Why Should the Coast Guard Regulate the Maritime Industry?

Professional Mariner Forum
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Here is why they should not be.

Officer rotation policy does not allow build up of expertise.

“Revolving door” rewards officers who cooperate with industry.

Military officers “tilt” conservative and republican, biased towards business, view maritime labor unfavorable.

Coast Guard both regulates and investigates marine incidents an inherent conflict of interest.

Coast Guard reactive not proactive on maritime safety.

Why should a military organization be the leading maritime regulator? The Air Force does not regulate the aviation industry…

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The Coast Guard inherited its maritime regulation duties in the 1940s. At the time they were part of the Treasury Dep’t. The Coast Guard was transfered to the Dep’t of Transportation when that department was created. That made sense since it had inherited many more functions since it was first created, to catch ships sneaking into the US, skipping paying duties.

That’s why they regulate the maritime business.

The Coast Guard is an “armed service”, but is not part of the DOD. The vast majority of its functions are law enforcement, lifesaving. maintaining navigable waterways in coastal areas. The other armed services are prohibited from action on US soil unless very strict criteria are met.

“Officer rotation policy does not allow build up of expertise”. As opposed to the geniuses in other branches of government? Boy, the CDC has shown their genius with this Ebola thing. The IRS does not seem to be able to keep backups of emails or hard drives. The DOE is forcing colleges to set up kangaroo courts for boys because some girl gets horny, has sex, regrets it and it’s all the boy’s fault. The federal government is made up of bureaucrat idiots.

“Revolving door” rewards officers who cooperate with industry." You will find that most CG officers, as well as officers of other services, who leave, do not go to work for companies they had dealings with while in the military. Most CG officers have nothing to do with regulation in the first place. You WILL find politicians and bureaucrats very often do go to work for, or become lobbyists for, companies that came under their purview.

“Military officers “tilt” conservative and republican, biased towards business, view maritime labor unfavorable.” Any number of CG personnel involved in regulation are civilian employees. The CG has absolutely nothing to do with labor negotiations.

“Coast Guard both regulates and investigates marine incidents an inherent conflict of interest.” ALL other transportation regulation and accident investigation falls under agencies of the DOT. The DOT sets the regs and investigates the accidents If the CG had not been moved to Homeland Security in 02, they’d still be part of DOT.

“Coast Guard reactive not proactive on maritime safety.” Do you expect them to stop every ship and boat for inspection after inspection after inspection? The simple fact is that the US has very few serious accidents in its waters, and even fewer that result in serious injury or death.

“Why should a military organization be the leading maritime regulator? The Air Force does not regulate the aviation industry.” Again, they’re not part of DOD and have been in charge of this stuff for a very long time. They’re also in charge of aids to navigation, life saving, interdicting drug runners, oil spills, ice breaking and myriad other things.

The last thing the US needs is another regulatory agency.

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[QUOTE=Rich Bogad;146322]The Coast Guard inherited its maritime regulation duties in the 1940s. At the time they were part of the Treasury Dep’t. The Coast Guard was transfered to the Dep’t of Transportation when that department was created. That made sense since it had inherited many more functions since it was first created, to catch ships sneaking into the US, skipping paying duties.

That’s why they regulate the maritime business.

The Coast Guard is an “armed service”, but is not part of the DOD. The vast majority of its functions are law enforcement, lifesaving. maintaining navigable waterways in coastal areas. The other armed services are prohibited from action on US soil unless very strict criteria are met.

“Officer rotation policy does not allow build up of expertise”. As opposed to the geniuses in other branches of government? Boy, the CDC has shown their genius with this Ebola thing. The IRS does not seem to be able to keep backups of emails or hard drives. The DOE is forcing colleges to set up kangaroo courts for boys because some girl gets horny, has sex, regrets it and it’s all the boy’s fault. The federal government is made up of bureaucrat idiots.

“Revolving door” rewards officers who cooperate with industry." You will find that most CG officers, as well as officers of other services, who leave, do not go to work for companies they had dealings with while in the military. Most CG officers have nothing to do with regulation in the first place. You WILL find politicians and bureaucrats very often do go to work for, or become lobbyists for, companies that came under their purview.

“Military officers “tilt” conservative and republican, biased towards business, view maritime labor unfavorable.” Any number of CG personnel involved in regulation are civilian employees. The CG has absolutely nothing to do with labor negotiations.

“Coast Guard both regulates and investigates marine incidents an inherent conflict of interest.” ALL other transportation regulation and accident investigation falls under agencies of the DOT. The DOT sets the regs and investigates the accidents If the CG had not been moved to Homeland Security in 02, they’d still be part of DOT.

“Coast Guard reactive not proactive on maritime safety.” Do you expect them to stop every ship and boat for inspection after inspection after inspection? The simple fact is that the US has very few serious accidents in its waters, and even fewer that result in serious injury or death.

“Why should a military organization be the leading maritime regulator? The Air Force does not regulate the aviation industry.” Again, they’re not part of DOD and have been in charge of this stuff for a very long time. They’re also in charge of aids to navigation, life saving, interdicting drug runners, oil spills, ice breaking and myriad other things.

The last thing the US needs is another regulatory agency.[/QUOTE]

Nice explanation. Don’t necessarily agree with it all, but it is well stated.

Thanks.

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If not the Coast Guard, then who?

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[QUOTE=cmakin;146342]If not the Coast Guard, then who?[/QUOTE]

The CG is a “can do” organization, what ever tasks they are assigned they are going to give it their best shot. But licensing and regulating marine transportation is a better fit at DOT.

NTSB is an independent agency as it should be.

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@RIch “Coast Guard reactive not proactive on maritime safety.” Do you expect them to stop every ship and boat for inspection after inspection after inspection? The simple fact is that the US has very few serious accidents in its waters, and even fewer that result in serious injury or death.

Being proactive doesn’t mean doing the same thing, only more frantically.

The Coast Guard has the authority to evaluate maritime safety and to make recommendations to congress. The wrong way to do it is to wait for an incident and have to respond, take a look at the Subchapter Msituation for example.

As far as the boilerplate anti-government rhetoric, it’s fine when talking to other true believers. For the rest of us it’s like being an atheist at a tent revival

Usually when industry call for deregulation they have a financial interest in shifting risk and the cost of economic externalities to the public. Notice you don’t hear people screaming for the FAA to get out of airline safety. That’s because the risk shifting is more obvious when you’re in a metal tube in the sky.

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Let the Coast Guard do what it does best, SAR, coastal security, and military appropriate marine safety issues. But get them out of the business of regulating mariners and and an industry they know little about. The Coast Guard does not and could not do what we do. Tow barges and move cargo, liquid or containerized, in an efficient, safe, and profitable manner. It’s not their mission. We desperately need to start task a civilian maritime agency. Administered by civilian mariners with the appropriate credentials including recent and substantial sea time on their resumes.

The U.S. Merchant Marine has a real friend in Congress. He is Representative Elijah Cummings. I don’t remember at this moment if he is Republican or Democrat and I don’t care. I have had some first-hand official experience with the man and I do not doubt he is a friend of the U.S. Mariner.

As far a the the CG does not involve itself in Labor negotiations, of course it doesn’t. Would you actually want them to negotiate contracts for you? NO THANKS! I would prefer a good Labor Lawyer. As for political bias, from personal experience I have found that military members, active and inactive, absolutely do tend toward the Republican Party. If you believe the Republicans are pro-labor then you need do some independent research beyond FOX News Entertainment.

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I just started reading the Marine Safety Manual - seems it often conflicts with CFR’s -

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I’m going to close this thread - it’s from 8 years ago,

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