About air traffic controllers- a heads up

[underpants]

Last night NBC had a story on (only video here)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/
about how air traffic controllers MAY have blamed near accidents on pilots to cover for their negligence, laziness, or even maybe their near sabotage (that was the clear gist of the story).

That seemed odd to me that such a story -WITH anti-controller whistleblower- would pop up the same day that I happened upon this

To make your flights even more enjoyable this summer, consider this interesting incentive system described by Lott: "To receive disability benefits due to job-related stress, air traffic controllers must present a well-documented stressful incident -- a collision or close call -- that has caused a deterioration in their performance. Unsurprisingly, when it became easier to file for disability, flights suddenly started experiencing more 'close calls.'"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20070704/cm_ucac/studiesshowfelonssmarterthanliberals
Ann Coulter helping John Lott sell some, ANY, copies of his "Freedomnomics" (psst he is currently suing the writers of "Freakonomics" for pointing out how full of it he is)

Anyway that seems like quite the coincidence but then history (as follows) tells that for some reason I have been unable to determine the Republicans absolutely HATE air traffic controllers.

Of course, there could be nothing here (the NBC story could be accurate or a single isolated string of incidents) but it is worth keeping your eye on it.

Air Traffic Controllers React to Dress Code
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11596252
Morning Edition, June 29, 2007 · Air traffic controllers don't like a government dress code. It bans shorts, jeans, T-shirts, and halter tops. But some noticed that the regulations did not specifically ban men from wearing dresses. So, as a form of protest, they're doing that. The next time your plane lands it may follow directions from a guy decked out in the latest Ann Taylor summer style.

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/lorain/118301967881420.xml&coll=2
"In light of all the problems facing controllers and the FAA, it seems silly that the agency has become the fashion police," said Melissa Ott, union spokeswoman for workers at the Cleveland Air Route Control Center in Oberlin.


House panel OKs new air controller talks
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_6253752
Article Launched: 06/28/2007 05:26:31 PM PDT
WASHINGTON—The House transportation committee voted Thursday to force the Bush administration to reopen contract talks with air traffic controllers.
Shortly after the vote to send the measure to the full House, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said she would recommend that President Bush veto any bill with such a provision.

And of course Reagan not only firing 11,000 striking controllers but banning them for life (over turned in 1993)
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/reagan.years/whitehouse/airtraffic.html

[babylonsister]

1. That was frightening; that FAA whistleblower was/is spooked. nt