Regarding Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's recent op-ed on the Port of Baltimore, the mayor is be applauded for articulating a long-term vision of port's contribution to the prosperity of the city and the metropolitan region ("Support the port," Jan. 25).
The mayor correctly states that we must "act swiftly to take advantage of the unprecedented opportunities" the port provides, and there is an opportunity for her administration to have a real impact on starting this process.
A significant proportion of the nearly 2,000 vessels calling at Baltimore each year are handled by privately financed and operated terminals, and it is in the city's interest to encourage further investment in both plant and people.
To that end we urge the mayor to accelerate enactment of the new Comprehensive Zoning Plan that would protect industrial waterside properties and set aside areas throughout the city for future industrial development that will occur as a result of the port's prosperity.
Maritime interests developing waterside terminals have to take a long-term view in order to recoup their investments. By declaring that the city will enact legislation to protect those investments for the foreseeable future, Baltimore would send a worldwide signal that it is thinking long term as well. Funds would continue to flow into the city without the necessity of dispensing "handouts" in the form of tax incentives.
Additionally, American manufacturers are starting to look to "bring home" a portion of their offshore manufacturing due to the vagaries of international business. One only has to think about the disruption in delivery of automobile spare parts after the dreadful tsunami in Japan, the sudden difficulty in getting computer components thanks to chronic flooding in Thailand, and of course regional conflicts in places such as Korea. There are many opportunities on the horizon, and Baltimore is well situated to take advantage, provided the industrial business climate is stable for the long term.
Somehow there is a perception that manufacturing has left Baltimore never to return. Not so fast; the blue-collar work available has shifted to other areas, such as the port, and could continue to expand for the remainder of the decade. It should be recognized that throughout these difficult economic times, the maritime community has continued to pour money into the port and the city through infrastructure improvements and has maintained employment levels and paid taxes. In contrast, waterside residential developments seek taxpayer-funded support in the form of increased municipal services and infrastructure improvements, yet they provide little or no sustained employment to the blue collar worker.
We thank the mayor for her continued support of maritime and industrial businesses. She clearly understands the important roles these operations play in creating jobs and opportunities for our citizens.
Rupert Denney, Baltimore
The writer is a former chairman of the Baltimore Port Alliance.