What works for a working port?

There is a lot of discussion on the Telegraph Journal Letter's to the Editor page and comment section surrounding the idea of a working port. It seems from the letters (several letters of the last while featuring a Kingston address and similar last name have been printed lately) and comments against the city swapping land to facilitate the largest commercial development in the uptown in decades are as follows:

1. Port workers deserve respect.
2. The port might someday require long wharf for berthing.
3. The Lantic Sugar site doesn't allow for berthing, only storage.
4. Saint John shouldn't want to increase its white-collar contingent.
5. Irving and the Port are just in it for themselves.

While I'm not an expert on these things, I'm a concerned citizen willing to share my opinion. My opinion on each, which might be smeared on the TJ comment page as sarcastic or elitist, is present below:

1. Indeed they do, but as was pointed out by someone defending the position of the ILA, there are only 100 long shore persons working when work is available. The port workers jobs are important, but the scope of the proposal for the IOL HQ could impact the city in a far more positive way than defending a small industry.
2. Long Wharf might have deep water and allow for all sorts of berthing (even though cruise ships are its primary visitors now and can continue to be in the future), but this portion of the port is already separated from the rest of the working land. While it could receive cargo, the cargo storage area on Long Wharf would be removed from the rest of the port's other cargo operation.
3. The port wants to create continuity by taking over this site. Someone asked "why didn't the port buy the site when it was for sale?" Perhaps because they didn't realize the strategic importance then, or perhaps the site wasn't as good for them without all of the other perks offered by Irving Oil Limited (IOL).
4. Saint John needs a diverse workforce that can thrive in a cyclical world economy. If we have a diversity of jobs (white and blue collar) that focus on a variety of markets we will be better positioned to avoid the boom bust cycles so evident in blue collar dominated communities.
5. If the city is better off for the project (which I believe it will be), the motives of Irving and the Port aren't relevant. While it's too bad we can't all be rich industrialists, we can still try to get what benefits their endeavors can offer.