Outcry raised over bill to privatize air traffic control at Boeing Field

[flamingyouth]

(Here's an interesting bit of news that is pretty under the radar - bad pun, sorry)

King County officials and business users of Boeing Field have raised an alarm about a congressional bill that would require replacing federal air traffic controllers at the busy airport with contract workers, possibly compromising safety and service.

Partly because of its proximity to downtown Seattle, the county-owned airport has the 42nd-busiest tower in the country. The proposed legislation, sought by the Bush administration as a cost-cutting measure, would require privatization of air traffic control operations at Boeing Field and 68 other U.S. airports with visual-flight-rule control towers.

"It could cause delays into and out of Boeing Field, and it could delay our cargo carriers," airport manager Bob Burke said yesterday. "It could affect The Boeing Co.'s operations. It could make (takeoffs and landings) more restrictive."

County officials said the metropolitan Seattle airspace is among the most complicated in the nation because of Boeing Field's proximity to Sea-Tac Airport as well as seven smaller airports in the region.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/140420_boeingfield19.html

[tsipple]

1. Blatant Plug for "Pilots for Dean"

Air traffic control privatization is a huge issue right now among pilots and controllers alike. Pilots do like federal air traffic control.

[MercutioATC]

5. ...and federal air traffic controllers like pilots! Thanks, tsipple.

.

[Eloriel]

6. Cool. then I presume you've got the campaign already on it

Right?

Eloriel

[Eat_The_Rich]

2. If You Want A Good Source Of Information On This Issue

go to http://www.aopa.org They are lobbying in Washingrad against privatization. You may have to dig a little to find the information. There actually are organizations that lobby on behalf of the people. This is one of them. I am also a member.

[Tempest]

3. Did you notice how the Repugs got their airports removed from the list?

From the article:

A House-Senate conference committee extensively revised it -- after the committee chairman, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, got airports in Anchorage and Juneau removed from the list of what had been 71 airports proposed for privatization.

[flamingyouth]

4. Yes, I did

But clearly, endangering the lives of latte-swilling liberals in Seattle is high on the administration's list.