Two federal officials in Washington, DC, clinging to textbook Bush Administration arrogance, yesterday delayed clean air – again – for all Southern Californians. In a 2-1 vote, the Federal Maritime Commission jammed up the Clean Trucks Program cargo fee for another 45 days in a decision made behind closed doors, without public review or environmental study.

Their excuse this time? “Such reduction would raise prices at a time when the American consumer can least afford any added costs…”

Estimated cost to the consumer on a pair of Nike Airs? A nickel. Number of Californians who support a container fee to fund environmentally-friendly trucks, even if it means higher prices: 61 percent.

In a dissenting opinion, the Press-Telegram reported, Commissioner Joseph Brennan said his agency should show more deference to how local elected leaders and bodies have dealt with economic and environmental problems in the Southland.

“The Commission must acknowledge that not all public policy geniuses are within the federal government,” he wrote.

Agreed. As one resident put it to the Director of Southern California Air Programs for the Natural Resources Defense Council, “It is strange that they appear to be more concerned that I be able to afford a plasma TV vs. living long enough to raise my son.”

True, the FMC is for at least another 34 days an ideological agency that tramples on environmental concerns to operate, ostensibly, to ensure ocean-bound commerce remains “competitive,” i.e., unregulated. But as our friend and NRDC attorney David Pettit concluded: “the FMC is elevating profit over the real public health concerns…in a way that will backfire because, if it is successful, Port business will decline and profits will fall. And, if the FMC has its way, the environmental gains that have already occurred due to the Clean Trucks Plan will be reversed.  Your tax dollars at work.”

Now let’s look from an actual industry point of view. Both large and small trucking company owners that account for roughly 1,600 clean trucks, thousands of port drivers and other harbor employees have pleaded in several letters to the Federal Maritime Commission to step out of the way. It’s precisely the agency’s interference, they wrote, that has put them at such a financial disadvantage lately.

So who are these two clean-air opponents (slash FMC commissioners) named Rebecca Dye and Harold Creel? Unclear, but what we do know is that Popeye would be more qualified to do the job -- particularly since the Sailor Man himself values eating spinach as much as his maritime duties. Obviously, it’s a sign he understands the necessities and benefits of a thing called green growth.

Rest assured, harbor-area residents are just as strong to the finish. They’re continuing to e-mail and call the over 30 California Members of Congress who previously urged the FMC to stop meddling in order to protect the LA Clean Trucks Program.

In the meantime, the Road is taking names to fill the two vacancies in Obama’s Federal Maritime Commission. We’ll have to thoroughly vet Popeye before he makes the shortlist, but given the agency’s current makeup, he’s looking pretty good.