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FAA furloughs kick in, some flight delays appear

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Commercial airline flights started backing up and delayed some travelers Monday, a day after air traffic controllers started going on furlough because of government spending cuts. (www.chron.com) Mais...

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ATCDC
ATC DC 13
I'm ATC. So you guys know, the mitigation plans have been designed and implemented above our heads, mostly.

For the nuts and bolts: The amount of airplanes we can take in any given control area is impacted by a few factors, the largest being the number of sectors/positions (staffing) open and the weather conditions. Studies on human fatigue show that the typical human being starts losing the ability to concentrate on complex tasks after about an hour of their performance and that ability starts decreasing even more quickly after two which is why reduced staffing levels impact us so harshly, unlike most tasks - within that two hours there is no room for a lapse in concentration, air traffic control is a hard job (but fun and rewarding too, if you can do it) - the cliche is that when it's slow is when bad things happen because people start feeling like they can relax.

When our 1-2 hours on positon is up we get a break that usually lasts between 15 and 30 minutes (the latter being for lunches). After our break we return to duty. In addition to overseeing the sector our frontline supervisors also manage our breaks and even step in to control traffic if needed, but that's not ideal because Controllers are paid to control and we take pride in our ability to do our job with professionalism, efficency and safety.

How enroute spacing works: The amount of airplanes that an area of sky (sector) can handle is based on a couple of factors: the type and number of airports and how they affect complexity and typical flow of traffic and how that affects complexity. Typically a few sectors will work together to "feed" one airport.

When our staffing falls below critical levels we actually loose the ability to open sectors and/or staff them fully, which greatly affects our ability to maximally utilize our airspace.

Exacerbating this problem is the fact that due to highly technical nature of Air Traffic Control work the FAA is still trying to recover from the PATCO strike. I've heard a rumor that over 50% of new hires are fired within thier first year of service because they simply fail to demonstrate they can do the job.

Anyways, the point of this post: the impact of the furlough is real. Due to the higly technical and intense nature of our work the national airspace system is very sensitive to staffing shortages, staffing shortages which existed before the furloughs started.

Also, I wanted to explain some of what we do because there seems to be some perception that we're purposely slowing things down. That couldn't be farther from the truth. In addition to the immense amount of pride instilled in the controller workforce and the constant competition twixt coworkers (we all want to be the best), we, by in large are filled with a sense of duty to the American flying public, and just like I did today, tomorrow I will show up for my shift, ready to work and just like today I will volunteer to sit on position and longer than is expected or required of me because it is my aim to help mitigate the affects of this furlough on my coworkers and the aforementioned flying public as much as possible. I took an oath, an oath I take very seriously and I work with 15,000 people who take that oath very seriously too. Make no mistake, no matter what the circumstance FAA controllers will show up to work, ready to work and we will do our best to make sure the system does not suffer no matter what the politics of the day are doing.
Bilbie
Bilbie 3
Brilliant post, it is great to see the level of care in what you have written
jimquinndallas
Jim Quinn 3
Great post! I thank you very much for sharing your 'inside story' of things that I never knew.
joelwiley
joel wiley 3
Thanks for the post, information, and perspective. Welcome aboard.

It is refreshing to see a poster who has been registered for an hour and not spamming to every squawk how much their relative made last week on the Internet.
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 2
great post and thank you and your co-workers for all y'all do.
Atomicdog52
James Johnson 1
Thank you. I was traveling yesterday and the delays were evident. I was waiting for someone to explain this without all the drama and political commentary
StymieHo
Chris Donawho -1
Great insight from someone actually there. I am one of those anti-union guys (grew up in Texas, not Ohio) who thinks there are many members among your rank and file who do indeed purposely slow things down, in a calculated and controlled manner, to get back at The Man. I say calculated and controlled because I would never think for one moment you guys would endanger the lives of anyone. I've seen it in every other sector of aviation and see no reason it would be different from yours.

I do not doubt the pride you and your coworkers share in being the best you can be. I also feel the same about pilot rank and file, ramp rats, flight attendants, mechanics, etc... They all employ the same union practice of biting back at the man, the collateral damage being the flying public.

I also do not doubt that, despite every obstacle your employer places in front of you, you and your colleagues will show up to work, ready to work. I think precedence dictates that is best decision for continued employment - a sort of precedence instilled by Ronald Reagan.

"Highly Technical Aspects" aside, failure to recover from a strike that occurred 30 years ago is more of a management failure rather than a technical failure. I fully understand the point you're making about the technical side, that cannot be denied. Still, even at a 50% failure rate, there can be no justification for management's failure to recover after 5 years, much less 30... That's one thing I think you and I can definitely agree on is a failure on the FAA's part to react accordingly, which is something even you guys have tried to get them to do over all these years.

Welcome to working for the Federal Government.
canuck44
canuck44 17
The FAA announced today that they will save $200 Million by September from these furloughs...while they spend $500 million for "Consultants" and $200 Million for "Travel". This is malfeasance at the highest level. It cannot be blamed on incompetence or outright stupidity.
sparkie624
sparkie624 2
They may have saved it, but it cost the airlines twice that.
andytyler
Andy Tyler -9
i didn't realize you were qualified to establish the FAA's budget. Obviously they do nothing but sit around on their fat asses all day and think of ways to waste money instead of pay controllers...lol.
canuck44
canuck44 13
Actually I am qualified to read...here is a link to the FAA budget which begins on Page 10 where the well disguised, lavishly titled programs are laid next to the 2012 actual spending. You will notice substantial increases in some rather "soft" areas. There was no 2013 budget as they ran on Continuing Resolutions...a 7% increase every year.

http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/docs/FY%202014%20Budget%20Highlights.pdf

You will note that even with the "sequester" the FAA still has $98 Billion more to spend than last year. If you want to find the fluff in the budget you will have to look at the individual documents, but this should be sufficient to indicate the degree of the fraud being perpetuated.
preacher1
preacher1 2
He's as qualified as the rest of us.LOL
HunterTS4
Toby Sharp 1
Andy.....you must be new here
preacher1
preacher1 2
Give da boy a break, Tob; at least he put an lol behind his remarks. Sounds like he'll fit right in with the rest of us wags.LOL
HunterTS4
Toby Sharp 1
Very True Very True. He is probably alright
w7psk
Ricky Scott 7
Just noticing that there is a lot of hurt going on to what amounts as a 1% reduction in the budget increase.
we0209
William Jensen 3
That's the whole point of it. People in "the government" are getting back at us for daring to slow down the increase in spending. These faceless bureaucrats are going to hurt the entire country with their game playing. I have no doubt that people "in the trenches" are fine, upstanding citizens, but when they join in the game of repeating the lies, then they're just as complicit.

There's no reason to furlough people, shut down White House tours, etc. There is plenty of fat that can be cut out of various budgets and not affect things like the air traffic control system.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 5
This just in! NBC5 reports "significant flight diversions from DFW to DAL due to weather and staffing challenges."

Weather has never caused this before, but now they are calling it out. These two airfields, for those who do not know, are separated by less than 10nm. There is no way a plane can NOT land safely at DFW, but has no problem greasing it on damned near walking distance from the field (not with this weather). A cold front with drizzle moved in and they had to change the airport direction. Big friggin deal. Another stunt to send a message to congress.

How Union-like can you get? This little stunt just cost American some real money... Now they have to roll those engines back up to takeoff power just to fly a couple of miles west. Thousands of gallons, tens of thousands of dollars just to make a point. There's your malfeasance John.
Av8nut
Michael Fuquay 2
Just the media being the media. They see some holding patterns while there's runway changes, and they freak out.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 0
Yeah, but diverting flights? They should be held financially liable. They as in the controllers.
preacher1
preacher1 2
Do you reckon it will all be over and done when O heads down that way for the opening of the Bush Library?lol
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 1
With the stupid TFR blanketing the area, they should be able to serve all of the next two weeks worth of furloughs. There certainly won't be any traffic around here...lol
preacher1
preacher1 1
I hadn't even looked. I'm not doing anything this week that I know of. Where they got it out at?
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 1
Haven't seen it either. I imagine it will pop up tomorrow afternoon. I believe the little Library ceremony is Thursday morning.
preacher1
preacher1 2
Yeah, it's Thursday; not sure what time, but even without a TFR, AF 1 will probably throw the entire metroplex in a tizzy. My geograpgy is a little fuzzy. Reckon he'll land at DFW or will he go into DAL?
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 2
He'll go into KDAL...

The outer ring extends from Naval JRB in west Fort Worth to Terrell Municipal, in Kaufman County. The inner ring is pretty small, covering about a six mile radius around Love Field. And the Library is only a few blocks away.
preacher1
preacher1 1
Reckon it'll be expanded now? before or after the library opening, he has now scheduled to go to the memorial service at Baylor for the people of WEST.
HunterTS4
Toby Sharp 1
have already seen the armada of C17's bringing his toothpaste and socks for the trip flying into KDAL
ibpilot72
ibpilot72 4
We flew back from Boston this morning (4/22), and airliners were slowed to .74-.75 and turned off-course several miles do to entrail spacing along J-75 today. Some planes were having to descend to lower altitudes to maintain the slower mach speeds. Controller blamed the entrail spacing to furloughs for not enough staff at the scopes. We saw no such delays ourselves at Fl400 on J-48/J-22.
preacher1
preacher1 3
I wouldn't think at FL400 you would have had any problem going or coming. You're above all the peons.LOL. Been there, done that.LOL
thundermustard
Michael Sullivan 2
Doesn't matter what altitude you are at. If there is miles in trail down an air way you are gonna go as slow as the lead aircraft. If you are lucky it might be a C550 and you will get a blow by, but you can't blow by them all.
preacher1
preacher1 3
Say what you want but if I have 3000' and 100kts, over the lead, I think I'll get a blow by. You may be right in that I won't right now. Ops director told me they held our King Air at FSM this morning some extra time. He said he was leaving behind an Eagle and going straight West, with the Eagle going SW to DFW, not even following him. Laid it of to ATC staffing. They don't come back til tomorrow so it will be interesting to see what they get into.
Av8nut
Michael Fuquay 6
If these allegations are true, these ATC do not deserve a job. What ATC in their right mind would purposely compromise the integrity of the service they provide, just to prove some political point? That's the same as someone setting up a shooting at thier place of business, just to prove to their boss that they need a security system.
TiredTom
Tom Bruce 3
Old ATC guy enjoying the show... we did this in the 70s.... by the book traffic slowdown... lost my job in the 81 strike... no sour grapes.
sparkie624
sparkie624 3
Some flight Delay.... Yeah right... Had plenty of them today... Seeing alot of these messages... "DUE TO FAA STAFFING ACTION" and "ATC STAFFING"
preacher1
preacher1 1
Glad to see you had a nice day.LOL
HunterTS4
Toby Sharp 1
Was wondering where you were Sparkie! Waiting line by the looks of it
sparkie624
sparkie624 2
LOL, Still down here in MEM trying not to go to MSP
jimquinndallas
Jim Quinn 4
What really ticks me off to no end is that not one time, not one single time, have I read in any publication online or in newsprint, that there's any consideration to cutting off the gravy train to these young people who continue to have babies without support from anybody but the public teat. Can anyone say "Sacred cow?" Cut the crap; take down the birdfeeder; make it financially impossible for these welfare riders to continue the way they're doing now. Include these cuts in the discussions and the budgets and then (and only then) will I believe that someone in the District is serious about budget cuts. If you cut off the free stuff, they'll change their ways. It's human nature. Yes, I know this is off-topic, but when we're talking about cutbacks in aviation/FAA it's a point I wanted to make...
twincessna
william koehler 1
Obama welfare gos farther than the obvious title " welfare" there's the compensation to aleadged black famers who could not get loans, phones, cars, and lodging in the name of getting a job. Legal fees for people who lost houses who should never qualified for one, welfare is a lot broader than one colum. $750,000,000. Aside from covering union needs went to welfare.
cm5299
Chuck Me 1
Perspective: We can spend $0 on welfare a year and that cuts less than half of our deficit.
preacher1
preacher1 2
half is half. that is that much more that don't have to come from something nexessary, like ATC.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
Wow! That would be a great start.
preacher1
preacher1 1
May be off topic but a dang good point.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
Yes it is. If you want to cut welfare roles just put them to work. 50% would bail immediately.
thundermustard
Michael Sullivan 4
This printed on the Boston Center printers last night. GROUND STOP-JFK-REASON STAFFING AT TOWER. I assure you, no manager would let that message go out if it was not legit. Paper trail and managers are notoriously timid of higher ups.
JakeFFT172
Jake Dawson 6
There is no reason for the holding patterns that looks like they were toughing a fit to get there money back.
allanrbowman
Allan Bowman 2
My solution to sequestration and its effects on ATC. FAA should immediately do 2 things, first cut way back on the number of controllers at Regan and Dulles, secondly cut back on controllers at all red states major cities. They wanted it, they get it.
preacher1
preacher1 1
I guess you got the money to keep feeding the teat or are you one of those drinking off of it?
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 2
The East Coast suffered minimal delays as a result of this furlough. The delays reported in the days leading up to this were identical. This furlough has had no effect on the air traffic system......yet!

News seems to travel faster when in the spin cycle.
StymieHo
Chris Donawho 2
It should also be noted that weather was pretty dormant yesterday as well, so add a cell or two and the delays might have worsened, but thus far, it seems to have little or no effect.

If they can implement a good management team, this can be pulled off. I know many of you are steadfast against this furlough. I happen to be one of those buffoons who likes to see some cost cutting in all areas of govt spending.

Then again, if the FAA actually knew what good management looked like.......
mwenkman
mark wenkman 2
Another circus, how long before we all will have to jump threw hoops and bark like a dog to get on a commercial flight.
ATCDC
ATC DC 2
Hey Ya'll,
Day three of the furloughs and I wanted to respond to some of the stuff I've been seeing in response to my first post: thank you very much for taking the time to understand and respect the points I've made. Even though I'm not a union rep and therefore not authorized to speak about matters like this, I felt compelled to speak my mind and i find myself delighted by all of the positive responses I've seen. As such, I feel compelled to share more.

The first thing is this: I'm at a slower facility. As such I haven't been subject to the major impact a lot of the O'hare type facilities and such have.

That being said, our staffing is noticably reduced. Training has been impossible to accomplish, and we are supremely proud of the lack of impact there has been this week to the NAS in general... so far. We haven't had to hold a single arrival due to staffing. We haven't had to divert anyone and we haven't had to meter our flow, either.

As a matter of fact: our facility has suffered only one unscheduled bout of leave this week (so far) originating from a young man whose dad is couging up blood due to stage four cancer.

Our thoughts and prayers are with him, but I fully expect him to show up for work at 5:45 tomorrow morning to open the tower because we care about the flying public and our primary aim is to mitigate the impact to you.

We maybe pissy sometimes but believe me, we ATC view pilots as our teamates and we want nothing more than we want to get you guys climbing and on course as quickly as possible.


Re: a comment abot PATCO firings I read in this thread: the biggest variable has been the fact that thousands of controllers hit mandatory retire as a result of the mass hirings in 1982 and 1983. That's why we're hurting for staffing so bad. The planning may have been bad, too, but the other thing to consider is the fact that of the thousands of applicants maybe 10% are even given the opportunity to make it to the field (that number is pretty much pulled out fo nowhere, but of the people who take the ATSAP only those with 85%s or above are given the chance to actually go to academy (which is pass fail too)).
NF2G
David Stark 2
I wish the media would start reporting "sequestration" truthfully. THERE ARE NO BUDGET CUTS! There are decreases in the rate of increase in funding. No federal agency is losing money it already had or was going to get.

The Obama Administration has taken a bad situation and found a way to make it worse.
preacher1
preacher1 1
CBS News this morning reporting that congress gave them legal authority to spread the cuts out among various departments. It now goes to the senate. Hopefully it will end it.
NF2G
David Stark 0
The media is still propagating the Administration's lies.

Again, THERE ARE NO BUDGET CUTS!
spstx
paul smith 2
Looks like the AA pilots will get a taste of their own medicine. I reall months ago when it was THEM who created all kind of delays. Just hope they hold them at the gate so they don't get paid to wait.
brucefevans
Bruce Evans 2
Spot on, Mr. Wernicke! I am sure that the Dept. of Transportation could save the equivalent amount of money by cutting back on any number of less than essential (or even useless) programs/projects. Similarly, White House tours had to be cancelled but obviously it was essential that, several weeks later, the White House soul concert with Beyonce and Jay-Z simply HAD to go forward! This administration is leaving no stone unturned in inconveniencing the public to make political points. The problem is that they are also frustrating economic activity and, with the FAA, potentially endangering lives just so BHO can speechify.

[This poster has been suspended.]

preacher1
preacher1 1
Not sure about who performed but they(the Obama's)did have a "soul concert"at the White House within the last couple of weeks. No making that up. Digging for the URL now.
GeorgeSharpe
George Sharpe 1
Looks like the same as back in the Regan era when a bunch of them were fired. Would Obama do the same thing when it gets to the point where ALL flights are affected?
nickpiszczek
nicholas piszczek 1
The country is Full of Airspace Controls at Terminal Junctions that are simply unnecessary. Both Pilots and controllers know it,the average taxpaying public does not. 100's of Towers still operate on a basis that somehow they are an absolute by the very fact that they exist.Reigning in second tier GA ATC has left Mom,Pop and Sally Joe fearful for the outcome...It just ain't so.
GeorgeSharpe
George Sharpe 1
Looking at my Flight tracker real time display I see lots of flights from BOS-SEA, LGA-SEA, etc., are now flying more northerly over Canadian airspace, so it leaves me to wonder, if the cutback in the US FAA budget is part of the reason for this? These flights are usually over MN,ND,MT, ID, etc. on the way by where I am.
airplanefreakz
kyle dunst 1
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

New York sees delays due to ATC cuts, but are they fake?

The New York City area airports of JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark are seeing considerable delays. However, it is looking like these delays are being manufactured to make a point to politicians.

http://bit.ly/15zydek
airplanefreakz
kyle dunst 1
(Duplicate Squawk Submitted)

Turbulence Ahead: FAA ATC Cuts & Lufthansa Strike

The next weeks look like it's going to be a rough one for the airlines, with FAA Cuts taking effect and a planned Lufthansa Strike.

http://bit.ly/15sfOQj
lfrasacco
LUCA FRASACCO 1
Also in Italy and in Europe we are cutting a lot in the civil aviation dominio. It remains to safety first and they are not cutting back on workers, but they are cutting back on investment in general. Have been optimized shifts of workers to cut waste and duplication. for now what is being done to reduce the cost of the service is having good results hoping for a recovery in the short time the economy.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
Many of the woes of Europe are not far removed from the USA.
lfrasacco
LUCA FRASACCO 1
What you say is true and that is why we look to the U.S. to predict our future. Our advantage and sometimes big disadvantage is that Europe is not united, any country can make their own decisions with an eye to their own interests.
Moviela
Ric Wernicke 0
Can ATC function without full staffing? Yes. If a controller took five minutes for personal needs, others would fill the gap. You cannot ask people to work at that level all day. Today had mostly good weather across the nation, and being Sunday the schedule is somewhat reduced.

This is all about Pres. Obama (Eastwood's empty chair) playing chicken with the Republicans in the Congress. It is unfair for the President to put lives and pocketbooks at risk hoping the masses will rise up and compell Congress to do his bidding. I find community organizers entertaining in the way they dress socialism as desriable, but for Eastwood's empty chair to have a stranglehold on federal spending is offensive to any right thinking person. If money is truly short, Air Force One and all other aircraft at the disposal of the adminstration should be grounded for the duration. BHO can take a train if he needs to play gold.
JetMech24
JetMech24 16
Whatever you do, do NOT blame the FAA for making cuts to stuff that they do not need to, instead of cutting things that should be. Don't get me wrong, I don't like Obama any more than you do, but I also despise Republicans as well. EVERYONE is to blame on this one, all of D.C. is acting like a bunch of 5 year olds and it is ridiculous to blame only one side. Grow up and wake up, democrats and republicans are NO better than the other, PERIOD!
ToddBaldwin3
ToddBaldwin3 8
Bravo.
Moviela
Ric Wernicke -3
I disagree. The wasteful spending of the current government is epic compared to any other in our history, even adjusted for inflation. Never has the "credit rating" for the country been reduced until the current President took office. The founding fathers were aware that this might happen and created a series of checks and balances to prevent one branch from becoming dominant. Community Organizers force their will on others by causing pain for ordinary citizens. An aviation example was the public employee union "demonstrating" by blocking traffic to LAX on the busiest travel day of the year. There were no Republicans sitting in the roadway.
JetMech24
JetMech24 3
The only correct statement in that whole paragraph was the fore fathers putting in checks and balances, which actually has not been working correctly for decades. Today's government is only about two parties fighting it out, and nothing more. Until the day comes that we have more than just two parties, the system will continue to fail regardless of who is in the white house and who is in congress.
joelwiley
joel wiley 3
IMHO, a recent episode of invading Iraq while putting the expense on the national (read our) credit card and simultaneously gutting the revenue stream reaches proportions more epic than today. Without those events the nation's credit rating would be significantly more 'robust'.
Just MHO.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
My HO is that our mission was done in Iraq when Saddam was captured and executed. Why the further years of expenditures I have no idea. I believe our current HMFIC, when campaigning, had said he would end it his first month in office. We are still there. Give him a call and then let me know. :-)
joelwiley
joel wiley 2
I liked Ike, things seem to have gone downhill since then. My HO on the mission is that it was done before starting, but that's off aviation topics.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
You nailed it. JFK was the beginning of the plunge.
canuck44
canuck44 1
You are correct...the petty little man is playing politics and having a kindergarten level tantrum. The problem is that the people he is pissing off are the productive who are not going to vote for his party anyway unlike the plantation voters who could care less as long as the welfare checks, Medicaid, food stamps, disability payments, ObamaPhones etc keep coming.
wiseman85
Kenneth Wise 11
Both sides are part of the problem. Stop acting as if one will magically fix everything.
cm5299
Chuck Me 4
Here is the smaller government many people have been begging for. Now they complain about that too.
preacher1
preacher1 3
Well, I think that biggest problem anyone has with this whole deal is the meat axe rather than scalpel approach that has been taken to all these cuts. The Administration and it's departments are acting like a bunch of spoiled brats that didn't get their way and are trying to inflict as much visible public pain in hopes of getting and uninformed public to lambast Congress into changing their minds. Don't think it's going to happen.LOL
cm5299
Chuck Me 3
And at the same time, the horrific damage from the cuts turns out to be a non event.


A pox on both of their houses.
joelwiley
joel wiley 0
Smaller and less efficient. From a 'Can Do- high morale' operation to a 'Won't do- low morale' one. Am reminded of the Union tactic "Work to the contract".
bluejay68
Scott Smith 6
Instead of parroting what you hear from your self-affirming news sources, try forming your own thoughts. Google "Obama phone" for a good start.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
My "thought" is that funded do gooder programs are paid for mostly by unwilling payers who don't have a choice. My expierence is that nobody appreciates things very much that they didn't earn. IMHO

[This poster has been suspended.]

WALLACE24
WALLACE24 2
There are probably a lot of airports that that should not receive federal money. Ok by me. My plane is at an airport that just got nearly $400k for new runway lighting. No instrument approach, no fuel, not many ops/day, 7 planes based there, 5 hangers. . Money well spent, not. If airports were 100% paid for on the local level then every taxpayer would have a choice, they can move from the taxing district. Would a lot close? Probably yes and probably should. The best will stand on their own. And if the economic and logistic benefits are so great there will be no problem getting the money. I don't think most taxpayers are ignorant sir, but I can't say that for voters.
THRUSTT
THRUSTT 2
What exactly is a plantation voter? I can't find the definition.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
I got a feeling it isn't the same as a plantation owner. Lol
preacher1
preacher1 4
I'm a thinkin' he's talking about those that will continue to blindly follow and vote for O regardless of what he does, as long as the freebies continue.
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 2
We get John's drift. We seem to sing out of the same hymnal. We just know the trend line has to change if we want to keep any semblance of the forefathers' vision of America.
preacher1
preacher1 2
It will al be interesting.LOL

[This poster has been suspended.]

Moviela
Ric Wernicke 2
Duderman, the rhetoric is accurate and descriptive. The buck stops at the Presidents desk, and he alone holds the power to allocate spending within the agencies of the government. There are minor exceptions, but they prove the rule. Whitehouse tours were cut, but the President still used millions to fly a 747-200 to play golf with Tiger.
preacher1
preacher1 1
Well, per JetMechs comment here below, both parties have their faults, to the point at the last election, we had a choice of the lesser of 2 evils. That said, one must think back to when BHO came into office. There was a Democratic Congress, Pelosi and crew. Basically it was a runaway as they gave him anything he wanted, hence the debt and all the other problems. Mid term, a Republican(conservative)Congress was elected and they closed the door to the candy store.They had to do it on an overall basis to make it effective and get peoples attention. They have gone back and given some departments specific authority to let them manage and/or cut individual functions. They will probably do this with the FAA as the outcry gets loud enough but the Administration is just throwing a tantrum like a spoiled brat and is throwing a tantrum to attract as much attention as possible.
blake1023
blake1023 1
Don't worry folks! The wealthy 1% will pay for everything and User Fees on those god awful coporate jets will fix all the FAAs problems! Dont you worry! Atleast thats what politicians want us to believe. I guess they think we're all idots!!
andytyler
Andy Tyler 3
having them pay the same tax rates they did in the 1990s doesn't seem to unreasonable. We all did it, and we all survived.
blake1023
blake1023 2
Lets have the same level of spending in the 1900s. The definition of reasonable has changed.
blake1023
blake1023 1
1990s*
genethemarine
Gene spanos 1
Delays are the norm here...what is not...is the continued flight schedules.
Why not cut back ? Where is the air safety factor....with less ATC's you would think!
gretzcorp
John Nielsen 0
Amazing how big government advocates (Obama and friends) will do anything to perpetuate Federal control over our lives. Funny how Obama's proposed budget for the FAA has less money than is currently available after sequester cuts. No current FAA prioritization is the reason for traveler delays. That and the hope to take the U.S House back in 2014 elections so we can have more Federal stimulus and more great programs like Obamacare. Let's get real on what is truly causing delays at the airports.!
Topper1
W S Webb 0
FAA on strike PATCO was right.
JacksonRentsAtlanta
Jackson Franco 0
Funny, my post seems to have vanished. To sum it up again - Obozo could cancel his and his wife's vacations for the year and have enough left over to pay for the controllers. Nuf said.

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