing. My brother graduated from newport news and i just want to say, go navy. And to mr. Jeff wassmer, i would like to be an advocate for you to receive more National Funding for anything they you would need there of the port and just thank you all for your service and keeping a safe. Host all right. Lets hear from don n. Viejo. Hello. Caller good morning. Thank you for taking my call. I travel overseas i would like to ask the gentleman, have you ever been any one of them, the dubai port . Host the dubai ports . Caller the dubai port, yes,. Guest i have not personally. I have been to hong kong and singapore. Guest i have not been to dubai, but people have been. Guest host why . Guest it is a major trade center, a Major Trading shipment of. A lot of cargo goes to the buy and then is exported from to buy host did you have a followup . Caller i think these two gentlemen have to realize that we dont want to just compete inside the United States. The world is changing. The fastestgrowing part in the world, and if we want to invest this country, we have to get rid of people who do not want to invest this state, or this country. I love the whole set about this. I travelled that way many times. I have never seen anything like this. Ive never seen any part like that in the entire world. Everything is number one for the safety and security, and the business, they generate more business than any other country. Host as you have been watching this program this morning live from the port of virginia, seeing images of the activity around here, how would you say it is different from the port in dubai . Caller you have to see port and how it works because i cannot even explain. Right now they are adding more, expanding more than you expect because they cannot even handle the ships coming in. We are a great country. We have money, but we dont invest our country or our state. That is the sad part. We are behind. This is nothing. This is a simple port. Host abcaeight. Guest i was going to say, we understand the International Impact of trade. Trade internationally is projected to be up nine and a half every year for the next several years. There are huge ports obviously outside the United States and we understand that. The port of virginia spends quite a bit of time going to those other ports and establishing relationships among trade partners, and not just the port themselves, but manufacturers and consumers beyond that. We are a maritime nation, but we understand the International Impact of trade. So i agree with the caller that we need to invest more in infrastructure and be able to handle large ships, handle the influx of trade that will continue to grow in the United States and internationally. I think rodney will attest to the fact that we have a great emigre staff around the world. We have representatives around the world working this exact issue. Host what did your folks tell you about the port of dubai . What it needs in order to keep up with what is happening . Guest a very innovative concept. Right behind the port they have a huge Foreign Trade zone where a majority of the distributors, big box distributors have located. We in virginia have one of the oldest Foreign Trade zones in the United States. We also utilize companies in virginia beach. Host we will go to colleen and wisconsin. Democrat. Are you with us . Fast colleen and Wisconsin Democratic caller. All right. Last try for her. Let me go to john here we go. Are you with us . Caller yes. [inaudible question] [inaudible question] compare with the virginia port with the amount of cargo ships in and out, host we have a brainstorm going on as we speak. It keeps picking up here. She was talking about the Lake Superior area. Guest a great point. Like as said before, we are a maritime nation. Obviously the port of virginia is one of hundreds. We each have a role to play. Obviously we are mostly with international partners, that trends oceanic ships. If reports. That is out commerce moves, so we understand that we have a lot of partners out there joining us in this effort. Host republican line, brookhaven, mississippi. Caller yeah, this is mary. I dont like what yall are doing on this. You are showing security staff, showing security staff. You are showing pictures and everything. Expected tell them how to get badges and all kinds of things. I dont think john should be doing this. I wish you would please, please telling this on tv. Terrorist watch tv. Im highly upset. Host abcaeight. All right. Guest maybe i can give you a little bit of comfort. Where i have done today is the 30,000foot level. Much, much more detail that goes into it than what i cant even describe today. Rest assured that there is a great deal of security in and around the port and ports around the country. The federal government is doing a good job. It does need funding to continue that effort. Host of the information you told us i assume is public information. Guest it is. Host the role of the coast guard and security. At what point did they come into play . And then once the ship is here, who takes over security at that point . Guest security really is a joint venture between the Port Authority and the customs and Border Protection, coast guard. When it is on the water it is mainly coast guard. When it reaches the birth it is the Port Authority and customs. Regarding storming and containers to open, that is all federal federally managed, the Virginia Port Authority. The state part of that is to measure the facilities themselves are secure. Host republican, caller. Hello, dave. Caller high. Host good morning, day. You are on the air. Dave, good morning. Caller i am here. Can you hear me . Host yes. We cant. Youre on the air. Please go ahead with your question or comment. Caller mr. Oliver . Guest yes. Caller adjustable you know i am here to help you personally in any way you can. If you get stuck in a situation that you cant get out that you have to work with those people that are familiar with the situations. To you follow what im saying . Host what do you do . Caller i work in National Security when it comes to a digital data base now works. These are situations these are not to situations that people can take lightly. These are all of our economy. It involves the United States u. S. Treaties, things when it comes down to diplomatic situations that you cannot take lightly. This is what causes wars, and these are the most of important issues our country has to face daily. Host the issue of the cyber threat to the nations port . Let me go back to the cost for companies that are shipping in their goods. The cost along the way. How many different times is a ship charged before they get here to the dock . But once they get here, how does the pricing work . Guest in the perspective of one of the big box retailers, like the home depot, shipping products from of just use the example of china to chicago the portion that is just year, the Virginia Port Authority at the port of virginia is less than 10 percent of the cost of the move. Obviously a very big costs to move it by sea from china to virginia. There is also a cost to move it to chicago which would normally be by rail. The port of virginia cost is relatively small in the grand scheme of things. Our extreme focus there is a service. Host once it gets here, how does the pricing work . Does that cost of each container have our cost associated with it . Guest it does. It depends on the number of moves in the price that goes on at the terminal. Host does it depend upon the weight as well . Guest not so much weight because it costs the same to move an empty box as it does to move one that is full. Guest the number of times we have to touch it. To take it off the ship, stack it. Go on a truck, then it is driven through scanners. Going on rail, taken off of the ship, stacked and another stalker takes it through security, said it down and another takes it and puts it on the train. Multiple less involved. Host more expensive to put goods on rails . Guest for us to put them on rails, but once it leaves your it gets a little bit better. 30 percent of our cargo goes by rail. It is the consumption, demand in the midwest. So a little bit more expensive, but all cargo is good cargo. Host 32 on rails, that means the rest distracts . Guest primarily tracks. We service richmond. 40 percent is put on that. Host behind me i dont know if the camera can get i dont know what you call them the trains that lift the containers up and put them back on. How much as one of these cost . [laughter] guest roughly 10 million apiece. The things you see in the background here are actually the largest when we purchase them, and i think they still are the largest in the world. Past 24 containers out. They can call it today and utilize those. The ships now coming through the panama canal, tin containers wide. The larger a 13 im sorry, 18 containers wide. But thats going to be bigger as well. The depth of the harbor, sealanes, access, but also an infrastructure like a crane to get the equipment on and off. Host how many times have you had to update the type of crane the you put here on the dock over the years . Guest the cranes that are here, there is not one that is over 15 years old. There has been a major shift in the size of the container cranes as well. Will we got the was behind this in 2002, these ships are going to get bigger. Host mich. , democratic caller. Caller are was just wondering, is the port of virginia all the a container port, no bulk material . Guest we are primarily a container port, but have facilities that do railroad. We also have break polkas larger things that cannot fit in a container. Bradley rodney can barely tell you the percentage of those guest i should also mention, the Virginia Port Authority does not control these two terminals. In excess of 40 percent of the cargo that leaves through the United States for export comes through the port of virginia as well. Privately on an operating facility within the Port Authority. Host 40 of coal export moves out of one of these. Where does it go . Guest all over the world. China is obviously a big consumer. South america is a big consumer. Pretty much everywhere. Host going back to the crane behind us, how long does it take for these to get one container of a ship and on to the ground . Guest can move 30 to 35 per hour. Host of gary and headed nowhere to go next . How does it know it needs to get to the stack, on a rail. Guest a rather complex process. The ship line works with the port of virginia on a plan to make sure that all of the containers are moving as fast as possible to possible. A stack that we can load and offload. Guest once they are in our yard we have a responsibility to make sure they get to the right stack and shrek and also devices inside them that allow us to track them electronically. Host computerized software. Guest exactly. Host roger, crown point, indiana, independent. Caller yes, good morning. Thank you. Host good morning for. Caller good morning. The easiest way to explain, i rubrics que. When you move one part another part has to move. People understand that and they will get it. Go ahead. Host might be say like that . Caller that is a good visual aid. I used said i work for the u. S. Department of agriculture. I dealt with quality issues. So when our political person was running to get this deal out to my dealt with the pollution that was coming into lake michigan, the great lake ports. People that are worried about security believe me, we have had Aerial Photography of the United States since the civil war. You dont have to worry about the security of these things. If someone wants to have a picture of the need is to snap one from a satellite. These people doing a great job and will continue to fund it and work on it. Thank you. Host what about his visual aid there . Guest well, it is. The whole maritime and port industry is a little bit new to me. And i was appointed commissioner three years ago, it is an amazing sight to come see the ships unleaded, cargo move, how it gets on the right track. Fifth we have in a p. M. Terminal. The most modernized terminal in the United States. A lot of those are done by computer. So it is all grains controlled by computers that to this amazing stacking and three stacking. It is an amazing operation. That is a good way to describe it. Host sitting in front of the Elizabeth River here. Give us the lay of the land. But the river behind us. Tell us, where are we . Guest obviously very centrally located here and the United States and the east coast. From open ocean. That Chesapeake Bay. A very large the largest secondlargest bay and the United States. And the Elizabeth River is where the majority of our profit flows. It is where three of our four one is well, two of them. Richmond is also. Host a lot of history with the james chair, Elizabeth River in this area. How has it changed over the years . Guest well, this used to be an army base. In 1909 this was a federal army base. So we have undergone reservation preservation since that time. Over the last 15 years this complex has been completely renovated. The board itself has gone through a dramatic change. Guest a great point. The port of virginia, our terminals, we do a lot of container traffic. We do the role on, roll off. That cold ships require a lot of draft as well. We have partnerships with the navy. Theyre interested in the port of virginia. We also have the largest shipbuilder in the United States so it is a very, very vibrant port for commerce, for her defense and manufacturing as well. Host frank in west palm beach, florida. Republican caller. Caller yes. Hello. Host frank, go ahead. Caller okay. One question. The question was, what is the cost of the import tax that china charges us when we import our products to china . And what is our cost wind chinese products import to this country . That is the number one question i would like to ask. Then this relates to a raw material. Finished products head back and we talk about losing jobs to underdeveloped work. This country, factories and stuff. What is the differential in the cost of the tax and should it be the same, equal . Think off. I appreciate your time. Guest actually, that is all handled at the federal level. So at the port of virginia we are all about i think that question would be better answered by a federal official. Host coming up in a few minutes we will continue our coverage from the port of virginia, talking to two members of congress, bobby scott and scott rigell, democrat and republican respectively joining us here to take your phone calls and talk a little bit about the Economic Impact of the port of virginia on their districts, the state of virginia, what theyre doing on the federal level to further the Economic Growth of this port and what they think, their opinions on infrastructure further that port across the country. Mitchell in baltimore, independent caller. Caller hello. Good morning. Can you hear me . Yes. Host we can. Caller all right. My question, what is the average income for an employee there in do you see an influx of residents coming there because of the great facility there, you know, you see that happening . Guest it obviously varies by job function, seniority and experience. I would say 30 per hour is probably in the right range. Then the opportunity, i dont know if we mention this, but the port of virginia is the fastestgrowing on the east coast. We see opportunities. Host would you like to weigh in . Guest absolutely. The more jobs, the more Economic Impact we have in the state of virginia. We definitely plan to grow a. Host what does it mean for the coffers of the state of virginia, revenue coming in . Guest i think it is over 1 billion in state and local tax revenue generated through the port. Host what does that mean . Have you had discussions has the governor had discussions with the board about what that means for balancing the budget here in the state of virginia . Guest the main driver for the part of virginia is not so much returning money to the states. If we make a profit we probably wont write a check back to the state. Infrastructure needs, coney island. So taking profits and use them to operate the port in build infrastructure, the real Economic Impact for the state is the jobs, taxes. So it is not really to fill a hole. Definitely the participate in the transportation system. Access to rail, transportation, traffic, rose to get traffic out of here. We invest along with the Virginia Department of transportation to make routes viable and easy to access. With the navy mandating there is no over as structure in the port, we have a lot of tunnel. A lot of congestion. Were continually working at the state level with their government, the department of transportation and the port of virginia who is a huge user of those resources to ensure we have the transportation system, be it rail, truck, consumer traffic, private auto, to make sure that the port of virginia can flow. Host is the benefit then to private companies here in this state of virginia . If so, can you describe it a little bit . Guest well, the mission of the krajina Port Authority is to stimulate commerce through the port and further the eastern seaboard gateway for international cargo. It is really Economic Development is what we are all about. Host we will hear from kristine in indiana, democratic collar. Caller hello. Host good morning. Caller i would like to thank everybody. [inaudible question] you mentioned earlier. Host i had a little trouble hearing you. Say it again. The impact on what . Caller on that port. Host were you able to pick that up . Guest top five . Host top five . Caller you mentioned earlier. It is not some port. Host all right. We will take that because i could not understand what she was saying there. Guest new york is the largest port on the east coast. Obviously a huge Consumer Base right behind their port facility. Virginia is third, charleston is fourth. On the west coast it is l. A. , long beach. Two separate. They are adjacent to each other. A lot of people think of them as one facility. By far the largest in the u. S. Guest the same thing. Number three on the east coast, but we are growing. We definitely want to be the premier gave way to the United States on the east coast. Host as we wrap up our conversation we will continue as we told our viewers here talking about that port in this country. Two members of congress coming up, but just to recap for us here what the port of virginia is looking for from the federal government. What are your Top Priorities . Guest as we mentioned before, we have the potential capacity greater than any other port on the eastern seaboard. We already have a 50foot depth that the ships are demanding. We are cleared to 55 feet. Influence in the commonwealth of virginia to make a federal investment is modest it can be. If you go to others and rage and make it deeper or change scott rigell bridge over structure the best bet for your dollar is the port of virginia. We partner with the other port but the federal and flocks of dollars in virginia goes a lot further. Guest we have an opportunity here with the Marine Terminal concept which is directly behind us to expand the trades Disposal Area which is a very efficient way for us to dredge but then also use that in the future as a main cargo facility. 600 acres of prime realestate, the most prime real estate on the east coast. Host well, there are spending constraints in washington, so that is a topic we will be addressing coming up next with two members of congress, bobby scott and scott rigell, both in Virginia Republican and democrat. It will talk to them. We will keep taking your phone calls. Let me say goodbye to Rodney Oliver and jeff wassmer. Thank you both for having cspan year at the port of virginia and working with us so that our viewers can understand a little bit more about how that port works in this country. Appreciate your time. And we are back live from the port of virginia and north folk, virginia where there are 35 ships per week that come to call at this port alone. 350,000 jobs supported by the port in this area, and Economic Impact annually of about 41 to 43 billion. Two members of congress here with us, it scott rigell represents the Second District and bobby scott, democrat of rare breed virginia. Thank you both for being here. Appreciate your time. It is obvious that that port is a big Economic Impact and important for the state of virginia, but, scott rigell, i will begin with you. What does this mean for your constituents . Guest first welcome. We are so proud of our port. The principal economic engine, a strategic port of importance not only for our local economy in virginia, but really the nation. Over 350,000 jobs direct and indirect for the commonwealth of virginia. So much of the goods to come through year end up killing all throughout america. So of course home to all of our east coast aircraft carriers. Guest 350,000 jobs all over virginia and the whole southwest part of virginia because of the port, manufacturing. You have to keep it up, building the roads and bridges to access. You cannot have carper coming in. Working hard. But 350,000, a great investment in the great engine for the commonwealth. Host the president has visited a couple of port recently calling on congress to support the overall infrastructure plan, part of that for updating port throughout the country. As a republican, are republicans concerned about the amount of spending that washington doesnt wanting to cut back . No longer your marks. What has been the impact of that. What has been the impact on this board in virginia . Guest i start every day thinking about the Common Ground, not so much we disagree on, but the Common Ground. I do believe that true investment in infrastructure is the right thing to do. I am a business person. Oftentimes in business you make a Capitol Investment that if you just look at the cost of that you say, we cant afford it. If you amortize, you decide that is a good decision. I think our Overall Economic situation, we are continuing to borrow, the deficit is down but it is still a very large investment for the country. We have to get a hold of mandatory spending. Its related because that is putting pressure on our ability to invest in things like the port of virginia and other strategic facilities around the country. Coming around. Host a ban on here marxist popular with the general public. The republicans came into power and said we will bania marks. I believe that the port of virginia is dependent on specific grants that come through earmarks. Guest this is a tough subject because the abuse of earmarked was clear and irrefutable, yet a complete prohibition has shifted that authority over to the administration, and it is not a republican or democratic issue here because of the party changes. I do think that we need to find a way to be able to make specific investments and not steal all of their Congressional Authority for the executive branch. Host you think your colleagues will support the infrastructure plan . Is that the president s proposing something today . Guest i am convinced a republican conference will support an infrastructure plan. I do call for us to be more flexible on that topic. I believe on the issue of revenue, for example, have made it clear that the evidence is there, the empirical evidence is that revenue is going to come up a bit by reducing the loopholes and tax giveaways. We have to grow the economy and theres no better way and to leverage the incredible natural asset that we have here. It has been critical to america since 1607. So much history here as well. Host weigh in on this debate in washington that is happening. Guest just a question of priority. Calculated, over 3 trillion in infrastructure needs. Uc bridges falling apart, roads in this repair and other kinds of infrastructure improvements. Over 3 trillion. Just under 4 trillion tax cut earlier this year. Just a matter of priority, we will put your money into will put your money into it. Many to make those investments. But america back to work. The lowest percent of gdp in revenue. Not at the lower point within. I want to turn it over to the viewers and be able to talk with the 2q representing the district served on the Armed Services Budget Committee and the bobby scott representing the Third District and virginia triet how many years have you been serving . So a new member and a veteran we will talk to greg first, every public can call. Caller good morning. Caller can you explain to anyone watching the top part of a building can crash without the bottom host questions about 9 11 and who was behind eight. Guest [inaudible] guest i dont either. I am sure they are thinking of job creation and getting the country on track and i want to open up to virginia energy. We might disagree on that but there is an enormous potential to get our economy going. We can talk about that organized effort if you will about what happened on september 11th, 2001 so if the viewers are interested in those phone calls. I dont think it has any credibility whatsoever. Host lets go back to your point. Guest i had a great trip. There is such a potential to open up and create jobs. When i talk about revenue its actually taking these amazing resources, natural gas and oil and when there are renewables with creating the revenue for better roads and schools, i think in washington we often polar ice things you were either for the environment or jobs or Something Like this and i just dont see it that way. First the economy and they have great paying jobs. Host guest i ran on this in the coast of virginia for the Natural Resources that are there. As a governor ran on it and the president , the only Thing Holding him back as the administration. As the secretary of interior they are not moving forward. And even that two u. S. Senators, which i appreciate senator kaine and senator warner working hard to get there, bipartisan, bicameral. We want to move that forward and get the virginians working again. This is a great way to do that. Host what would this mean for the port . Guest a tremendous amount of opportunity to read the different facilities that are not there would be over the horizon and you wouldnt see them. Such work to be done. They made technologically improvements. There is just a lot of potential guest i bet people have forgotten until the couple years ago and then all of a sudden they jeopardize that over and frankly will not reduce gasoline prices with any measurable amount. It wouldnt make enough difference come and to jeopardize the entire environment on that is something that involves the administration and a lot of people are for the gulf coast disaster and not withstanding. Host said you think the risk isnt worth of the economic benefits . Guest a lot of jobs are created and if that is the kind of jobs we want guest i knew we disagreed on this. Alves americans when something catastrophic happens kind of an accident and i just dont concede to my friends, any of my friends that they may care about their environment more than i do and i am not saying that bobby is positioning it that way to read as it relates to the fort this is a key opportunity that we have to expand and grow and such work. And that is for all of you as we continue share from Norfolk Virginia at the port of virginia talking with the two members of congress, republican and democrat. We want to get your thoughts on the ports in this country come the infrastructure, the security, the Economic Impact lets go to washington and d. C. Caller what is the partys approach making the country more competitive. However, the world is moving ahead. Have you heard of the improvements that are being made . There are lots of other ports around the world. Its important that they start to see the need to make the country competitive, not just for the political military force but an economic force. Its important that we keep our eyes on the ball. Its important that we do the developments there in that facility and found it so that the people in this country can have a better life. But we know people are suffering and its not just because there are no jobs. Its because the politicians dont have an eye on making the country competitive. How are you going to contribute to making this more successful . Host the point we have been making investments guest we have to continue making those investments in infrastructure. We have the expansion which we are getting funding when that happens and serving money in the administration and the executive branch to make sure that can take place. And as the gentleman has indicated, we moved to make sure there are jobs at stake and Economic Development and intact and the number of achievements, Economic Impact. Guest i think this is a shared value to grow our economy and make the country more competitive. As a businessman that is under the service i now believe the federal government is well intentioned and so many areas. It is with innovation i talked to so many hardworking entrepreneurs that i can totally relate to that say im not sure on the Affordable Care act referred to as obamacare there is a certain level that is out there and i really believe the principal way again is through energy, its like changing opportunity for the states that have both the resources they want to pursue for north dakota for example with the coastal states in the gulf they are doing we of the car really well. Unemployment is there and just to make it easier for someone to create a job in america to read republican with caller. Caller why did george bush wants to sell parts and then sell to you guys before and . Host i dont know if you remember in 2004 the company wanted to buy a port in the United States to be a guest i certainly remember that. Guest weve remember to privatizing and had several bids at the time and decided to keep it stateowned. Guest that is also true. The caller is referring to when there was a discussion locally about actually selling the port to the company that was foreign controlled and that came to a halt and i thought that was the right thing at the time. What does it mean that this is a stateowned entity versus having a private company . Guest it is run in the public good and you have to maximize shortterm profits. We can look at the long term benefits over the agenda and that is one thing i am delighted we have not. We have to consider all but now it is in control of the quarterly dividend. I dont know if you know the answer to this is the court sustained by the revenues . 100 sustained by the revenue. It isnt receiving any operating revenue. The cash infusions we do carr felt a little bit of revenue at the state level, the commonwealth for the Capitol Investments here and we also get some funds from the federal government for the environmental matters and also for security because this is a key strategic port. Again the east coast carriers some of them are Navy Personnel marines and soldiers. They were apologizing. We dont let anything hold us back. This is classic navy whether. Host what does this mean for both of your district squawks host guest so much as occurred on the nations history across the planet and the jamestown settlers went up the river here which is just to my left and the first navy was established here. In the part of norfolk we would start to see all of the Navy Carriers both here and at the naval base. The shipyard in the norfolk area across the aircraft area in the two places they build Nuclear Submarines to the shipbuilding and army base. Host your constituents are primarily who . Guest i have the privilege of having the district that has the highest concentration of men and women in uniform the Second District has the highest as well and i believe we are surrounded by so many patriots when you talk to someone that served they would say a lot of history has occurred. We have tourism as a key part of what we are doing. Guest the navy ship building from the military and the department of defense. Host we hear from new orleans. Go ahead. Caller good morning to. We appreciate you coming to new orleans. The panama canal opened. We need to work. [inaudible] even though we competed for it, we would like to have more work. Host do you work at the port . Caller yes, i do. I am a longshoreman for 26 years. Host 26 years host caller yes, maam. Host good job . Caller it is a great job. Again, we are a small port. Host what is coming to the port and of leaving support in virginia . Caller we are no comparison to virginia. We are a small port that operates like a large port. We get the ships in and out. Anywhere from 85 to 45 containers per hour. [inaudible] guest new orleans is a Great American city and in terms of the port the federal government is a huge supporter after katrina and rita and the oil spill. We have shown a lot of support to the Great American city. Do our very best to find Common Ground and unlocked this potential that we have here. We have longshoremen that are also here and they do a great job. As bobby said, it is a very collaborative spirited discussion and the negotiations that take place here as well. And i really proud of the partnership that has been formed i think they support first and in doing so it helps everyone. Host with the viewers are seeing a shift leaving the ports of virginia. But the longshoremen working like we heard getting the container on and off the ships and then they are taken to the trucks and the railways and shipped across the country. What would happen . We talked about security concerns earlier but if there was some sort of a Security Threat to the parts of virginia or other ports across the country what would happen to the demand in the country . Guest duty lubber date where you want things to arrive just in time for the process for the schedule people had no work on the material. We had been doing security where they send ships from so a lot of the screening takes place there the security is a challenge but i think [inaudible] guest part of the coast guard facilities have a small Navy Security and ive been a recreational boater in this area before i had the privilege of serving in congress and any time there is a security, you know, you will see quite a bit more presence. They have the ability for more prisons and to secure the office that we have here. We are proud of the navy, proud of the coast guard and they make sure the goods that are coming in our secure and all of the protection device and all the measures we talked about to make sure the port is secure caller first let me make one comment. I would like to have cspan keep the numbers up more often so we can make calls to it for those of us that are not regular. Congressman scott is a personal friend of mine. The congressman is right next to us and i want to ask a question that is the direct role of the representatives and the two gentlemen that you had on before in the attempt to privatize this national and state resources and we assure that part of that was the Union Busting activities going on. I would like for both congressmen to comment directly on any personal roles they have or comment directly on the why was it entertained for virginia to sell the port or privatize the port in the first place . Guest offers are made and its important to consider the offers. As we bring many officials who are skeptical to the privatization you have to look at the numbers to see what was on the agenda. Frankly the conclusion was that it should not be so. It should be a resource for the people and thats where we are now and we just hope we can keep it that way. If you would be profitable for a private individual in a private firm it could be profitable. Guest my understanding is that the author was unsolicited and it was just presented to the commonwealth and the secretary of transportation and they worked through that. But i didnt play a particular role on that. It was overwhelmingly a state issue. It was the governors decision along with the General Assembly theres been questions whether the governor has the authority to even execute that even if he decided to. I think they work through that and ultimately the right thing happened here. Host williamsburg va. You are next. Caller good morning mr. Rigell i own a company and ive been in 1100 schools over virginia and i think what the federal authorities have done is the lowering of the standards for the minority students in virginia public schools. How can those students compete with everybody else when you grow at the standard for them and not everyone else. So if you expect them to be a slower employee, how does the employer respect that persons education from the state of virginia when youve already told levity that they operate at ten to 15 less than everyone else. Host lets get a response. Guest that comes from the decision achievement gap where the minority students have performed lower. They set the standards below where they are now with the expectation that you are over the course of time to catch up. We need to eliminate the achievement gap. You cannot have a significant portion behind everybody else and think that you are going to compete on international basis. We need everyone educating. There is no excuse to have people educated that level behind everyone else. We have been trying to reauthorize the no child left behind of legislation but we havent been able to do it. The key concern in the achievement gap. Some of us recognize the calculation for dropping out is not part of the top division for achieving the adequate progress so you have a perverse incentive to but people find out because they are dropping out from the bottom and the more people drop out, the higher the average is and that is not where you want to be. We have them in the have been a station which high dropout rates in some areas the dropout rate is 50 educating students with that kind of record. Guest we sharply improve our performance. We are failing our children and i think the principal question that needs to be addressed how to work through this is or the best best decisions and are we better off if we continue to pull the Decision Making it to washington . However wellintentioned the groups are in the department of education i am a strong proponent of not spending less sending it back to the states with the grants and giving the local School Boards or autonomy and more running the room and that is the direction we need to go. Guest one of the standards for no child left behind is to identify the schools that are failing at the end of the process. We didnt come back with ways to actually improve the situation and that this one of the things we need to do. Its really important to have that regimen so that we can find out. But after you have identified those that are not performing we need to have them approved on the first round. Host democratic caller. Jeff in buffalo new york to war on the air. Caller good morning. I personally think that this is a bipartisan issue as far as infrastructure goes. My understanding is the deficit and what not in recent memory for the last few years because of the recession as far as using that money to reinvest in the Infrastructure Spending in the roads and bridges and ports i guess my question would be how do you go back, and talk to your constituents especially the republican on the panel understand the deficit spending in the way they are drawn in the primary. The money would be going back to the district to put people back to work. How do you sell that to the constituents, congressman . I appreciate the question. In general, we have done enough on the Discretionary Spending so there is probably some agreement there. We need to shift the spending. I think it is also wrong to not reform those the least among us unfortunately. We cant stay on the side of borrowing and frankly even that is it has demonstrated flexibility on the revenue you cant tax your way out of the situation that we are in and its putting a threat that foundational level to the country. We have the infrastructure i would actually support and vote for an increase in Infrastructure Spending if it went straight to the programs we need the most that would be a wise investment. We have to get a handle on the mandatory spending. Its not a republican or democratic issue. Its an american issue. Guest we need to talk about mandatory spending is what medicare. The point that is being made is the Interest Rates are low and Unemployment Rate is high so the bid is coming in from the lowest bid to the construction and youve got. We need to take advantage of this opportunity to put people back to work. And if you are borrowing money on the bond to do the construction would be giving it at a lower bond so the gentleman is absolutely right we need to get feige of this opportunity and the Interest Rate will stay low forever. Its beginning to creep up so the quicker we get these Infrastructure Projects funded, the cheaper they will be. Host we have a few minutes with our congressmen. Independent in florida. Caller good morning. I was curious why the congress and the senate is not creating jobs in america. We keep opening up in the bigger ports and we are bringing everything you walk into the store and its made in china. In the United States in the early years weve laid everything here. We were self sustainable. Thats what made the country great. Why do we continue to do these . You have no jobs, you have people out of work. Theyve fallen off the board and they were not even counted. We were known for textiles and new hampshire. It is and cheaper coming from china. A pair of jeans is still 80 i wonder when they are going to wake up with this triet guest its something we need to be doing. The president has the initiative to improve manufacturing on the institute to help bring up the manufacturing capability. But youre absolutely right the can create a matter of priorities because the 3. 9 trillion tax cut. For half a trillion dollars in the jobs Program Infrastructure you can create 10 million jobs and 50,000 each for half a trillion dollars we spent 3. 9 trillion my tax cut is about 10 Million People on unemployment at any given time in the unemployment if we put that as a high priority in tax cuts to set up a matter we have to create the jobs. Host there is a ship coming through. It looks like it might be leaving here from italy. We have a caller earlier talk about the ports in dubai. Have you visited other ports and what is your impression here in the United States . Guest ive visited the National Security in afghanistan we have a tremendous potential. Just what you see flowing out here and heading out to the Chesapeake Bay in the atlantic there is a principle we that we could address alexandrias concern is this idea of making it more competitive. I really believe as a business person here we truly have we are regulating our way out of prosperity. I believe this. The sum of all things puts a damper on the spirit of american entrepreneurs. Host which agency . Guest you can call it what you will but there are hardworking americans right now being put out of work because we are not allowing some reasonable accommodations for us to improve over a longer period of time with respect to some of these emissions. Look, china is putting these plants on the line and so is india. And it just burdens be greatly that what is happening in washington is putting americans out of work. We can do far better than this and i dont see it as a partisan issue. Host the exports are about 40 of the countrys coal to other countries. Guest it is much lower regulation so i think you have to be careful about the regulations in general and those that effectively improve the health and safety. Host let me get one more call for the two of you. Immigrant of the minnesota i believe it is a republican collar. Good morning. You are on the air. Caller can you hear me . Host yes we can. Caller okay. You know what . You are breaking up there a little bit. Lets put you on hold and we will try to come back to you later on. We are running out of time with the two of you. How do you talk to folks back in washington about the ports of virginia means . You serve on committees that are not directly related to the port, so how are you talking to your colleagues . Guest we need to talk about the Economic Growth and what its going to mean to our economy. You mentioned Economic Activity and hundreds of thousands of jobs. We live together with others and make the case this is good for investments and good for america guest we care deeply about our environment. That said, i let my friends know that when we are voting on these measures year, that we are wisely bringing in the epa, it ripples all across the country the way that its kind of constraining our environment so when we make decisions to and the epa we are unlocking of the sport for the virginians and americans to make a better living. Host disagree on that but thank you very much. We appreciate of the viewpoints. Thank you for coming on the washington journal to the thank you for welcoming us here. We appreciate it. Host we are back with live coverage from the port of virginia. This is one of the biggy busiest ports that ranks about second or third along the east coast and within the top 20 major ports around fifth or sixth. 350 week comes from the sport in virginia at the International Turmoil here and joined by the port association. Kurt is the president and the chief executive. Talk about what your group does. What is your role in the port across the country . Guest we represent the agencies like the virginia authorities. They represent the hemisphere in the caribbean and central and south america. For the ports around the hemisphere it is primarily to provide the forms for exchange of information, best practices, Lessons Learned to share their experiences. In addition to that we also provide advocacy efforts in washington, d. C. Host how are you interacting with washington with the federal agency . Guest we meet regularly with folks on capitol hill in the house and the senate it is of critical importance. Its through the transportation infrastructure as well as obviously to the international competitiveness. We work with the various federal agencies on the transportation, homeland security, Commerce Department etc. On issues that relates to trade and public ports. Host what are some of the priorities that you are having meetings about with officials in washington . Guest the primary issues right now focus a lot on infrastructure. At the port facilities themselves and also connecting to the port facility both landslide as well as into and out of the part facility with connections to the interstate highways and also importantly the navigation channel leading into and out of the ports. There is a federal government channel and its important that they be both maintain the and and approved to accommodate the larger vessels of the trade. Host what does it take inside of the port and who is doing it . Guest the responsibility is federal with the u. S. Army corps of engineers is responsible for maintaining and improving the navigation channels. Its paid for in terms of the maintenance. The shippers that are coming in are paying a tax to the government for that maintenance and then the port like the Virginia Port Authority pays a significant cost share if there are going to be improvements on the deepening. Host the sport behind us in this terminal, this International Terminal has 50 seats. How does that compare to others across the country . Guest there are few ports in the United States through able to accommodate the vessels with 50 feet or more. That is a challenge we have in this country to be doubled to bring our infrastructure the ports to be Competitive International in many parts of the world able to accommodate the larger vessels that in the International Trade, and our Competitive International is affected by that. So it is any good position having the channel. It is 50 feet and there are others that will be approved to the step but it is a long and costly process. Host how is the shipping industry changing . Guest you are seeing larger vessels making the calls and bringing more and more goods and on those individual vessels taking more and more out. So what that relates to them is the channel that is necessary. They are able to accommodate those larger vessels, the u. S. Exports of coal, grain, whatever the case may be on the individual vessel the lowercost making them more Competitive Internationally. Host in earlier from the Virginia Port Authority they told us they talked out recently at 9,600 containers on one ship and they are looking to go to 12,015 on the supertankers. Guest there are even vessels on order of 18,000 capacity. Host containers . Guest is roughly half of that so the ball park is about 9,000 containers on each of those vessels. The panama canal is expanding for the larger vessels and ports throughout the world are really also looking at the Infrastructure Investments to deal to handle those International Trade. Host said the president called for this idea of more infrastructure for the ports. This doesnt happen to the supertanker who are we competing against . Guest most parts would be a bill to travel by passing from asia to europe or vice versa. The trade at this point is colin will and if the u. S. Isnt going to be a major player in that that will bypass us with those larger vessels and we wont be able to compete because of the economy of scale. Host the countries like china make a lot of good and needed to import them to the United States . The consumer here there is a demand. Guest theyre certainly is a demand and we will maintain a destination for the imported goods. The Economic Growth of throughout the world in latin america and other parts of asia etc. Is so significant that the u. S. Share had a relative size of the u. S. Compared to historical the is shrinking in so that we dont have that Natural Advantage that we have historically. Host which countries are coming to call with the vessels here at the sports and the ports across the country . Guest in terms of the value of goods and the imports and exports are the top two destinations and origins are china and japan but theres also a significant imports and exports with countries like germany, brazil, south korea. I would say you have european, latin america, other parts of asia. There are parts of the economy and we have to be able to be competitive with not only the parts throughout the world but with the partners that are being shipped throughout the world. Host we have our set up the part of virginia and we also have a camera in the tower that is on the ground here at the port and is able to give you the view that you have been seeing of the ships coming in and out and the activity that has been here on the ground just next to last. Compare this to other ports across the country. Whats happening today that happens across all the ports . Guest it is one of the major ports in the country along the east coast. What you see is activity going on in this part particularly it has a lot of containers as we see at this terminal and others throughout the part but also a significant in terms of the commodity exports. This is a primary for the export which is one of our significant exports and that obviously impacts our jobs here locally in virginia and also the origin of those produced so what you see is activity and jobs only locally but what that means for jobs and activities throughout the regions of the country that are kind of supported by the reports. Host the people that work here, what kind of wages are people earning in the United States . Guest the average wage of the port is significantly above the average wage in the u. S. Economy. So those are very good paying family wage jobs. Also in general in terms of the economics of the experts in general they generally pay 15 or so high here than the average jobs. So again there is significant Economic Impact to our ability to compete internationally. Host let me go to david in virginia democratic call. Hello, caller my question is regarding the security of the parts. I like the gentlemans comment regarding the ports general. Over the last two years there has been a reduction of the security personnel in the Security Department both of those regarding the efficiency of the personnel. Guest i think what weve seen dramatically changed since september 11th, 2001 was a strong shift in the security away from the focus on the drug interdiction type of issues to the concerns about security in terms of tourism at the port itself or in terms of bringing a potential weapon of mass destruction having the material through the porch. There has been i think a significant increase in of the level including security personnel at the port of virginia that has a significant sworn police force here at the Port Authority, so it is a combination of the security in terms of the boots on the ground and the Port Security professionals but also a lot of increases in the investment and Access Controls to ensure the individuals that seek access to the port have a reason to be on the port property and to secure the facilities in terms here as well so theres been a dramatic increase in the investment and a combination of technology as well as the National Security people. Host the other aspect showing the viewers a little bit earlier building a railway from here, how important is that . The part of virginia learned 30 goes out and the rest of it is mostly by truck. Building a new railway through here, talk about that as a factor in the ports and in the the delivery of goods. Guest it is in line with the rest of the country about a third is in and out of the ports handled by the general railroads in the country and that can help obviously reduce the congestion of the ports and the ability to have the lions physically come onto the property and go directly onto the containers for shipping to the midwest or other markets that help significantly in terms of congestion and certainly as environmental benefits etc. But that is again a critical piece what we are focused on washington to ensure that infrastructure that connects to the ports whether it be the line, the transfer between the port and the railroad and as well as the trucking to the devil to have easy access onto and off the porch property to the interstate again only to increase the efficiency but reduce the impact to local community to the host . Caller good morning. Thanks for being on the show today triet [inaudible] the entire San Francisco bay every ship that came from the port underneath the golden gate bridge. [inaudible] the coast guard has the security on board with the pile wet some have the Health Officials on board they say it is a big challenge. If somebody wants to do something that theres opportunities. Guest for you are absolutely right. Its been tracking to essentially move the borders out in terms of moving security away from the land itself. There is security requirements that take place for the vessel 24 hours or more before they do enter the u. S. Ports. The cargo itself is screened in advance they are required to put information on the cardinal that is on the vessels well in advance at the u. S. Port. So there are the continuing efforts again both physically as well as technologically to move the borders out so a lot of that inspection and a lot of that screening can be done with the cargo and the vessel and the crew well in advance. Host is the crew coming from the other countries or the that it . Guest they are and theres also limitations in their access. Both obviously first off to whether they are able to get a license to be on board of the vessel but also in terms of access at the facilities. One of the ongoing challenges is to be able to provide the access for the crew members of the are able to provide supplies and make phone calls etc. With what they are able to do on the port and also to be able to ensure the facilities remain secure. So again it is a matter of vetting of the crew to ensure that they have the ability to access facilities. Host welcome to the conversation. You are on the air. Caller iowa cory in war vet and we are capable of the threedimensional manufacturing. Thats why im interested in this topic today. What i am amazed about is the system of assembling things like the pennsylvania area. Its automated and i dont see a Single Person manning the machine and they are manufactured in the same manner but what gives me an intense interest is that we do not have a kind of personnel at the base itself and the state of virginia gets quite wealthy on this part. I believe that this is something that we ought to be proud of and the progress and threedimensional manufacturing is another one down the pike. So i say that i am proud to be in a country where it can develop such things as this. Thats why i called in. Now, my question is high compared to an elevator that runs horizontal and vertical, but this is a system that operates off a certain designed measure and it operates and has parking stations and when its ready it is called upon by a total automation and that fascinates me. Thats why i had to call. Host okay. Guest thank you for the call. Certainly as you can see here the cranes at the facility are state of the art and has a lot of automated features for primero leyba efficiency but also important safety aspect so that the individual longshoremen that are on board of the vessel as well as operating the cranes farnham safe and secure so there is a lot of technology that can increase the efficiency, again, making our goods more efficient and more Competitive Internationally as well as the imports so the consumers when we go to the local departments or wood for the case may be, our product sar competitively priced so we are able to have the qualityoflife that we do have here in the United States. But certainly the efficiency and the safety of the employees is part of the automation and the technology that we have liked to see here. Host the cranes behind us we learned earlier one cost 10 million the last about 25 years with the Port Authority folks they told us that they have updated then just recently. And then to the right, you saw earlier the people lifting that containers, moving them and stacking them with the carriers you can see them busy at work to read the has been working all morning since we got here. Talk about that a little bit and how that factors into the operation. Guest the process that you see even when there is a physically shipped at the port it is going to get containers ready for a vessel that is coming on and there is one to this afternoon and also cargo that has been offloaded and is being prepared to be set for distribution but can be prepared for Truck Drivers to take it to its destination. So there is a lot of activity, a lot of jobs, a lot of Economic Activity around the port that is not just the physical trade. Host on the line for independent, randi in west point mississippi caller good morning. Host good morning. Caller the port in Savannah Georgia will be upgraded for the new ships thank you. Guest the port of savannah is currently in the process of working with the corps of engineers and the federal government to deepen the Savannah River so it will be able to accommodate larger river vessels. That project is under way. In terms of that investment improvement similarly in the gulf part mississippi. As you know that part was significantly impacted by katrina years ago and as a part of the process of reilding and revitalization of the mississippi coast line, there is activity involved in improvements and investments in and around the port of call sport to those revitalize that community that was benefited by the hurricane but also importantly to be able to handle the new type of vessels that will be travelling into the gulf of mexico and a few short years to the estimate we have about 15 minutes left with our guest here. Hes the president and chief exceed officer of the American Association of the Port Authority is working with officials in washington and working with supports not only in the United States but internationally as well. We continue our coverage here in Norfolk Virginia at the port with International Terminals up the river behind us and as curt said we are expecting a shipwright behind us around midday today. We have been seeing ships coming in and out and a lot of activity here at the shipyard. The cost and revenue, talk a little bit about that. It does it work at every port and do they try to compete with other ports across the United States as far as how much how many ships they see, we had about 45 coming into the port of virginia. Do they try to cut their cost in order to compete with the new york port, etc. . Guest our association for the benefit of the country is a culture of the willingness to share experiences and Lessons Learned, etc. They arent very competitive in terms of marketing and competing for cargo and importers etc. , which again from the National Standpoint helps to ensure that we are doing things efficiently and keeping the cost as low as possible for the u. S. Consumers as well as our manufacturers and exporters. There is very strong competition that the gentleman called earlier about savanna. Certainly charleston, baltimore, new york, theres a lot of competition just here on the east coast similarly and as well as the west coast and there is competition between the west coast and the east coast as well. In addition internationally. The canadian ports are competing destined for north america and there is a lot of competition, but that again helps to ensure that we are being efficient. Host does it make a difference how long they stay on the ship whether or not they can come to a closer port rather than coming to the part of virginia were carrying on to the new port. Guest their ultimate goal is to get the product where they want it to be coming in to buy a certain time as economic as possible. So in some cases that involves having it on the water for a long period of time because it is in general the largest cost transportation but on that particular commodity and the particular location there may be a combination of taking it to the port that is of little bit closer to the origin and then using of the lines or something to carry at the rest of the way. Host does that mean the port is serving the midwest or the middle part of the United States . Guest the primary market i would say is definitively local here in terms of its exports. A lot of the West Virginia coal is exported, but i would say its primary market is the midwest. Other ports that are competing for the same cargo keeps the threat of virginia on its toes to be as economical as it can. Host and competing as well. Guest absolutely. One of the challenges as an industry that we have in the federal budget climate as it is in washington, d. C. And the discussions about what is the federal responsibility and what might not be a federal responsibility have more challenges in the industry to highlight the fact of what the role of the federal government is to begin again primarily as a partner on the waterside and landside connections. In virginia they are investing about 9 billion a year throughout the u. S. On facilities that we see behind us. What we need the federal government to do is send out a bargain in terms of the navigation channel and the land slide access type of infrastructure that are outside of the parts jurisdiction. And theres strong competition obviously in washington for those limited dollars. In terms of the industry itself, we think that is clearly a federal responsibility and its played out in the constitution one of the first things that George Washington did was establish the role in the ports and the waterways. But with the federal budget being what it is we have to continue to make the case. Host what has been the impact of the sequestration if any of the ports in the country . Guest thankfully its been somewhat moderated because, again i think there has been a recognition by the Effective Agency that this International Trade is vital to our economy and to our jobs, etc. So i think there have been significant efforts to try to minimize those negative impacts. There is concern because with acrosstheboard budget cuts as the sequestration required, things like the corps of engineers have less money to maintain the federal navigation channels so that puts those channels at a greater risk in the the mother significant concern is on the Border Protection and one of the year earlier calls talked about the screening of cargo etc. Customs and Border Protection with sequestration cuts have had to try to do more with less resources to people to continue to provide that so the cargo can leave facilities on a timely basis it needs to treat host we have a little over five lynettes left. Lets go to jerry in alabama. A democratic call. Caller yes, good morning. Can you hear me . Host we can. You are on the air. Caller i have a question and comment. How does your guest look at highway as another means of moving the cargo up and down the coast without impacting highways themselves . And my comment is i hope the viewers will understand the container ships in this country. Malcolm who started the corporation and then all those jobs have been sold out and gone and hardly any american container ship any more. That is my comment and question. Guest you are right in terms of the waterways. On the east coast with of the inner coastal waterway up and down the coast but also the gulf intercoastal highway along the gulf of mexico there are some movement of cargo in between the ports share in the United States and certainly we are advocating to the increased utilization of that, of those waterways and the efficiency again as i mentioned it generally is the lowest cost as well as most environmentally friendly mode of transportation in moving goods but also can take significant cargo congestion off the road like i95 on the east coast or on a 20, i10 on the gulf coast so we certainly very much agree with your concept of the greater utilization of our in our coastal highways as well as moving from the one u. S. Port to another to move the cargo. On your letter will point that would also help in terms of the u. S. Maritime jobs because that kind of movement in the ports would be required on u. S. Vessels with u. S. Crews so that also address your comment. Host you talk about who invented the container ship. Guest he is right to the and it was 1956 when they ran a Trucking Company in Hudson New York new jersey area and figured there must be a better way of getting my card are in and out of the parts and he literally took the what at that time was the truck itself on to a vessel and shipped it to the port in texas and that literally began the history of containers and as we see now as much as possible because of the economics of that type of transportation is moved by container on these large vessels. Host what is your background in this industry and International Trade . Guest ive been with the Association Since 1985 and when the call were called in earlier from wyoming my background has been International Trade even before working with the association i was at the National Coal association in wyoming to get a sense of the Coal Production and its certainly one of our key exports internationally so involved in International Trade and u. S. Competitiveness in the world market for over 30 years. Host and george of is to talk with federal officials and we talk about the competition for shuttle dollars from the ports. How much money are we talking about the ports getting from the federal government . Guest the ports themselves as i mentioned are investing about 9 billion a year. They are investing the lion share which is legitimate 9 billion each year in the facilities throughout the United States so what we need the federal government to do is invest on the waterside for the navigation channels and that is it would be in the neighborhood if it were funded about 1. 5 to 2 billion both for maintenance and improvements. And then also importantly its a combination with federal and state the connecting roads to the facilities like here facilitate movement and reduce the congestion. Host are we talking billions . Guest i would say it would be low billions and compared to the 9 billion the public ports and private sector partners invest its a relatively small share but its part of the partnership in terms of what is federal role and jurisdiction on the navigation channels under jurisdiction and the constitutionally reserved for the federal government to pour tough va couldnt widen the channel on its own if desired to even if it wanted to do it and was able to pay for it because it is a channel that needs to have that authorization. Host let me go to if phil. Caller living in the norfolk a think the bottleneck is getting through the bridge system and how does the port deal with local authorities to get the funding and how much of a drag is the local bottleneck . Guest it is significant for many of the ports and what we have seen for the last probably ten years or so is the port authorities are looking beyond the gate in terms of the transportation infrastructure and being more involved whether it is with the local governments, the local metropolitan planning organizations that deal with transportation issues in the local region to try to ensure house some of the priorities are necessary to address the congestion that obviously is important to the local communities as well as the parts can be addressed. Here you mentioned the Long Term Plan for the third passage that will provide a benefit to the cargo moving in and out of the parts and also for the community here. Host we have 30 seconds left but stateowned versus privatelyowned, what is the difference and how many are we talking about . Guest many of them are state and some of them are county districts etc. And today handle most of the public containers. Many of the port facilities that handle things like oil and Petroleum Products and natural gas etc. Are private facilities and they handle a lot of those types of commodities. Though there is roughly an equal amount of private terminals. Host the chief executive of the American Association of port authorities we thank you very much for talking with our viewers this morning and welcoming us to the part of virginia. Thank you. Guest thank you. In light of the latest terror alert. That is horrible for the armed forces. If you were a and invited guest of the madisons you would be invited to the guiding rule form from the dry gloom and Dolley Madison unusually would sit at the head of the table. Her husband, james, would set the center. Dolly would direct the conversation in james could engage in intimate or a lively conversation with the people to his immediate right to a and a left. This table today is set for a people but there could be as many as 20 in the dining room and that would not be unusual. And Dolly Madison and consider dyeing is not want hillyer so much for relaxing the annotating at washington. She would rather serve 100 and mont pooley over 25 in washington. [applause] if. Good afternoon. It is time to welcome you to the third panel of the day. The panel is a fraying around what kind of progress blacks have made since the Civil Rights Movement with the challenges that face africanamericans in the 21st century but we have formulated two major questions. The first is what historical and contemporary fact thorshavn continue to make it to the elusive concept in the 21st century. Second, what kinds of knowledge can we have the specific challenges of racial inequity . I vacillates rolled to be able to be in conversation with two or possibly three speakers died and six speakers and dynamic thinkers id like to introduce you to them before the conversation. Sarah griffin professor of english comparative literature in africanamerican studies at columbia and also served as director of the institutes for research of africanamerican studies. Her most recent book coming in in in september harlem nocturne the excessive politics during world war ii. Pardon me. Our second panelist founding director for the center of greece and democracy at Tufts University and author of the Award Winning wait to the midnight hour. Dark days bright lights. Ian and our third scheduled speaker is Campbell Thomas who is traveling in from and unfortunately has not yet arrived hoping he will take the stage as soon as he does company will introduce him in his absence. Professor of law and cofounder and director of the center for the study of lot and culture and colombia in and professor thomas is one of the editors of the critical race theory. So we have powerful thinker ian visionary thinkers. [applause] welcome. Were so glad that you made it. I was saying both that in it so many ways barack obama has stepped up our conversation into black sandys 21st century but i want to put that into a larger context. We tried to take a backward and day for were the book with this panel and a conversation but the back were the luckiest where have we come, where have we come to in the 50 years since the march on washington. Right . At the same time this particular moment the first is three and a half weeks ago the Supreme Court overturns the domestic and very jackets and struck down the Voting Rights act at the same time seven days ago George Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin. And also the first africanamerican president of the United States made his second statement on Race Relations and this is a key moment to reflect on 50 years later. So to start our ask each to comment on the impact of these three events and what it says about what progress is or not in the 21st century. Thank you for being here. A very provocative question. It is difficult to come up with a quick answers in the heat of this particular moment but i will try. All free legal interventions at this moment, tell us the importance of understanding what racial progress meant historically. The historical nature of what they call progress of racy quality is always characterized by retrenchment so there is never in any street sense of progress that we certainly have made Great Strides in the 1963 march on washington and what we accomplished a following that was the Voting Rights act to years later and then 50 years later we have the retrenchment of that key piece of legislation. 50 years later we have something that we know to be an act of racial violence with the zimmerman found not guilty but the difference is 50 years ago we might not would call it an act of racial violence and that shows the way of retrenchment works. It becomes a more sophisticated and more difficult for us with things that we know half to do with race and those of us who call it the act of racial violence is accused of being violence i dont thing that would have been 50 years ago one step forward or to a three or four backwards and we have to be aware of that and it is a step forward but to strike down the voting right act is a step backward by Trayvon Virgin is both i am so heartened by the globalization of around its and the refusal to give in to that narrative so progress the of retrenchment [applause] thank you for organizing this panel i think we owe a big round of applause for the 50th anniversary of the harlem book fair is about race and democracy and we should be having our communities every retiree and three have had these conversations and a communitys historically thrall but we need to have these conversations with white americans with gay and lesbian and young people and it should be a national priority. Of light to throw out the provocation the difference between 1963 and 2013 is that in 1963 people knew they were being oppressed in 1963 they knew there were politically and socially and economically subjugated id like to surround the provocation fifth think of thats correct period of the Civilrights Movement what black people did then was transformed american democracy but they did so through blood and bloodshed but Trayvon Martin and also and it till assassinated in 1955 in mississippi for allegedly violating racial etiquette by speaking to a white woman and his body placed in the river withe 2025 count around his necke prif and that spurred the nation to look at White Supremacy on our democracy. Talk about 1963 the year of birmingham that dr. King. Writes his famous letter andsay in thats letter he says theen it naim, 1m in birmingham the young men and women than ever been arrested are taking the nation back now he was being too kind still have because it was founded on racial slavery with awit conversation we still have not had the 50 years ago ma with the verge on washingtonwhen provided a litmus test for democracy when king speaks at the march in washington he says americans of alld go t j colors have to struggleamently together to fundamentally transform american democracy. 50 years later and08 election v especially of the aftermath of the obama election wehe icto celebrated the under into victory and talked aboutle were post racial america torprised celebrate the end of racismn. And that is why people were surprised about trayvonnd strte martin. I am heartened to the president finally spoke out g to speak truth to power onlympeh because of the grassroots activism that compelled him lu to speak. Edeck barack obama is not Martin Luther king, jr. Or Frederick Douglass if youto then look at dr. Kings next to jfk or lbj barack obama is lbj and john kennedy. Munity h yt he is not begin in theeycan sooner the black community can understand that they can th double a respectful critiqueda,t to the commander in chief in the president of United States for not discussing p the black agenda or blacki uld poverty and he has said he is now president of black america and i say fine. Meica but they are american citizens no matter when anybody says for it weand he needed to advocate for the end of racial inequality inequality, poverty and massresn incarceration. When we think abouts president barack above a we need to go back to what dr. King said in his last speech set the greatest of American Allies in the right to protest for the rights and whoever is in the whitean house should be someone whoeven is talking about the agenda t that sets out with america blac even if they happen to be pr the first black president of United States. Inpplause]to join good afternoon. He it is great to be here and want to join inan congratulations for the harlem book fair to organize this event to allow us theofferr possibility to talk aboutwas thp black politics for you offered three images. One was of the Supreme Courts decision of the Shelby County case of voting past rights and the court alsoof xa decided the affirmativeaction case from the university of texas in which affirmative action survived by a hair and eye of frustrated in that decision the Supreme Court steadies up the lot to compelli strikeng down racial diversityfe as a compelling action justification for they thr affirmative action programs but taken together i think we can say three things o about each of those eventsof w or images. An each of which offers the state of black politics with that Court Decision in hiscourt opiniojun for the courtat i do Justice Robert said its something i do not thinkhav could have said some 50berof t years ago or would not havecour. Been said by a member of thes u. S. Supreme court there ishat a member where he franklyiscmint admits its its that racial h discrimination in americang exc life exists. S and goes on to say no one us denies that but yet at thelega end of the opinion what he has given us, is a legalfetive judgment in the reading of the constitution that effectivelyin says racialno one discrimination exists, no one denies it and we dontin a l care. Ia so we live in a peculiar same moment where one at the samel nime we can admit the i existence of a racial stratificationo but with the heather declare without kipping a beat that is something by which we are justified as a nation to notthel care about. Of there is a principal of a political culturalt indifference of racial equality that a thing distinguishes us from 1963i mayb and after the speech by abeca speea i may be getting into hot water because i read the speech quickly and i readhe res some of the press coverageth and what strikes me about the press coverage is the extent of which the speeched for oas its sensitive bamre probing and profound insightt me into race and racism today. Dont get me wrong. Pres iid am very glad the president shows he chose the n verdict of the zimmerman the case and acknowledged the real and widespread pain that africanamericans and ommi all americans to our friendske f of racial equality were that committed. Of in the wake of that verdict president s but as with other pronouncements about race f the president s remarks pretty much remain within the framework of racial moralism. As the late philosopher once put it a sad fundamental story that this could be your daughter. Ter. If i had a son, the Trayvon Martin could have been myon, son if it was 35 years ago irayn could have been Trayvon Martin. U and the speeches onlyd gestures through the use of mea the word context dependingnd on how you use it can mean everything and nothing to the Structural Forces that have produced the trayvon it martin and to the meaning of olib racism in the age of neoliberalism that brings us to the moment of says a german verdict itself in inst which a judge instructed a jury, theyre reaching a verdict, which effectively and th held another provocation that, when it comes to a circumstances like this at r least, the black man has no right that the white man is bound to respect to. Me [applause]urtthe i am d paraphrasing the decision of the Supreme Court of the trend scott case the notoriousfr case from the 19th century that predated the civil war. For all of our celebration about the sea change we havequer seen in this country many 60 ways with race and racial impor equality since the early 60s, it is very importantward for us as we move forward not to lose sight of the continuity. Is there no meaningful difference between the structure of racism in 1963 or racism as we know itt. Today . No. What i cayenne say is we live now has relived 50 years ago in a moment of need racial contradiction. Con we need to wrestle with the realities of those tem contradictions instead of away. G them [applause]o everyone will legree o those are provocative mo statements. Ontr i would love to hear you talk more about thecoradicti wontradictions that you were mentioning between the historical moment duringemrary which there is a recognitionwasc of the contemporary moment that was described as indifference a think thattalkin relates directly to this cycle we were talking about are pu of progress and retrenchment but it seems weve put on the table is the question how in this contemporary movement is race erased that takes away the possibilitythey b for legal action . Ofou wo protest is put back on the cmme table at the Grassroots Level but i wonder if youh would like to comment more an the criticism that youb make the way barack obama isionl asking us to participate in a National Conversation but at the same time saying hehe cannot be that conversationat ce that government is not the most effective place to have that conversation so i wouldg t love to read out thoseati contradictions that he will speak to in terms of what is race with the contemporary we movement can have demobilizeyeas it any different way for us is jim crow from the 50 years ago . Acknowlethat the most important thingand is to recognize and th acknowledge that contradiction that for so many people there was shock of the verdict to thereto yo responses were people whose salet was in to surprised the system was not made to treatr us fairly but others who were stunned that that wasthere the verdict. There in is the tht contradiction with some a middle ground that we need to be able to discuss the. N made tremendous of strides to elect ancan africanamerican president ent ws commit an exceptional person i or president the knock barrlrights movement was quite successful in did not down certain barriers thatc gave few of us access butpeop yet there are so many black people that still suffer that wt from inequality that was not addressed significantly enough therein lies thoseis acke contradictions. One of the things we have to do is acknowledge their stanc existence and see thesto absurdity and i will stop here, the absurdity of the instructions to is the jury that they could savey profiling but they could not say racial profiling. Racal what are the possibilitiesroson and you cannot call itra all racial profiling but these one wa prosecution can show a womane. Who is afraid of African American men . T of or have teachers to provoke racial narrative to strike at the heart of the jury butthat yet we cannot say he was racially profile. But with president obama ispersa spee to a problem that i have with personal anecdotesands we all had personal anecdotes and it is toil strikei empathy in the hearts ted of the listener. I thought he would like me i m voted for him but yet he cannot get a cab in manhattan. Tha there is a certain drama tocomes that story. That is the be all and endeneope all but what gets lost istrayvon the People Better during theme discussions when he said h Trayvon Martin could havean been be but what is lost but i cant do anything about it as president of unitedk states. Noblack erica. I want to acknowledge yours a plane black america but as it president , i have experienced it but i cannot do anything about it. I watched and i looked at twitter and facebook everyone said he could havethepa been the 50ce 35 years ago but they said it is not the co place of government but thecdot, conversation needs to be had the personal anecdote is n good but i think it is not in our service when it overshadows ore trumps the work that really needs to be done. [applause]evefor e the web site to build oniencr what sarah is saying. Abou one thing we have to do even for ther audience is talkits about the definition ofpeal racism. It is not about personal subjugation prejudice but institutional istb subjugationou but it is nott about white or colored signs the new racism is about the outcomes and racialcar disparities and who is in jail and why and who has nout te goals health care into ise pa stigmatizednt to thebeh segregated schools nationally and why . Mae ov africanamericans 43 million in United States only 1. 6 the only made over 200,000 and 20 percent live below the federal poverty line anotherplen 27 percent make under 35,000 per year. We thk abou so for that group things have not gotten better and if we think about president obamh and aa i think what we have tot question is the euphoria autifu and the clultural transformation of having a black president and a beautiful first lady and their kids the know if that black president cannot provide substantive publicity policy transformation toh care impact the africanamericanstant whicunity even to go beyonde the Affordable Health careu act or the stimulus package . There is n but there is no urban agenda he or confronting what michelerecth alexander calls the new lled t jimcrow, or thele condemnation of how that isdehan connected toi why black orystem. How people are criminalize to ci the reason Trayvon Martinultal goes from victim to criminal is the cultural racism thatare infects the United States. Cnt the contradictions we talkf ra about appear are notera. Contradictions but part and parcel of race in democracy in america. What malcolm x and of 49intlant years ago to say is this america before thenvention Credentials Committee at the democratict national convention, 44 years old be in a and vandalize for Voting Rights she says is na this america . Ec johnson organized the presslackc eonference because he saidth he was that exposing theyou coda lack of democracy in thethe United States . Et so that contradiction with the black president and in 841,000 black males in jailrceof jail, that is not a contradiction but part andwith r parcel howd democracy has always worked. The Civilrights Movement and black power moved into a multicultural progressivest waye try to do is transformed work. Democracy there is a different way for democracy to work. It doesnt have to condemn the by a black people but the further we deny racial and discrimination in this country and the slavery the a worse it grows like a cancer in the tumor on our bodycial dis politics. Institut what we used to confrontre w raciale discrimination, thew co more we are left confused doout the outcome. Be they how come there are so many poor black people . Maybe they dont like to work maybe it is not aboutlized the industrialization orng a harlem or brooklyn. Right now as i sit here and speak and black people areinstnn left out. Institutions surveyed obamident obama is not confronting the we need to confront it to force obamathe is hand. Of the reason he discussed Trayvon Martin is the grass roots insurgency people in this room and around the country that to mean to the commander in chief speak out. John kennedy 1963 talk aboutaffd racism as a crisis indemocrac distorting a word democracy. B that is kennedy because of an okay and grassrootsesits insurgency that forced the president s hand. Before he was assassinated kennedy tells his advisor civil rights is everything and it still is everything racil right now. Onomic until we self solve thehe nie proglem of racial inequality this is democracy does not have a progressive future. Contlause] of. What is the nature ofs this contradiction . A i will simply join what my a call panelist said and read a few lines of a letter 193100 ye and thn march, 1913, 100 years ago, the open letter. To Woodrow Wilson and the author is did he beat thele boys. Pr you say you have nothe insoluble cover of the negrolvai problem. T delay time the negro problem is insoluble when mid the system unsettling it wrong by asking in contradictoryme te things. E you cannot make 10 Million People at the same time servile and dignified, a depend domiciled and selfreliantusal selfreliant, the service the independent leaders butd be part of the industrial organism. This franchising and citizens of a democracy with intelligent and ignorant. This is impossible and theso, ps impossibility is in the very nature. The possibility and thecal impossibility of what we might call the age of obamaraci is the contradiction of race and racism. Is that again of a president and i will but yet is pr willing to allow the complete and privatization of any conversation aboutidenti this public issues that he has publicly identified as an issue that ought to concern all americans. The privatization is seethe otio enough of a problem. The notion that race is something that affects our public life but at its root apart from nearly defined as th no weighing purposeful go intentional discrimination by the government, apart from that very narrow situation it is not even t scratch the surface of racism today the rest is a. Matter for privatehat a go resolution. Od i think fact a good part ofbe the power of that vision of what racism is and how it should be addressed is to the extent of which ourgov economy and politics is governed by a the world you called in neoliberalism it everd as as a public philosophy holds a everybody andmarke everything is a risk for the market and the imperatives of the capitalist market in those deletes that steer the market ought to determine Public Policy be live in athe ai situation the heart, as ihi see it racism against black e people and people of color in this country is Economic Justice but under the orderinju of this question of economiche injustice is not on the tlking agenda of Public Policy we h uld double around thatsettingt edges to talk about raising the minimumwage the singlebu payer thankyou but the transformation of the economy in a way to subject pubc the distribution of shared Public Resources to democratic Decision Making laking, that idea of o economic democracy is weakere finish has been at almosthe any time since the creation ofobam the public and president obama who is a valuable brand is itself a commodity in the mike in the marketplace in the h of Citizens United when politicians can be boughtne o and sold to the highesti bidder when a the deepest challenges facing us as american citizens generally the absolute and utter, bankruptcy of a political system that calls to be democratic that in fact, isf controlled and run by public financially the its a and unless and until we are willing to a knowledge the eagerness with which the nebe president that would embrace Ronald Reagan is one of thea tof greatest president s in the history of the country as a tool of neoliberalism we will not get anywhere but i believe president obama in the interests that he represents rely on our utim acquiescence in the name of a disempoweringpoiti understanding of identity politics to the disabled in disempower or defeat on the part of the collective to embrace that identity. Aqu that is a contradiction, the removal as a result of the democratic Decision Making of Economic Justice. [applause] ny of th i want to follow throughone d on many of the statements that you have made which isent on one hand the critique of leadership of but also consider the grass rootst is insurgency. Ntury. I think that is a twinu concept of the 21st century of love to hear you talk more about given the provocation of the need for a conversation on race andth c at the same time thesp offloading of that into the private sphere of what would t it need to look like to connect to that grassroots mobilization . A that obama isn responding to so w a so i am asking you totually t critique another moment soive what would it mean to bringhow t together effective volved and leadership how would thely government be involved or connect to forces that actually soliciting a response albeit effective . We will switch at the. Werful s that iser] one of the interestingdy. And most powerful things is that is happening already everything from color online to different grass roots activism of the environment or antipoverty worth of books in new jim crow has been a bestseller the in now mass cursory she is on the agenda of the naacpama but what it has done in the age of obama and also thecated age of Trayvon Martin, tors. Advocate their role as protesters as leadership to be in a different bridges of government and to advocate accessed. This role is the access to e to get a photo ops withcomes the president he may come to l your organization tenders but with tangible Public Policy initiatives, zero. You dont get anything withkings the black community has allowed obama to do and aspresie someone who has beenerstand supportive of the obama and not just attacking you, understand his plight in the cit attack on him but the fact were citizens of thisr rolenles republic you can never advocate your role as aass citizen to let the president of United States get a freelemso pass because that brother has so many problems heave toca doesnt care about thecarceratn poverty rate or mass clinton incarceration or what thehe clinton crime bill continues you do or care about theowd difference about crackl it i cocaine or powder cocaine is still 18 one or care of our racial profiling an even bee said he was the biggestresectf racial profiler to be the ct d head of homeland security. We have to say brother, you cannot do that even if youility are the first black president. Oples champion [applause] Martin Luther martinns mr. King was leading the pork Peoples Campaign and he traded access to the Lyndon Johnson white houseipov because theyre needed to be antipoverty and job ng die legislation in the uniteding states. Fre dr. King died advocating for 1,000 black men who were becauss sanitation workers ini tennessee and he is assassinated becausetogethhi dr. King brings together whites, blacks, latinos and native americans to come to washington and for they entire summer and tries to been to the nations will into effective legislation for poor people but people talk about dr. King as the nonviolent activist the isnd the the 20th century revolutionary not using violence as a tactic to beenso to the nations will to save he calls the sole of america we cannot have a black feesident to be unwilling to say this is the black agenda that we need with these three things and you have to push for this rhetorically in with Public Policy hes gives of prespeech but then u he says as president of United States he can do nothing about it. We say that is good . Xecutive that makes no sense he cannot sign an executiveiling. U order or make a speech about racial profiling to say hethes has to bring blacks ande united whites and latinos, the people that live in thel ates that is a u majority minority country to bring them together to have the uptodate conversationin about what does racial integration t mean and the fact that outcomes are a part of prodemocracy you cannot do the color blind racism game and say ecology is a fact when we no racial outcomes show discrimination in america. [applause]h te. Think in 1964 by the man who organized the 1963 march on washington. The great black gay activist byron rosten who wrote an article called from protest to politics to the it and in that article, he contended that time had come for black people to move their Political Activities from the streets to the halls of the legislatures to the courts and to the executive branch as. There was something powerful about that call and in the context which ruston made it, it had some sense. We had the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights act so the legal architecture could be put