In my family, you don’t talk politics, especially over a nice Christmas dinner. The ensuing argument, fists pounding on tables, and loud angry voices would definitely kill the Christmas spirit. (Did I mention we’re German?)
But it seems such conversations are unavoidable of late in aviation.
In one month’s time, we’ve seen the following:
Yes to knives. Oops. No. Wait a minute. We changed our minds
Once in awhile, governmental agencies adopt policies that are logical, based in fact and research, and meant to truly make a difference. This is not what happened here. In March, the FAA said it would allow knives with blades shorter than 2.36 inches, golf clubs, hockey sticks and more on planes.
Then in April, like a wishy-washy woman unable to make up her mind, the TSA pushed the April 25th start date for this policy to an unspecified date in the future "in order to accommodate further input from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee."
To Furlough or Not to Furlough is No Longer the Question
Also this month, the FAA announced it had no choice but to furlough 47,000 agency employees, including nearly 15,000 air traffic controllers. It was all part of an effort to save $600 million annually.
That furlough lasted about a week. As flight delays piled up (on-time performance of airlines dropped 9 percentage points and thousands of flights were delayed), the ire of the traveling public grew. Not only that but the predicted savings just wasn’t there as on-duty air traffic controllers worked overtime to meet demand. At this point Congress approved legislation to put furloughed controllers back on the job.
What about those air traffic control towers?
What about them? Though new legislation untangled the closure mess involving 149 small airport traffic-control towers, there is still talk and concern about what will happen by the end of the fiscal year. Will we see a reversal on this too?
Whatever side of the political fence you lean on, it’s hard not to look at the happenings on Capitol Hill, scratch your head and wonder: Has everyone taken leave of their senses?
It’s time to talk politics. It’s time to make sure your voice is heard (wherever you stand with your beliefs). It appears the folks in Washington need some help making up their mind. And remember, it’s OK to do this as long as you are not sitting down to Christmas dinner at my parent’s house.
