White House offers compromise on privatizing air traffic control

[Judi Lynn]

White House offers compromise on privatizing air traffic control




By Leslie Miller
ASSOCIATED PRESS
5:09 p.m. September 23, 2003

WASHINGTON – The Bush administration is offering a compromise on a bill that would allow private companies to run air traffic control towers at smaller airports.

Some Democrats in Congress, however, say the compromise doesn't ensure air traffic controllers will remain government employees.

The proposal is part of a four-year, $60 billion aviation spending bill that has been stalled in Congress because of the dispute over privatizing air traffic control. Funding for the air traffic control system and other aviation projects is set to expire Sept. 30.

The White House offered to drop a section of the bill that explicitly allows the Federal Aviation Administration to expand a program that contracts with companies to run control towers, according to a Transportation Department official. Language prohibiting privatization of air traffic controllers for just four years would also be deleted, the official said. (snip/...)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20030923-1709-aircontrollers.html

[HawkerHurricane]

1. Privatize government

Socialized costs, privatized profits.

Somebody needs to come up with a list of disasters caused by companies cutting costs; as part of an effort to counter the Freeper 'meme' about how private companies do things 'better' than government.

[sandnsea]

2. Security??

Isn't that why we just took over ticket screeners, security? So now we want to turn over airports to private companies that have already proven that they don't provide good security screenings?