From the Reporter
What the Mayoral Candidates Are Saying About Port Commerce
Bob Filner: Expansion of the port has “the biggest single potential for (increasing) middle class jobs in this nation. We’re talking about thousands of jobs — jobs that pay a livable wage. That has an impact on the whole economy, and whether tourists come.”
Carl DeMaio: “In order to bring jobs in, we have to rethink the relationship between the city and the port.”
What the Candidates Want to Do For Port Commerce
Filner: Bring interest groups together to develop an expansion plan to spur private investment.
DeMaio: Audit maritime operations, promote public-private partnerships and streamline permitting.
What the Hurdles Are
San Diego’s port brings in niche goods, not the major consumer items handled by ports at Los Angeles and Long Beach. It is spending only a fraction of what its northern neighbors have invested to increase commerce. An expert said any port expansion here could bring job numbers in the hundreds, not thousands.

Dagny Salas was web editor at Voice of San Diego from 2010 to 2013. She was an investigative fellow at VOSD from 2009 to 2010.

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