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2008 SESSION

089223692
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 484
Offered February 26, 2008
Commending the Virginia Port Authority.
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Patrons-- Purkey, Alexander, BaCote, Barlow, Bouchard, Bowling, Bulova, Caputo, Carrico, Cosgrove, Hall, Hargrove, Howell, A.T., Iaquinto, Joannou, Jones, S.C., Lingamfelter, Lohr, Marsden, Mathieson, May, McClellan, Merricks, Miller, P.J., Nichols, Nixon, Peace, Plum, Poisson, Pollard, Rust, Scott, J.M., Sherwood, Sickles, Spruill, Suit, Tata, Tyler, Vanderhye, Ward and Ware, R.L.; Senators: Barker, Blevins, Colgan, Deeds, Edwards, Hanger, Herring, Houck, Locke, Lucas, Marsh, Martin, McEachin, Miller, J.C., Miller, Y.B., Newman, Norment, Northam, Petersen, Puckett, Puller, Quayle, Reynolds, Ruff, Saslaw, Stolle, Stosch, Stuart, Ticer, Vogel, Wagner, Watkins and Whipple
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WHEREAS, the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) is responsible for the Port of Virginia’s three cargo terminals—the Newport News Marine Terminal, Norfolk International Terminal, and Portsmouth Marine Terminal, located in Hampton Roads—and the inland facility of the Virginia Inland Port in Warren County; and

WHEREAS, the VPA is an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, reporting to the Secretary of Transportation, and is the state's leading agency for international transportation and maritime commerce, charged with operating and marketing the marine terminal facilities through which shipping trade takes place; and

WHEREAS, operated by the VPA’s Virginia International Terminals, Inc., the Port of Virginia consistently ranks as the second-largest port on the East Coast of the United States, ranking just behind the Port of New York/New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Port Authority, through the Port of Virginia, produced or facilitated total Virginia economic activity of $13.5 billion in employee compensation to 343,000 Virginia employees and in excess of $41.1 billion in total revenues in fiscal year 2006; and

WHEREAS, Port of Virginia terminals handled 16.3 million tons of cargo valued at $36.1 billion, and the Virginia economic impact of the VPA port operations was $4.5 billion in revenues supporting 35,665 jobs and earning compensation of $1.6 billion; and

WHEREAS, Port of Virginia terminals handled 9.7 million tons of imports with a customs value of $21.5 billion and 6.6 million tons of exported goods worth $14.7 billion; and

WHEREAS, Virginia businesses produced an estimated $8.1 billion of goods exported through Port of Virginia terminals, 55 percent of the total value of VPA exports, and production of these goods generated revenues of $16.3 billion and $4.3 billion in employee compensation to 93,520 Virginians; and

WHEREAS, VPA operations directly and indirectly were a major force in producing over $1.2 billion, or 5.6 percent of the total amount raised by the revenue sources of Virginia income taxes, general sales taxes, and real property taxes; and

WHEREAS, many factors have contributed to the Port’s phenomenal growth, but none is as important as unification of the ports in the Hampton Roads harbor by the General Assembly’s landmark legislation unifying the ports under the VPA in 1981; and

WHEREAS, since the establishment of the Virginia International Terminals, Inc., in 1982, the VPA has increased container volume by 526 percent and gross terminal revenues by 594 percent, and Virginia has established itself among the world’s premier ports and is the fastest growing port in the nation; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Port Authority, through the Port of Virginia’s Newport News Marine Terminal, Norfolk International Terminal, and Portsmouth Marine Terminal, and Virginia Inland Port, clearly can claim to serve as the economic engine of the Commonwealth and is essential to the economic vitality of Virginia; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend the Virginia Port Authority on its outstanding leadership in developing and improving the Port of Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Virginia Port Authority as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of the agency's many efforts to increase commerce in the Commonwealth for the benefit of all of its citizens.