Harbor Department

Councilwoman Joy Picus suggested that the city sell Los Angeles Harbor (Metro, April 25) to help with the local budget crisis. A better idea would be to tap into the massive profits which accrue to the Harbor Department. Last year the Harbor Department made more than $80 million after expenses--an amount equal to the current budget deficit. Current law keeps this money in the Harbor Department to be used for harbor purposes only.

Besides using the money to send Mayor Tom Bradley to the Far East, the department has been spending millions studying and promoting a 30-year expansion plan known as the 2020 Project. Despite the fact that the combined ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are only operating at about 60%-65% capacity, the Harbor Department wants to spend over $2 billion to dredge deeper channels and create new landfills for additional terminals.

However, the growth-inducing impacts of this project will bring more than 140,000 residents to the Southland, require over 50,000 more units of housing, add 27,000 more schoolchildren, generate 4.5 million truck trips a year, triple the number of freight trains, worsen air pollution and require conservation of an additional 3 billion gallons of water.

Our organization believes that there are better uses for Harbor Department profits. We urge the City Council to change the laws that allow this department to autonomously pursue its own agenda oblivious to the more urgent needs of the community. While the Harbor Department worries about the future, everyone else is worried about the present.

ROBERT L. GOLDBERG, Chairman

Friends of San Pedro Harbor