Air Traffic Privatization Plan Approved

[Rose Siding]

Air Traffic Privatization Plan Approved

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers negotiated an agreement on Friday that would allow private companies to operate about 70 air traffic control towers. Opponents say such a move would jeopardize aviation safety.

The Federal Aviation Administration wants to assess whether to hand over to contractors smaller control towers -- those that don't use their own radar.

"The FAA wants the flexibility to smartly and efficiently manage the system and operate as cost effectively as possible," said agency spokesman Greg Martin.

more....................

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-air-controllers,0,6682873.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[gristy]

1. This is sick.

The usual repug private sector "efficiency" arguments are certain to come into play here.

Guess who gets the "tip" once the sale is made?

[pw]

3. And when some plane falls out of the sky

It will be George Tenet's fault.

[DemoTex]

2. In-fucking-sane. Take it from an airline captain.

They have dismantled the federal government as we knew it. They have depleted the treasury, totally. Now they want to mete out portions of the best ATC system in the world to the low bidder or, more likely, to the Carlyle Group. We are fucked.

[indictrichardperle]

4. you arent kidding

Corporations ALWAYS squeeze the most out of labor, to maximize their profit, i mean thread-bare service and quality.

You try that shit with air traffic controllers.....Jesus, that is dangerous. Whats next privatized police and fire departments ?

[SharonAnn]

7. yes, and privatized water companies and power companies

woops - we're already doing that.

[benfranklin1776]

9. Wouldn't surpise me if the bastards would try it.

Chimpbrain would see nothing wrong with taking us back to those "glorious" days which were depicted in Gang's of New York where two rival private fire companies would show up, try to extort money from the poor victim whose house was burning or for kicks fight each other while the building burned, so that the fire would spread and better increase the evenings take for their activities.

Sorry some functions such as air traffic control are simply too vital to public safety to be left in the hands of low wage, low trained "rent-a-professionals." "Well gee its too bad we lost twenty planes this year but we saved 200,000" Sorry the objective here is not savings but creating a vast system of crony patronage where these government services are performed by private companies with incestuous, no-bid, cost plus contracts like Halliburton's, with guaranteed profits skimmed off heavily by top management which funnels it into GOP coffers, while low wage employees compete for the crumbs which are left over and the public interest is subverted.

[w4rma]

5. Privatizing something this important to national security is idiotic (n/t)

[Rose Siding]

6. I was thinking

I'd even rather see it moved to HS.

Do you think the new hiring standards will be as rigid as are those for airport screeners?...The ones they do the periodic sweeps over because they refused to be fingerprinted?

[SharonAnn]

8. No, hiring standards will be like the old airport security guards

is the person breathing, are they warmj, will they take a minimum wage, part-time job with no benefits?

That's it. What are they thinking.

[Karenina]

10. Hmmm... sea travel

suddenly looks very appealing!

[Bamboo]

11. Marboro Country-Ride a Horse

Bush can deregulate because the red states view voting republican as masculine,pro business and christian.Voting has been delinked from actually changing their lives and centers around their psychological and social desires.If policies actually harm them they would not admit it because it hurts their ego first by exposing their lack of foresight and second their emotional vs. rational reasons for voting.Voting against your intrests is like a chicken voting for Col.Sanders,when they see Bush make a carrier landing while working at the warehouse club,I say that they have been herbed n' spiced.