High above ports, another dispute about security rages ("Airlinegate"?)

[sabra]

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1141538434318090.xml&coll=1

High above ports, another dispute about security rages

While the Dubai debate rages, a plan to allow more foreign control of U.S. skies is shaping up as the next big fight between Bush and Congress


WASHINGTON -- The furor created by the sale of some U.S. port operations to a United Arab Emirates-owned company is not the only controversy over foreign ownership of sensitive American assets.

A White House plan to relax restrictions on foreign control of U.S. airlines is drawing protests from Republicans and Democrats who feel it could jeopardize America's security and economic interests.

"Allowing the daily operations of our airlines to be controlled by competing and potentially unfriendly foreign interests could significantly undermine our homeland security and result in the loss of U.S. jobs," warned Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd Dist.).

"This has a lot of correlation to the Dubai story," the South Jersey lawmaker said, referring to the pending hand-over of some operations at Port Newark and five other seaports to the UAE's Dubai Ports World.

[VegasWolf]

1. Bush, "Let's outsource our TSA to the Arabs! We can save 3,000

dollars a year!!!

[babylonsister]

2. Oh, this will go over well. What are they smokin'? nt

[movonne]

3. They don't care what we think anymore...abortion, ports, tax cuts,etc.

[central scrutinizer]

4. The Walmartization of everything

If you allow foreign state-owned and -subsidized enterprises to compete they will soon price all competition out of the market. Once the dust settles, then the prices can be jacked up. This is how Walmart destroys the local economies - they are so big they can run new stores at a loss for a few months while the local competitors can't do this. Once the local competitors go out of business, then the prices are ratcheted up and the cycle is repeated in some new locality.

[mumon]

5. Ummm....

Have you ever flown ANA? JAL? Thai Air? China Eastern Airlines?

I for one would love to see foreign airline access to the US. Beats US airline service any day of the week.