Airport Fight Shows Who Washington Works For

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) Last night the Senate passed the Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013, which would allow the Federal Aviation Administration to move money between accounts so it can stop furloughing air-traffic controllers. The House is expected to pass it today, and President Barack Obama will have little political option but to sign it. The ongoing mess of flight delays is about to end.

This episode shows whose problems Washington takes seriously. The FAA debacle is bad for the whole economy, but it particularly hurts people who fly a lot, who tend to be affluent. Members of Congress themselves also happen to fly a lot. As a result, we've gone from problem onset to legislative solution in about five days.

Meanwhile sequestration is forcing an 11 percent reduction in benefits to approximately 1.8 million long-term unemployed Americans. It has also led state and local housing agencies to stop issuing Section 8 housing vouchers to families on waiting lists. Congress has not rushed to fix those problems.

The FAA fix has been sold as an effort to ensure that sequestration does not interfere with "essential" government services. When lawmakers say "essential," they apparently mean "essential to people like me." ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-26/airport-fight-shows-who-washington-works-for.html

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Well, just as long as we can afford to give Israel those millions for missle defence,

that's all that really matters.

Pentagon seeks $220 million for Israel’s Iron Dome

US Missile Defense Agency also projects to request $510b. for Arrow 3, long-range missile interceptor and David's Sling.
http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Pentagon-seeks-220-million-for-Israels-Iron-Dome-system-310026

[SunSeeker]

10. And $80 million a year to maintain presidential libraries. nt

[bvar22]

2. The myth that our government is too monolithic, too large, too divided....

...to act quickly is complete BS.
Look how fast they can act when facing the slightest personal inconvenience.



In a stunning display of "Bi-Partisanship" rarely wittnessed in Washington,
Congress, The Senate, and the White House handed over a $TRILLION DOLLARS
No Strings Attached,
No Questions asked,
to Wall Street after receiving a 3 page extortion note threatening the Quarterly Profits
of their investment portfolios.
It took them less than a week.

Congress CAN strike Faster than a Rattlesnake when they want to,
and asking the 1% to pay their gambling debts is a great motivator.

[abelenkpe]

3. Depressing

If only the concerns of the poor, the needy and elderly were regarded as essential.

[City Lights]

4. Self-absorbed, greedy assholes.

typo edit

[Erose999]

5. Our local hate radio station has been running this as their "top story" for weeks. As if it their

listeners were people who traveled by air daily.

Me, I've never in my 32 years traveled by air, and might never.

[Lifelong Protester]

6. I thought I was the only one who thought this

when I saw the headline on the NYTimes.

This plan does nothing to make sure my students are all adequately served by Title I. (among many things we can see not being take care of as well as the flying public...)

[pansypoo53219]

7. meanwhile MORE IMPORTANT things cut by sequestration STILL GOES ON.

[KharmaTrain]

8. And Who Will Remember 18 Months From Now???

...these folks think you won't. There'll be so many more "outrages" and disconnects ahead as this dysfunctional legislative only answers to those who write the checks. My bets they're the folks who got on the phones this week...those who write the four and five figure checks...who get their calls answered or get the face time at the drinkie-drinkie parties. The poor "sucker" who relies on government assistance is invisible...their problems are outta sight outta mind...

[SunSeeker]

9. They made sure they do not feel the effects of their own austerity measures. nt