Obama: Flight delay fix a 'Band-Aid'

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By JOSH LEDERMAN

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says the congressional fix for widespread flight delays is an irresponsible way to govern, but he's prepared to sign the legislation that lawmakers fast-tracked.

He says the bipartisan bill to end furloughs of air traffic controllers is a "Band-Aid" solution rather than a lasting answer to this year's $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester.

The cuts have affected all federal agencies, and flight delays last week left thousands of travelers frustrated and furious and Congress feeling pressured to respond.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Saturday that it had suspended all employee furloughs and that air traffic facilities would begin returning to regular staffing levels over the next 24 hours.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130427/DA5U0NR84.html

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This April 23, 2013 file photo shows a United Airlines jet departing in view of the air traffic control tower at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. Congress easily approved legislation Friday ending furloughs of air traffic controllers that have delayed hundreds of flights daily, infuriating travelers and causing political headaches for lawmakers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

[YOHABLO]

1. The Sequester that affects the rich .. oh no, not for them. Obama talks the talk ...>

but he refuses to walk the walk. All rhetoric.

[Sunlei]

3. what would you have done if you were president?

[PSPS]

4. You didn't ask me, but I would have vetoed it.

It might have been overridden, but it would have sent the appropriate message: "I won't be a part of protecting the privileged few at the expense of the needy many." But, no. "Sequester austerity" mustn't inconvenience members of congress or their financiers in the 1%.

[Sunlei]

5. The delays were very serious. Costs businesses a lot. Plus could have cost an air disaster.

Under staffed and over worked in the towers, not good.

[PSPS]

7. Everything connected with "sequester austerity" is "very serious" and potentially disastrous.

This was singled out merely because it inconvenienced the 1%.

[Sunlei]

6. Though I would like it if the President was a bit more of a hardass towards the stupid Rs :)

[jmowreader]

8. Air safety is an issue that affects EVERYONE

Because everyone either flies in someone's airplane, benefits from freight carried in one or pays taxes to scrape them up after they go down due to lack of government oversight over their maintenance or the airspace they are in.

[PSPS]

9. "Air safety" has nothing to do with it.

"Air safety" was never in jeopardy. The "sequester austerity" was only responsible for some flight delays which, of course, the 1% simply cannot tolerate.

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. Call their bluff

All or nothing.

Sometimes you have to burn the village to save it.

[Sunlei]

2. This needed to be fixed before they had an air disaster.

[OKNancy]

11. For those who say flying is just for the rich, must not have flown in the last 20 years.

In our family, we have had one wedding and two funerals in the last four years. Believe me, you see all kinds of people on airplanes.
Every income level it looks like to me.
FWIW, the 1% don't even fly commercial. They have private jets or fly in a "jet pool".

The way I look at it, this bill is the first at chipping away at the sequester. It may not be the most advantageous to the needy, but as I see it, it is the first step to restoring funds. Oh, and since I'll be flying to see my daughter this July, I'm glad I'll be a little more safe in the air.

[Rob H.]

17. Yep

I fly twice a year to see my parents (they're in Montana and I'm in Tennessee) and I'm far from well-off. I just buy my tickets 3+ months in advance to get a decent price and I suspect a lot of the people flying with me do the same thing, since the recent flights I've taken have been at least half full when I buy my tickets, myself. I'll be visiting them next month and am glad the air traffic controllers will be back on the job, too.

[former9thward]

18. The bill did not restore any spending.

It just ordered the FAA to make their cuts elsewhere in the budget.

[GeorgeGist]

12. Irresponsible?

Then show us!

[sendero]

13. Why not let your actions....

.. match your rhetoric just this once? Veto the damn bill.

[DallasNE]

15. The Bill Passes Both Branches Of Congress

With large enough margins to override a veto so the veto would only be a symbolic gesture.

[sendero]

16. Sure..

... but procedurally don't they have to take another vote?

Anything to shame the bastards is fine with me.

[DallasNE]

14. Congressional Whack-A-Mole Over Sequester Has Begun

The Sequester specifies that cuts must be across the board. For the FAA that meant not only furloughs for air traffic controllers but also infrastructure spending cuts at airports. What the Band-Aid bill does is to impose another round of cuts for airport improvements to pay for the air traffic controllers and 2-3 years down the road the problem resulting from they infrastructure improvement delays will be obvious. That is what happens when you rob from Peter to pay Paul. Now watch Congress go into knee-jerk response mode, also known as whack-a-mole, as others start squeaking like travelers have done here. It would be funny if it were not so pathetic.

[Thumper79]

19. Apparently, Pres. Obama is part of the problem

Pres. Obama completely caves to repugs. He doesn't have to sign any legislation. Senate votes for it unanimously. They are all out for themselves. They don't want to be inconvenienced. Now Democrats are discussing how to get themselves and their aides from having to be covered by Obamacare. Disgusting. It's not always the repugs.