The Idiot and the Sea

Philip R. Klein admitted ignorance in this posting from two weeks ago (emphasis is mine):

Well - the Marine Division - which is the Jefferson County Navy - a part of the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department. Why this is not a part of the SO budget...well we do not know. But it is here and you the taxpayers are paying over a million dollars for boats to cruise the Neches River looking for Amada or Rashid - or someone drinking a cold beer on their boat.

I explained in my response that the Marine division of the JCSO is funded through a tariff at the Port, not by taxes from local residents. See the Intergovernmental Agreement here.  Last week, Philip wrote:

Jefferson County Sheriff Mitch Woods told the commissioners court that taxpayers don't pay for the Jefferson County Navy...He tells commissioners that the money comes from a freight tonnage fee (tax) to ships that park up and down the Neches. Uh.....wait? Who is going to pay the "fee" (Tax) - business who does what? Passes the cost (s) to you? Really Mitch? Come on!!!

As I pointed out, most traffic at the Port is international in nature and engaged in exports. The fees are paid by foreign companies, not local citizens. Here are the current ships in dock at the Port of Beaumont, according to the Beaumont Enterprise:

Port of Beaumont: Alexandria, Greece, wheat for Brazil; Josco Suzhou, Hong King, inbound with steel billets; Sonja C, Isle of Man, potash for Guatemala; Potosi, Antigua and Barbuda, potash for Mexico.

Of four ships currently in dock, all are under a foreign registry and only one from China has inbound traffic. Quoting another writer who first ridiculed ignorance anonymously under the name Mark Twain:

[He] was endowed with a stupidity which by the least little stretch would go around the globe four times and tie.

 Another fine example of the Philip R. Klein School of Idionomics.