The Partial FAA Shutdown
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-08-03/partial-faa-shutdown
A partial shutdown of the FAA began on July 23. Congress failed to pass a short-term funding extension. This furloughed 4,000 FAA employees and tens of thousands of airport construction workers. Planes are still flying, but the federal government is losing more than $30 million dollars a day from uncollected passenger ticket taxes. Republicans in the House and Senate Democrats disagree about union-forming rules and rural airport subsidies. As lawmakers leave for summer vacation, the stalemate threatens to stretch past Labor Day. What’s behind the impasse, and the consequences for the nation’s air system and the traveling public.
Guests
Ray LaHood
U.S. Secretary of Transportation and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives.
Ashley Halsey III
transportation reporter for the Washington Post
Ken Simonson
chief economist, Associated General Contractors of America
Veda Shook
International president, Association of Flight Attendants - CWA.
James Sherk
senior policy analyst in labor economics, the Heritage Foundation.
Comments
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I have been a regular listner of your show. The talk this morning regarding the FAA and AIRLINES was very interseting. I am connected to travel industry for last 25 years and have seen lot of up/down of the travel industry and airline treatment of the travel industry and travellers (Consumers).
Airlines in USA have got a free and uncontollable ride since they have been de regulated by Alfred Kahn in late seventies. Then the 9/11 added to their coffer and has given them free ticket to treat travelling public with iron hands. Now a days just about anything goes under this pretext.
Same is true of all majors airlines accounting policy as to refund and collections from travelling public.
I cannot elaborate everything here but given an opportunity to speak to someone I can explain further.
I have been trying get media attention for a long time. Some local media paid some attention but backed off with a threat from the airline for the loss of advertising revenue.
Since NPR does not depend on the advertising revenue I feel you will able tackle this more effectivally.
If interested please email me whom I can speak to. YOU WILL BE DOING GREAT SERVICE TO TRAVELLING PUBLIC IN AMERICA.
As one of the 4,000 I obviously have a deep and personal interest in the topic.
The EAS program started when the CAB was discontinued in the deregulation binge in the early 1980s. The first few years the FAA had the pleasure of funding it out of hide. There are some situations I think where some kind of subsidazation may be reasonable but 90 road miles out west is just a trip for morning coffee. In West Virginia 90 as the crow flies can take all day going around and up and down 150 road miles. In any case the EAS is a red herring, the real agenda is union busting.
That republicans engaged in union busting is not shocking at all, just par for the course. The unions need to get a little more creative in how they frame the debate and show how their issues and resolution of them in their favor is good for the general (non union) public. They have not done that at all...they are much more comfortable preaching to the choir.
Airports inspectors currently working without pay seems like a very professional but tactically silly thing to do. Without the inspectors runways would gradually become unavailable for use and pressure would start a little on the airlines and traveling public.
Being cool professionals will not get the Congress to do what needs to be done. Closing up airspace so just military, homeland security and national interest only moves will get the public's attention. And hopefully when their summer vacation trip is cancelled because there is no airline service they will remember it in November 2012 and vote the "capital P" Politicians and zealots out and replace them with adults.
Hopefully the stop work orders have gone to Lockheed Martin ($2.6B last I looked) CSC (about $.5B) and the other heavy hitters too. They have "ways of dealing with" Congress and the political process Small support services companies have been hit badly too. One I know of in Virginia is heavily dependent on FAA business has furloughed everyone.
I am a retired Delta Flight Attendant. I voted no to a Union twice while I was working. We have never needed a union. Delta has always been the airline at the top of the pay scale for flight attendants, great medical, unparallel flight benifits. We are able to go right to the top executive with any disagreements we might have enstead of a watered down version by going through an unhion rep. As far as retirement goes, my benifits have changed slightly. My co-pay is $20.00 more. Delta is the best airline and the biggest reason is that we are non-union.
In listening to this mornings show regarding the layoffs of 4000 FAA employees made me wonder what happened to the concern over the 30,000 employees who lost their jobs when President Obama cut our space program. The wealth of technology that has come from the space program that you and I use on a daily basis is phenomenal. This computer just happens to be one of the thousands of discoveries that were developed because of our space program. I hear people are concerned about the impact of the 4,000, which I believe are scattered across the United States. The NASA & contract layoffs were centrally located in a few places. The impact to these communities will have far-reaching effects in Brevard County, FL and in Houston, TX. We will now begin outsourcing another job as we will be paying Russia to transport our astronauts. We need to have someone express the concern over this loss to our nation. We do need to make cuts in government spending, that's a given. Perhaps consideration should be given to cutting the spending to those whose contribution to our economy is minimal rather than cutting the spending of those who contribute to the greatness of America.
Right regional prosperity no concern if NOT NIMBY.
Originally/ still part of national defense/ emergency service grid.
Fire and rescue and 'mercy' flights utilize these useless facilities. Oh, and a decreasing private pilot population(future terrorists?), as less and less afford or pass licensing requirements(math etc).
Though ignorance of foreign matters dismal for most nondeployed Americans(and some of them as well) the lack of knowledge of AMERICAN regional differences(and history, math, quantum physics etc) on posts here almost as bad as CONGRESS.
Received another mailing for my 'opinion' from my house rep. Ignored our opinion and request for assistance with federal agencies the last times we answered so... keeping IT short and simple- J O B S. And the whole air not being breathable but other than the stinging eyes and difficulty breathing you barely notice(losing conciousness).
Difficult concept that a consumption/service based economy without ANYthing/one left to pay for consumption/ service might be an important consideration for our economic future.
Consumption- maybe that explains the weight loss, naseau, and falling. Letting yourself, neighbors, country, and children down... lot of old time stuff making comebacks... No trespass/No hiring signs... breadlines... rioting...
and we're back to Congress's 'plan'.
For montes sake Ill try to be simpleton so he may grasp the straws with me... sorry the occasional troll does get me... you 'win'(pray you are troll as those cannot be your beliefs... unless 12?)
Yeah those damn unions that brought a five day workweek, prohibited child labor, fought for benefits like bathroom breaks... how socialist(was communist but times/ meanings 'change')! Of course after that depression and world war the public knew better... and a lot of revenue wasted on creating a generation of teachers and such. Greatest generation ptah- bunch of greatest loafers suckling at the nations breast that was...
C
Course the savings on benefits and pay allow those savings to be passed onto the ones who deserve IT. You know the ones not breathing the fumes, doing the soul killing jobs, the hardwork ones that wear you out by 50. When the opportunity to try and find a job in a new 'career' to tide you over till 62, 65, 68, 72... think that is latest SS 'update'.
Remember one time being fired for trying to explain why chaining and locking the fire escape doors unacceptable, and when protested posting of SSN, addresses and telephone numbers as 'public' directory was a poor(and also criminal idea), or when as contractor fired for refusing to connect 'temporary'showers without proper grounding for water(we know how that one turned out). Okay last job non union and ungrounded showers were installed without ME. And funding/ protection for whistleblowers removed(thx GBjr- NOT restored by Lib Obama).
Yeah we should be unemployable and homeless.
'Repent sinners'.
Semishort, semisweet, and semipointed.
Totally unrelated- salute to the same-sex couple who made several trips(under fire) to help those fleeing into the lake from the muslim(must be right?) extremist. Remember when they were called nuts and criminals(no not the samesex couple). Miss those daze.
Course I already knew that heros(heriones too but harder to spell) come in all flavors- just like real people. Taste just like chicken too which we find odd.
As unions continue to decay and suffer from promoting a living wage(what a nonatheist attitude) with so little worker protection for most... still admire the monied attacks to convince those worst off they will lose what little they do have by speaking up. Nevermind works very effectively so MUST be right. Shoot one or two and the rest get back in line.
Fear, effectively scaring the faithless for centuries,
so much easier than love.
Military government private sector trained crazy. Do not leave your nation to amateur crazies- elect US!
Dianne and company NOT responsible for any thoughts or views or blockages observed, any possible original ideas protected by patents pending, superior marksmanship, and 'fang'.
Dear Ms Rhem,
I was listening to your show while driving after the debt bill passed the house and you were lamenting the fact that Americans were not in the streets protesting.
Many had, but that fact was inadequately covered by the media. The Tuesday prior, some 20,000 people demonstrated at over 800 Congressional offices around the country. Who knew??? If I hadn't read about in The Nation - I certainly would not have. Also,on July 28th the, "American Dream Movement" which demanded a debt deal that would protect the poor, disabled and elderly drew about 500 people. Not huge but still many more that the Tea Party demonstration that was heavily covered by media but only drew 50 individuals.
The coverage was just not fair.
One caller said that Americans can't afford to go to Washington to demonstrate.
Sadly, I think for many that is very true.
Screw the FAA and domestic airline flights !!
take a bus; or electric bike-charged at anyones home who offers a charging station.
Herts will be renting out Nissan Leaf all electric cars for $10 an hour. You'll be able to rent one, drive the expressway, take 30 seconds to exchange the depleted battery car for a fresh one at all the Herts locations next to the expressway. It will be cheaper than driving you gas guzzler, whatever the price of gas will be not to mention the expense of wear and tear on your car.!
Just leave a day or two earlier and you'llget there instead of waiting in the airport terminal for a replacement to your cancelled flight!
Put all those out of work domestic pilots into a job with a FUTURE- at Herts!!
Werner
misterfact@yahoo.com
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