ABSTRACT
The controversy about the Port of Seattle's involvement in the nontraditional activity of rail service, and public hesitation, in general, about unconventional Port development strategies, point to the broader issue: defining the proper scope of business for public ports. Politics play a significant role in the day-to-day operations of a public port. As port communities prospered, the construction of facilities and improvement of waterways became one of their major preoccupations. The Port of Houston, located some 50 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico on a man-made canal, owes its existence to the persistent efforts of two land speculators. Since its founding in 1851, Seattle has relied upon maritime commerce for its survival. Port Canaveral officially opened for business in 1953, but its history dates back to 1878 when the Navy Department went before Congress to recommend that a deep-water harbor be constructed on Cape Canaveral. A public port is charged with operating in the public interest.
