My opinions and criticisms of the cargo system are not aimed at the impossible situation faced with just Isleno running, but rather the larger picture we’ve encountered even before we lost the other boats. The current situation – with the limited availability of the cargo ferries – became inevitable a couple of months ago, and unless someone can pull a qualifying cargo boat out of a hat, we’re screwed for a while.
I have had the opportunity to meet with a number of government officials in the last few months, and the lack of understanding is ubiquitous and palpable:
Juan Maldonado, Director ATM
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- Well educated attorney with two other simultaneous government positions;
- Pleasant personality, political appointee, and friend of the Governor;
- Had what he thought was qualifying experience because he worked with union contracts via the Urban Train;
- He didn’t know anything about running a ferry system but felt his experience was sufficient, so that when combined with operational help from ATM staff, it would work;
- He listened to comments and suggestions from many sources, but drank the Cool-Aid and believed his staff; and
- He was forced by the Governor to open the short route almost immediately at all costs with no excuses.
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Omar Marrero, Director PPP
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- Super smart and powerful finance guy;
- Been working on privatizing ATM at all costs for a couple of years, but he shows little knowledge of a proper ferry operation;
- His desire to include stakeholders in the process in any way is next to zero;
- If he understands the needs of the communities, he hides it well;
- At a small meeting for dialogue, it was pretty much one sided: this is the way it is, and we really don’t need to listen to you because you have no standing;
- He is urgently focused on ridding the government of the ferry problem and dumping it onto a private contractor; and
- His lack of accurate data analysis will cause the problem to resurface shortly after a contract is signed – if that ever actually happens.
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Mara Perez Torres, Director, ATM
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- Well enough educated financial type charged with privatizing the ATM under Marrero’s direction;
- She has no operational experience but seems to be a good person and genuinely trying to do a credible job for Vieques and Culebra;
- She brought in José Vásquez Colon to provide the maritime experience;
- Numerous public statements have reflected great naiveté – in departure from reality;
- When I asked why the boat was spending the nights in Ceiba instead of Vieques (when the schedules grossly favor the opposite) she said because the crews were residing on the main island;
- When asked why not make the crews, some of which are Viequense, stage out of Vieques, she had no answer;
- When I asked what the schedule for cargo was to be after privatization, she said that it would be reduced; it was pointed out that the same crews using the same fuel as is currently burned could almost double the number of trips using Mosquito Pier, and she responded that they hadn’t thought of that;
- When asked why they don’t put a finger pier (perpendicular to the ramp) in for side loading passengers at the cargo area, she said that it is not a consideration because it would take ten years to get it approved, reflecting a cynical view probably from one of her underlings; and
- Her claim that the rocks someone dumped at the PRFF section of the pier required a USCG evaluation before they could be removed (and the dock re-inspected) appears not to be the problem at all since it has been four months, and nothing official has been done.
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José Vásquez Colon, ATM
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- Nice guy with years of experience in maritime activities, although none in ferry type operations;
- In mid-June, he told me that the cargo operations were going to be moved to Mosquito by July, just several weeks later;
- When asked why maintenance was not being done on the boats at night, he stated that the union contract requires overtime pay for night, and they couldn’t afford it;
- I asked why they don’t just hire shift workers for swing and graveyard shifts, and he said that it hadn’t been considered;
- When I suggested that maintenance shift work be in the contract for privatization, he allowed that it would be a good idea;
- For several weeks they were running two scheduled boats around 10:00PM from VQS to Ceiba – one ran light, and the other ran empty – what were they thinking? And
- Let’s hope he can quit drinking the Cool-Aid and use his own brain.
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PorFerry.com is an excellent idea, but if they can’t keep up with the scheduling, the wrong information is worse than none. They had posted a 9:00PM return to VQS for a long time, but it was actually departing at 8:00 or 8:15, and that stranded many. That’s operational management and doesn’t require an additional budget expenditure.
The government is being squeezed by the FOMB, and the ATM is feeling the result from all directions. Roselló just wanted to get rid of the ATM before it exploded. Unfortunately, in their haste to move everything along ASAP, they screwed it up beyond belief. Now, the new Governor has it sitting in her lap, and I’m certain she has no idea what to do with it and doesn’t have funds to apply to it easily. I look at the short term – next several months – as being beyond repair. Anything we do short of negotiating our own deal is a waste of time. It’s too early to make order out of this level of chaos.