cheesy-alias t1_ix5lv9y wrote
Reply to comment by AccomplishedGrab6415 in Higher energy prices are a call for more renewables and maybe nuclear, not more pipelines by TeacherGuy1980
The jones act ensures that goods moved between two American ports are transported on American flagged vessels, which provide high paying jobs to American sailors. If this was repealed, the goods would be moved by foreign flagged vessels. The savings on cost would not be passed onto the consumer but only increase these corporations profit margins. To get rid of the jones act would get rid of thousands, if not hundred of thousands, of highly skilled and paying jobs for Americans.
dew2459 t1_ixa5sbk wrote
>which provide high paying jobs to American sailors.
I don't think this is the original purpose of the Jones act.
It was #1 to keep a shipbuilding industry alive in the US. It was added just after WW1 to avoid the current hand-wringing about allowing advanced chip manufacturing to mostly move offshore.
The #2 reason was similar - to keep a ready supply of merchant marines (civilian sailors) available if needed for another major war (note, that is a different reason than "create high paying jobs", even if the two overlap).
The #3 reason is because foreign-flagged ships have almost zero safety checks (today probably 95%+ are flagged in Panama or Liberia because they are cheap to register there and have no real safety standards or inspections).
2tuna2furious t1_ix88q95 wrote
This is bullshit 😂😂😂
cheesy-alias t1_ix8bc8d wrote
How so?
2tuna2furious t1_ix8hkam wrote
US merchant marine employment is like 10,000 people and they wouldn’t necessarily be unemployed by a repeal in the Jones act
Domestically shipped goods are rarely shipped between US ports because the Jones Act makes it expensive compared to truck and rail. This congests the roads and increases carbon emissions. Areas like Puerto Rico and Hawaii don’t have truck or rail connections so they get screwed bigly
The Jones act has been in place for 100 years and the US merchant marine and shipping industry has been decimated anyway. It has been an abject failure
cheesy-alias t1_ix8lnzo wrote
I think you’re grossly underestimating with 10,000 jobs. Also, the merchant marine and commercial vessels, which are governed by the jones act, are two separate things. Most goods aren’t moved by US flagged vessels because not much is made here sadly. Most of the jones act vessels are moving your fuel, not the goods you see in Walmart. Advocating against the jones act is advocating against American workers and American unions.
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