Congress critical of FMC

Congress critical of FMC Congressmen were sharply critical of the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission during a hearing earlier this week on the agency’s budget.
   “I have heard many concerns about the management and programmatic direction of the Federal Maritime Commission,” said Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
   Citing a 2006 survey of FMC workers and 2005-2006 study by an outside management consultant, he said “the evidence we have before us presents a picture of an agency that appears to be broken.”
   The survey of FMC workers was “alarming,” said Cummings, with only 56.3 percent of employees saying the agency was a good place to work and only 54 percent having “high respect for the agency’s senior leaders.” Only 27.3 percent of workers thought pay raises depended on how well employees performed.
   “We meet at a sad moment for me, a troubling moment in the history of the Federal Maritime Commission,” said James Oberstar, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “I’ve never seen the FMC in such a state as it is today.”
   Both Oberstar and Cummings expressed concern about the notational voting system used by FMC commissioners, which they termed “ghost voting,” saying commissioners can call staff and tell them how to fill in presigned ballots when they are out of town. They also raised questions about the amount of time that commissioners are in the office.
   “The civil service employees have to put in 40 hours a week. I wonder what standards the commissioners have. These are presidential appointee jobs, but they are not featherbedding jobs that you get paid but don’t show up,” Oberstar said.
   Commissioner Paul Anderson, who has been nominated by President Bush for an additional term on the FMC and will be chairman if he is confirmed, said the notational voting system has been long established at the agency, and noted that it is often not used to vote aye or nay on some issue, but often used to note that information has been received, such as a new container carrier joining a preexisting agreement.
   “The notation process allows a very seamless functioning for the commissioners to vote,” he said. “These are not on issues where we voted on hearings or on issues where we took public testimony.”
   Cummings sharply questioned Anderson about management of the agency since chairman Steven Blust left in June 2006, saying that the four commissioners are jointly responsible for daily administration of the agency.
   Anderson said a federal “Sunshine Act” restricts commissioners from meeting together as a group privately.
   “What’s wrong with an open meeting?” Oberstar asked.
   “Nothing is wrong with an open meeting,” Anderson answered, but he said commissioners are in “constant communication” speaking to each other in groups of two or through discussions by their counsels.
   Commissioner Joseph Brennan said the agency needs a chairman.
   “It’s like a four-headed monster,” he said. “It would be like the House of Representatives having four speakers with equal authority.”
   Congressman John Mica also questioned the group about whether the agency should be merged with the Maritime Administration.
   Commissioner Harold Creel said, “They were separated for a reason and that stands today. We are the regulators and they are the promoters of the industry and so it would seem those two things together seemed inconsistent. I think those reasons are still valid.” ' Chris Dupin