Congress leaves town without reopening the FAA

[ej510]

Source: Daily Kos



That's 4,000 FAA employees who will continue to be furloughed, 40 safety inspectors who will continue to work unpaid, 70,000 construction workers who will be out of a paycheck, and critical construction projects across the country that will go unfinished for at least a month and might not be finished before winter hits. It's people like Mike MacDonald, a regional vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and a furloughed FAA engineer himself who told me:

Through no fault of our own, we are pawns in this process. That’s so frustrating. I’m typical, I’m a middle-aged guy, I have a mortgage, two kids in college, I have car loans—it’s very, very scary. And it’s over political ideology.

Now, it's also over Eric Cantor deciding thousands of people's jobs weren't worth Congress staying in session an extra day or two.

Read more: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/01/1001957/-Congress-leaves-town-without-reopeningtheFAA?via=blog_1

[aquart]

1. I don't like Eric Cantor.

And I blame his mother.

[dgibby]

2. And they're going to be out for 5 weeks.

Republicans don't give a rat's ass about the citizens of this country.

[libmom74]

3. Why do we continue to allow this?

I'm asking this seriously. Why are we allowing this? They are supposed to work for us.

[cyberpj]

20. Because a majority of us aren't smart enough to vote out stupid &/or greedy incumbents

during elections. We could be creating our own term limits but way too many of these old boys just keep getting re-elected, year after year after year after year.......

The US Congress should be comprised of people and ethnicities in percentages that reflect our population. Not wealthy, pasty-faced, bloated white men that lie to their consituents in order to stay on corporate teats.

[tblue37]

22. Even when a majority DO vote against the Republicans, hackable

electronic voting machines ensure that enough of those votes are either uncounted or actually counted for the Republicans to cause the Democrat to lose the election.

[cyberpj]

24. Agreed. And add to that the rules and tactics employed to keep Dem voters from voting at all. nt

[Posteritatis]

23. Good question; why are you? (nt)

[BNJMN]

27. You do realise they need to at least visit the disrict they claim to represent, right?

I mean, just to make it look legit.
And to keep up on 'summer reading'.
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/News_August_Recess.htm

[Plucketeer]

4. This CAN'T BE mere oversight!

This has an underlying message to it. This is "Reagan returns from the grave - the Encore". I hope this permeates society enough to have a real "Throw the Bums Out!" effect come 2012.

[bloomington-lib]

5. I've been saying this a lot lately but people need to stop voting Republican

With as many people they've pissed off, I'm not sure why 80% of the country isn't solid Dem...or at least voting for the lesser of two evils.

[ej510]

6. Repuke or corporate dem. Neither should have a pressence in congress.

[Drahthaardogs]

7. THIS THIS is why we lose.

It was like the last threat of a shutdown. Obama assures the country the airports stay open, the social security checks get cut, etc. We have people working for FREE! This is why we get our asses handed to us like yesterday. If someone, anyone would say screw it. You shut em down, you shut IT down, we would win a little more. I wish the workers would go home and the planes could not fly. I wish we would have let the government shut down for a week, and no SS checks went out, no flights, no ports, etc. We make it EASY to hate our government. We need to show them WHAT the government does for them.

[malletgirl02]

25. Air Safety inspectors

The Air safety inspectors in addition to working for free which if would happen in the private sector would be a huge labor violations, have to pay their own work travel expenses on their personal credit cards.

[Plucketeer]

8. I say.....

if there's so much as ONE INCIDENT where someone's injured or killed in US Aviation while these idiots have left it hanging - they should be charged with MANSLAUGHTER at the very least. Hell, if they can throw a drunk driver in jail for causing death or injury - what's the difference if it happens thru Cantor's negligence???

[burrowowl]

10. Amen to that!

[burrowowl]

9. K&R!!!!!

GOD DMN THE RETHUGS!

And they get a 5 week vacation like the Europeans!

[dgibby]

11. I wish the unions would strike because of this.

Shut down all flights. Make those assholes walk back to Washington.

[Devil_Fish]

12. +1Million.

[libmom74]

21. Exactly. But not only that,

the construction workers and FAA workers need to make it painful for everyone so that the media can not ignore them. Shut down the airports, shut down the freeways (park heavy equipment/disable it) on every major freeway into every capitol creating massive gridlock until they get paid and Congress does it fucking job.

[madrchsod]

13. there`s more than 70,000 really fucking pissed off construction workers

at least 2 -3 people who support those construction workers who may be laid off or reduced hours.

throw in their families and others who would have gained from the construction workers wages.

is there any wonder why people are fucking pissed off in this nation?

[dgibby]

14. Can't you just hear it now?

The repubs will be blaming the Dems for losing more jobs.

[qanda]

15. I spoke to someone who works pretty high up in the FAA

They said that if this goes to a certain date (can't remember when) there will be a mandatory RIF (reduction in force) and they will have to make the cuts across the board and not just those who are furloughed.

[former9thward]

16. Not sure why this is Cantor's issue.

The House has passed a FAA funding bill. The Senate has not acted on it. Why isn't this a issue for Reid?

[groundloop]

18. The House bill was anti-union and had some other right wing agenda

Among other things the House bill sought to kill a ruling by the National Mediation Board which was favorable to unions, and to shut off airport funding in the home states of Harry Reid and Max Baucus. Orin Hatch is behind a lot of it, and I've read elsewhere that James Inhofe has something to do with it also (he's the one that landed a private plane on a closed runway, scared the shit out of workers on the runway, and is pissed at the FAA for holding him accountable for his actions).

I found this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/congress-urged-to-tackle-faa-funding-bill-before-recess/2011/08/01/gIQAcvJIoI_story.html

[former9thward]

19. That does not explain why the Senate has not acted on it.

They could have made an amendment and took that language out. Then the bill is sent to conference to work out the differences. That is done with almost every bill. Reid has the responsibility here.

[joeglow3]

29. This happens every day

The Senate passes their own bill, it goes into conference and an compromise is agreed to. I don't like the House's bill, but it is up to the Senate to do their part.

[russspeakeasy]

17. Jesus Christ ! Canada, please adopt us.

[IrishBuckeye]

26. Congress is the responsible party if any air incidents happen!

Experts are know saying inspections of repairs might be effect by all this. All these fucking clowns (in Congress) should be fired! How dare they risk American lives! Delay your fucking vacations assholes!

[indypaul]

28. Are the pitchforks far behind? n/t