White House to Propose FAA Cuts - WSJ

[question everything]

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB107524938143813537,00.html

By STEPHEN POWER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration plans to propose a 16% cut in spending on air-traffic-control equipment and facilities, saving nearly half a billion dollars a year but postponing or scaling back projects aimed at making air travel more efficient.

The proposed $471 million cut in the Federal Aviation Administration's facilities and equipment budget, currently at a level of $2.9 billion, comes partly in response to government audits critical of the agency's spending habits, according to people familiar with the matter. Just like the industry it regulates, the FAA is under pressure to rein in spending, which has expanded 70% since 1996 to $14 billion this year. The increase has been fueled partly by the agency's "lack of basic contract oversight," the Department of Transportation's inspector general told Congress in October.

(snip)

It isn't clear which FAA programs would be targeted under Mr. Bush's proposed reductions. The FAA's facilities and equipment budget typically pays for projects to modernize the agency's vast network of radars, navigation and communications equipment. A proposal to cut spending on those projects during the next fiscal year that begins in October wouldn't immediately have an impact at airports that are experiencing delays, such as Chicago's O'Hare International. The problems identified at O'Hare -- whose percentage of on-time flights has fallen below 60% in recent months -- include alleged overscheduling of flights by major airlines there and, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a shortage of controllers needed to handle planes.

Still, the size of the proposed cuts is likely to face stiff resistance in Congress, which recently approved legislation that authorizes the FAA to spend $2.9 billion during the 2005 fiscal year. The proposal also comes as the administration is trying to draw attention to its efforts to prevent the kind of gridlock that disrupted air travel before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Last week, the administration took the unusual step of announcing that it had secured agreements from UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and AMR Corp.'s American Airlines to reduce their flight schedules at O'Hare during the busiest hours of the day by 5%.

(snip)

[KDLarsen]

1. Christ...

.. the only good thing this will do, is to bring more pilots, ATCO's, F/A's and other airline related staff over to the Democratic side.

I mean, an ATCO handles more lives every day than a surgeon does his entire life, yet he's paid incredibly low wages - and now it appears that they won't get the latest up-to-date equipment to do it with. So next time a hijacking takes place in the US (ie. when the Democrats have a higher rating than *), they won't be able to track it?

[ewagner]

2. "lack of basic contract oversight,"

You mean, something like Haliburton, right?

The conservatives have wanted to privatize the FAA ever since the days of Reagan. Here we go...they're off and running.

[leftchick]

7. wasn't that in the omnibus spending bill just passed?

Wasn't there something in there about privatizing air traffic control?

[Timefortruth]

3. More proof that they don't give a s**t about homeland security.

Pigs.

[indepat]

5. Or about air safety?

[demnan]

4. I'm an FAA contractor about to be laid off

Thanks, this was just what I needed this morning. :cry:

Guess I'll have to go work for the Defense Department again.

[Benhurst]

6. It's time to ...

WAKE UP, AMERICA!

The Bush* Crime Family doesn't give a damn about this country or its citizens.