Can't wait to see these hearings...wonder if they'll be on C-SPAN?
Denied:1up! Software
8/12/2008 12:21:00 AM
Task Force applauds House hearings
NEWS JOURNAL STAFF REPORT
Wilmington Mayor David Raizk, a co-chair of the Wilmington Economic Task Force, said Monday the task force welcomes the Friday news that two committees of the U.S. House of Representatives will hold hearings in September to examine the planned arrangement between DHL Worldwide Express and United Parcel Service (UPS).
“We applaud congressional efforts to examine the facts about the proposed deal between DHL and UPS,” said Raizk. “Its implications are significant and far-reaching, potentially affecting Open Skies, competition in the shipping and transportation industries, civil air defense, federal contracts and government subsidies to corporations. Because the potential costs to consumers and taxpayers are enormous, the deal should be closely scrutinized by our elected officials.”
Raizk emphasized the planned contract would have a devastating impact on the economic well-being of thousands of area residents and their families.
“In addition to national policy considerations, this deal has to be examined in relation to the effect on people’s lives,” he said. “These are not just numbers on a page. They are real people with real fears about how they will keep their homes, educate their children and keep food on the table.”
On Friday, John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced the committee’s Task Force on Competitive Policy and Antitrust Law plans to hold hearings regarding consolidation in the airline industry in general and the proposed consolidation involving DHL in particular.
On the same day, James L. Oberstar of Minnesota, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced his committee plans to examine how the proposed DHL-UPS relationship would affect service, costs, consumer choice and jobs.
Raizk thanked Ohio’s elected officials for their efforts in securing the hearings. All 18 members of Ohio’s congressional delegation signed letters requesting federal oversight of the planned transaction.
The Wilmington Economic Task Force is comprised of government officials from the city, county, state and national levels, along with representatives from ABX Air and ASTAR Air Cargo, community members and business officials. The task force is co-convened by Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Raizk.
The group was organized in response to the negotiations between UPS and DHL’s parent corporation Deutsche Post World Net to have DHL’s North American air freight transported by UPS aircraft, effectively shutting down air hub operations at the Wilmington Air Park.
The Wilmington Economic Task Force is working to preserve jobs and craft economically feasible solutions stemming from the potential direct loss of 8,200 jobs — with many more indirect job losses — in and around Wilmington.
The projected economic impact of the job losses exceeds $400 million annually, according to a media release issued Monday in conjunction with the Wilmington Economic Task Force.