[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 13 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S1037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO EZE BURTS

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Ezunial 
``Eze'' Burts, a talented public servant from California, who is 
retiring this month as the executive director of the Port of Los 
Angeles after 12 years of outstanding leadership.
  Eze Burts has spent his entire career in public service. Early in his 
career, he worked for the Fresno County Economic Opportunities 
Commission where he administered the county's youth employment program. 
Later he became a top aide to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, where he 
handled a number of duties, including serving as the mayor's liaison to 
the police and fire departments. He also helped plan security for the 
highly successful 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, before assuming 
the helm of the port later that same year.
  During Mr. Burts' tenure, the Port of Los Angeles has become one of 
the Nation's top trade centers, generating billions of dollars in 
revenue and creating thousands of jobs. During this period of amazing 
growth, the port's operating revenue has doubled and the total cargo 
volume has increased by more than one-third. In fact, the Los Angeles 
Customs District is the largest in the Nation, and the port has become 
a major gateway for our Nation's Pacific rim trade. Mr. President, to 
put into perspective Mr. Burts' responsibility over the years, the Port 
of Los Angeles accounts for more than 1 million jobs nationwide, 
including 1 out of every 27 jobs in southern California.
  Mr. Burts has also been at the forefront of the Alameda corridor 
project, an enterprise which is very important to my State, and indeed 
to the entire country. When the Alameda corridor is completed, goods 
will be quickly shipped from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to 
rail yards in downtown Los Angeles, and from there to points throughout 
the country. Eze Burts has been a key supporter of the Alameda corridor 
since its inception.
  Mr. President, I am pleased to announce that Mr. Burts will continue 
to be a leader in the southern California community, as he prepares to 
become the new president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. I wish 
Mr. Burts and his family well as he takes on this new challenge.

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