San Diego port responds to report on financial losses

San Diego port responds to report on financial losses The Port of San Diego responded to a news report by local public radio and TV station KPBS in mid-July that said the port had lost money on its maritime operations and has tried to shield those losses in its accounting reports.
   'This manufactured crisis failed to mention anywhere that the Port of San Diego is in the black. Nor does the article cover other important aspects of port operations, despite the significant time port managers spent providing information to the reporter,' said John Gilmore, the port's spokesman, in a statement to American Shipper.
   (The KPBS news report was summarized and reported in the July 14 Shippers' NewsWire.)
   The port is a public agency, created by the state of California to manage San Diego Bay and the tidelands in five cities. 'As such, it operates openly. Each year, it provides a detailed accounting of the money it generates and how that money is spent,' Gilmore said.
   'The port is a revenue generator, an economic engine. It is an environmental steward, protecting and enhancing the bay and environment. It's a community service provider, operating 17 parks that the public can enjoy. It's a provider of law enforcement services, protecting the public on the tidelands, and it coordinates with federal agencies on homeland security,' he added. 'The port's environmental and recreational assets are not revenue generators but are supported by port revenues generated by other activities. If not for the port, one has to wonder if these regional resources would cease to exist,' Gilmore said.