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2010-06-28 Home Front: Politix

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Posted by Sherry 2010-06-28 10:54|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 When I was injured working in the Gulf of Mexico in 1995 the Jones Act was the only thing that made American Oilfield Divers Inc make me whole again. If I were working on a Petrobas drilling rig that was registered in Liberia I would have been screwed.

These imaginary numbers that we 'could' save mean nothing compared to protecting the tens of thousands of people who work on or near the water.

I don't think it is insane to require ships and companies that work our waters to register their equipment with the US, abide by our safety regulations and participate in workman compensation programs. Even if it does make salt more expensive in Virginia.
Without the Jones Act the jobs out on the water will go back to being the way they used to be; low paying and dangerous. If we enforced a single article from a single trade agreement with any of these countries in the article we might find that we are a lot more competitive than we thought.

Posted by bigjim-CA 2010-06-28 14:14|| 2010-06-28 14:14|| Front Page Top

#2 I don't think it is insane to require ships and companies that work our waters to register their equipment with the US, abide by our safety regulations and participate in workman compensation programs.

Makes some sense to me. If they were operating on land they would have to do so, right? And how different is operating on the Mississippi? But is enforcing regs on coastwise routes feasible, or will it just continue the current status? Are you saying that all foreign-owned vessels operating to US ports should meet our worker's compensation standards?

Posted by KBK 2010-06-28 14:37|| 2010-06-28 14:37|| Front Page Top

#3 I don't know if I'd say that. But shouldn't all workers in the US, foreign or not, be covered by similar workers protections?

Posted by bigjim-CA 2010-06-28 21:53|| 2010-06-28 21:53|| Front Page Top

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