The unusual political alliance between Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed could reap one of its biggest rewards with a landmark congressional vote expected this week that would clear the way for the dredging of Savannah’s port.
The Republican governor has made an all-or-nothing effort to stake his bid for a second term on economic development, and paramount to that mission is deepening the port so it can handle larger ships that will soon be plowing through the Panama Canal.
And Reed, who has emerged as one of the project’s staunchest Democrat backers, has lobbied Washington lawmakers and rallied support from local business leaders. He views Savannah’s dredging as a historic opportunity for metro Atlanta, which boasts an estimated 100,000 jobs tied to goods coming through the ports.
“This is the second-greatest economic opportunity that the state of Georgia has had since Mayor (William) Hartsfield made the agreement to get Delta to come to the airport,” the mayor said in an interview.
The push to dredge Savannah's port from 42 feet to 47 feet — just deep enough to handle the new class of freighters expected to use the expanded canal — has been delayed by bureaucratic tangles, environmental challenges and political gamesmanship since it was first proposed in 1996. But the House vote pegged for this week would be a breakthrough.
While the legislation doesn't guarantee any federal funding, it would authorize the deepening to begin at a price tag of $662 million. It would also clear the way for Deal and Reed to push President Barack Obama's administration to let Georgia unleash the $231 million it has set aside for the dredging.
Legislative leaders aren't hedging their bets. U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., described House legislators as "excited about getting it to the floor" after weeks of debating the government shutdown. And U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, who heads the House's Transportation Committee, said in an earlier interview that he was confident it would pass.
“I know how important it is to Savannah and Georgia, and it’s important to the entire nation,” Shuster said. “To me, this is a jobs bill, to help manufacturers get their products to the world.”
The dredging has united Georgia politicians like no other, but few have as much riding on it as Deal and Reed. Both have put the deepening at the center of their political agendas as they seek second terms in office and invested a tremendous amount of political capital lobbying for federal support.
It would also be the most significant achievement yet for a political partnership that has endured plenty of trials.
Both supported the 1 percent sales tax for transportation improvements in 2012 that failed in metro Atlanta and most other parts of the state. And Deal punted a plan to use public financing for the new $1 billion Falcons stadium to the city after mounting resistance from legislators.
The governor described the tag-teaming on the port with Reed as a joint effort to secure “our most important aim.”
“I think over the passage of years, it has become recognized as something with statewide significance, and not just a Savannah issue,” Deal said. “The reality is this impacts all of Georgia. And we need to keep that momentum going.”
Reed, for his part, sees the deepening as nothing short of transformational.
“This is the closest thing to having an economic generator on par with the airport,” the mayor said. “We have the opportunity to create a port that’s going to be dynamic and strong and reposition the state globally for the next 30 to 40 years.”
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