OCTOBER 14, 2012 —The U.S. Maritime Administration says that America’s six state maritime academies will receive an additional $2.3 million total from a government program that recycles obsolete vessels.
Funding is being made available from the sale of obsolete vessels from the Maritime Administration’s National Defense Reserve Fleet and budget savings generated by the Maritime Administration.
The Maritime Administration awarded $392,913 each to the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, Calif.; the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Mich.; the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine; the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, Mass.; SUNY Maritime College in Fort Schuyler, N.Y.; and Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston, Texas.
“The Maritime Administration continues to focus on the future of our maritime industry by supporting key programs that prepare our next generation of maritime professionals for tomorrow’s challenges.” said Maritime Administrator David Matsuda.
The awards were welcomed by Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD) President Edward Wytkind, who said that “If the United States Merchant Marine is going to thrive and compete globally, our training programs must be second to none.”
Mr. Wytkind said it was “disappointing” that Republican presidential Mitt Romney “has a a different view.”
“As governor of Massachusetts,” said Mr. Wytkind, "Mitt Romney proposed closing his state’s maritime academy in 2003 noting that ‘we don’t have much of a Merchant Marine in Massachusetts.’ "
[I]“As governor of Massachusetts,” said Mr. Wytkind, "Mitt Romney proposed closing his state’s maritime academy in 2003 noting that ‘we don’t have much of a Merchant Marine in Massachusetts.’ "[/I]
Love it! As much as I loathe the man, I would love to see his approach applied to MARAD - there isn’t much MAR in DC - and to KP since they don’t have much of a merchant marine in New York either. Geez we are cursed with stupidity at the top.
I love how Wytkind has the intelligence to critize Romney especially since it was pointed out in a recent OP-ED how this is a very anti maritime administration. What planet is that guy living on.
Since taking office the Obama Administration has done absolutely nothing to advance the interests of the U.S. maritime sector, develop its infrastructure or create jobs for mariners and shipbuilders. In fact, the maritime industry has endured too many Administration-sponsored waivers to the Jones Act and cargo preference laws, which are meant to sustain a strong U.S.-flag presence in the world.
The U.S. Merchant Marine suffered a body blow when cargo preference for food aid was slashed from 75% to 50% in the Transportation Reform Bill. Moreover, the 2013 DOT budget was increased by $1.4 billion to $74 billion and was lavished with an additional $492 billion (a 34% increase) over six years for air, rail and surface transit. Meanwhile, the Maritime Administration got $344 million for its 2013 budget.
In 2010 the selection of David Matsuda as Administrator of the Maritime Administration was notice to the industry that maritime was no longer an important transportation strategy. Where are all the admirals? Additionally, the appointments of an Army colonel to be Superintendent of Kings Point and a Navy captain as Deputy Administrator of MarAd underlined the lack of experience required by the Secretary to manage the maritime sector.
The Maritime Security Program (MSP), which expires in 2015, has been reauthorized until 2025, and 60 ships will be guaranteed $2.82 billion. While Congress must authorize the program each year and the system provides jobs for U.S. mariners, more than half the tonnage is owned by foreign entities, and this negatively impacts the infrastructure of the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
The Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation Act of 2011 appropriates $25.7 billion for the Coast Guard mission during the period 2012-2014, and everyone in the country will agree it is money well spent. The legislative measure also instructs the Secretary to assess the national maritime system for short sea shipping and report back to Congress in five years. But in the same section (406), Congress also terminates the short sea shipping program on September 30, 2017. The language is a paradox within an enigma, and it spins the spin.
Further in the bill, the Maritime Administrator is given discretion and authorization to waive compliance with the Jones Act based on the non-availability of qualified U.S. tonnage. Again, the vague semantics simply means that foreign operators will transport essential oil and gas and heavy-lift for national defense considerations.
Since being in office the Administration’s agenda has been to outsource the U.S. maritime and MSP military mission, which is now in the hands of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany. Senator McCain wants to tear down the walls of U.S. cabotage, but would the nation be safer?
THAT’S IT…EUREKA! KP can become the new US Chorusline, Tapdancing and Shitty Marching Band Academy and Captain Kenneth R. Force USMS, music director can become Admiral Kenneth R. Force USMS, superintendent!
Hail to the (bloated) chief!*
why in the love of God do they allow these photos to become public? are they just so lost and oblivious to it all?
If I was running marad I’d be embarrassed to admit this amount (which is less than many pilots make PER YEAR) is all the money they could scrape up for state schools but no… Marad is actually proud enough of this paltry “gift” that they issued a press release (aka the modern day version of patting yourself on the back).
LaHood even blasted the news out via his twitter and facebook accounts.
[QUOTE=john;85655]If I was running marad I’d be embarrassed to admit this amount (which is less than many pilots make PER YEAR) is all the money they could scrape up for state schools but no… Marad is actually proud enough of this paltry “gift” that they issued a press release (aka the modern day version of patting yourself on the back).
LaHood even blasted the news out via his twitter and facebook accounts.[/QUOTE]
honestly John, WTF is it with this mafia don LaHood anyway? He hates anything maritime except for KP and this microcrumb thrown to the state schools is a complete insult to them! They should all refuse it on principle and to make a statement to Washington!
He was here for the commissioning of our new president. We were having a “Leadership Development Day” (what ever the hell that is), and LaHood spoke to the 2/c and 1/c classes about this big plan of his to help our marine highway with additional funding for upgrading our ports. Not sure if I believe him, but he knows how to talk to a crowd.
