Biden says he would 'absolutely' consider deploying National Guard to address supply-chain issues

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Washington Post

President Biden said he would “absolutely” consider calling on the National Guard to address supply-chain issues as he faced questions Thursday from a live studio audience at a town hall meeting in Baltimore.

During the broadcast on CNN, Biden expressed optimism about working out an agreement with Democrats on his multitrillion-dollar domestic policy agenda while he spelled out the elements of the package opposed by Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

Biden was getting questions about both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a recently scaled-back package that includes an array of Democratic priorities, including expansion of Medicare, introduction of universal prekindergarten and billions of dollars to address climate change. He confirmed that paid parental leave has been scaled back in the evolving package. “It is down to four weeks. The reason it’s down to four weeks is I can’t get 12 weeks,” Biden said.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/10/21/biden-town-hall-live-updates/

[3825-87867]

1. Uh huh!

Better be a "price freeze" on ANY products delivered to ANY business by the Guard. The businesses shouldn't be getting free transport then increasing the produce price or standard transportation costs to consumers.

Better yet, How about a national price freeze like we had in the 70s?

When the government says prices have gone up a few percent, maybe they need to learn how much costs have gone up since business is being asked to raise the minimum wage. It does look as though American Business is raising prices for any reason to offset paying people a living wage so the business can maintain the same profit margin.

But if we're already paying the Guard out of our tax money, then businesses who get this "free transport" have NO reason to pass that cost along nor to increase the price of the product to compensate for delivery charges.

Just an opinion.

[Eliot Rosewater]

2. Needs to be done right now. Plus, longshoremen or we will now say longshorepeople

are very highly paid for good reason.

I cant figure out why there was no shortage in the first year of the pandemic and there is now, these folks do not sit home on unemployment on purpose, they get paid WAY too much to do that.

[VarryOn]

5. If there's a speedbump or bottleneck, it's the longshore-beings...

In the USA. Least efficient anywhere on the planet. USA ports rated bottom in the world by steamship companies. 2 hour lunches? Commute to work included in the workday? No night shift? Absolutely, totally opposed to technology?

USA is exceptional in the world, except at the ports.

[cstanleytech]

9. " No night shift?" For some of the busiest ports that is 100% insane if true.

[Eliot Rosewater]

15. Could you source some of that for us please, I am not doubting you I just would like

more info, I am doing my own research too.

I do know or think I do that most who have that job would not sit home collecting unemployment since they have such high wages, but I dont know for sure.

[Boomerproud]

3. In an emergency I can see that happening.

Who does logistics better than the military?

[VarryOn]

4. To do what exactly?

Operate cranes unloading ships? Drive 80,000 pound tractors? Operate hoslters to spot chassis trackside? Operate forklifts to transload 20' cans into 53's? Use them to stock shelves at a Supercenter? Deliver my next Amazon order?

Surely, he's getting better advice on solving this problem.

[DanieRains]

7. Supply Truck Drivers Just Like England Did Varry

That is the main problem.

[VarryOn]

8. I love England, came from England, but...

They're apples and oranges. They are a mini-usa, for this purpose. LA/LB is the start of the problem. One of the lowest productive ports in the world. Asian ports get their custers in and out in a few hours. We Yankees take 9 or 10 days to do the same,

That is....can we get drivers with a chassis and a box? It's the best complete plattter!

[Elessar Zappa]

16. Our ports are slower

because our longshoremen are treated much better than their Asian counterparts. They have a strong union that protects their rights.

[cstanleytech]

10. Probably mainly helping out with the unloading and loading of goods at the ports.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. "Operate cranes unloading ships? "

When my father was drafted in the Army in WW2 and was shoved into the Pacific Theater, his unit did "longshoremen" duties (I believe as part of an amphibious trucking unit) doing loading/unloading of supplies in what was then called The New Hebrides (now called "Vanuatu" ) at Espiritu Santo Naval Base.

The National Guard ("and Reserve" ) has all sorts of people who are trained to respond to disasters and work out the logistics to set up whatever needs to be set up. Both the Army and Navy reservists would probably be good for that function at the docks.

[manicdem]

6. Not going to work

The military isn't suited for the type of logistics needed for this and would be very inefficient for things they could do. The military isn't trained to haul shipping containers around or operate cranes. A handful of them can do it. They could probably strap some containers to their heavy lift trailers. But most of them would form a human chain and unload a shipping container and throw it into the back of a military truck. NOt going to work. Also for the ones that can operate cranes and semi's, you'll just take them away from their civilian jobs to do the exact same thing in the military.

It's the longshoreman unions that's the problem. They make things very inefficient by stalling the use of new technology and preventing the hiring of more of them. Their pay is way up there where the middle and lower class end up paying more to support them.

[orleans]

11. something needs to change regarding this situation

but i don't know what. longshoremen, truck drivers. hell, those ships are floating around in that port -- start with the unloading, and storage of cargo into warehouses (or whatever they do with it)

biden needs to do something to help correct the problem

his approval rating is as shit as trump after charlottesville -- and that's scary
(i think colbert mentioned that tonight)

[BumRushDaShow]

13. One of the hangups

is a lack of "empty containers".

So a huge effort needs to happen to empty the backed up "full" containers into (preferably the destination) warehouses and get the empties sent back on some ship to wherever they came from.

If the container contents are not immediately hooked to a truck cab and driven away to the next destination for storage, those contents need to be offloaded/stored/tagged/tracked closely somewhere that is open to hold for pickup/eventual distribution to some destination warehouse. At that point, the empty trailer can be returned to be sent back overseas. Otherwise no more stuff can be shipped (without an extreme cost) due to a lack of those containers.

[melm00se]

14. If you did not know logistics is a multi-headed issue

From the boat to you includes:

- longshoreman
- equipment for taking off the boat.
- customs to clear the shipments
- longshoreman
- mount the containers on the undercarriage
- truck drivers
- drive to location
- unloading
- return containers and undercarriages to pick up points
lather, rinse, repeat.

The NG can help (in certain steps) but cannot help in others (undercarriages being the biggest).

[Farmer-Rick]

17. Does anyone else remember the 2017 consolidation of ports and access?

Let me remind you:

"Terminal Consolidation Could Bring Sea Change
PORTS: Shipping line mergers are changing cargo movement locally, abroad.
Friday, July 21, 2017

"The merger of two major shipping lines along with terminals changing hands at L.A.’s ports could be a sign of consolidation that holds the potential to shake up the local supply chain.

Alliances and acquisitions of cargo carriers have already led to the consolidation of port terminals around the world, including at major West Coast ports such as Oakland; Seattle; and Tacoma, Wash. Terminals at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach might be next.

“Ocean carriers are all about reducing costs, as they have not been profitable because of an overcapacity problem,”"

https://labusinessjournal.com/news/2017/jul/21/terminal-consolidation-could-bring-change-ports/

They really stretched that supply rubber band. It's not a supply chain which implies strong metal links. It is so much more like a thin rubber band. What happens when you stretch a rubber band too far? It breaks and comes back to slap you. Capitalist always are willing to live on a knife's edge if it will bring them more profits. But is it really what you want to risk your food supply on Or your health and life? Capitalism has built in flaws that are very destructive.

[Igel]

18. Most ports internationally work 24/7.

Most ports in the US have contracts requiring 2 8-hour shifts.

They're staffed for that.

Moving to 24/7 without staffing ... As most commentators have pointed out, even the 24/7 ports aren't 24/7 (more like 24/4 or 24/5) and they're at reduced operations for some of that because they don't have staff. Overtime? Safety stipulations in contracts, safety rules and regulations.

It's crazy, but there are reasons for it. Discussed widely in much of the media. Just not in some corners of the web.

Even with 24/7 operations and lots o' containers, note that a lot of Chinese production is simply shut down. Their self-imposed coal shortage, dontcha no?

There's a rule keeping new container-ready truck-chassis from being imported from China (even if China were producing them--dunno). It's hard to get people to go into trucking when it's long, hard work, and a lot of regs intended for safety have the effect of reducing income and efficiency. "I want my soft TP"? So '80s.

Then there's the glory of "just in time" delivery." It was one of the crowning glories of the mid-late 1990s. But when "just in time" means "overdue" you get empty shelves.

[MichMan]

19. Can't they be ordered to work 12 hr shifts for 7 days a week under an national emergency decree?

[myohmy2]

20. go for it...

...until we get more permanent jobs and facilities up and running

...from ports, to rail, to semi's, to warehouse space, bring on all the temporary help we can find...

...any puke governor that balks at the idea can own the inevitable recession and public wrath...

...a shitty economy will only yield us shitty election results next year...

...and we don't need that shit...

[Raine]

21. I thought they had to be called out by local officials

seems that's the way it's done when there's riots.

[MichMan]

22. Didn't Jen Psaki later state in the press conference that it wasn't being considered ?