Comments on: Dear FAA: Is the Administrator In Please?

By: Mike Bennett

Mike Bennett — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:14:18 +0000

“Maybe that transparency memo didn’t make it over from the White House”
I don’t think the White House got the memo.

By: Robert Mark

Robert Mark — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:37:23 +0000

I think I’ve been gone from FAA too long. I seem to have lost way too much of the healthy skepticism I used to have. That has obviously been a mistake. Thanks for pointing that out Paul.

I am going to go back and reread some of the Follies and suggest our readers do as well.

That’s http://www.faafollies.com folks.

By: Paul Cox

Paul Cox — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:39:24 +0000

I also thought the public affairs folks at FAA had more integrity than this.

Wow… Rob, there’s about two or three years’ worth of FAA Follies posts that you should probably read through!

The reality is that over the past few years, the FAA’s PR people have proven themselves to be utterly without integrity. They have been caught lying time and again to the media, and we’ve documented that stuff over and over on the Follies.

The biggest lie, of course, from a controllers’ point of view is in referring to the present work rules as a “contract”. Sorry, but in no way is a unilaterally imposed set of work rules a “contract”; a contract is something both sides agree to.

But it goes beyond changing the basic meaning of a word. We’ve documented them lying about all kinds of things. The reality is that the FAA, like any large company or government agency (or like a large ship), takes a while to change direction.

It took the Bush Administration several years to get the FAA changed into what it is now; it’ll take years for the Obama-appointed folks to get it turned back around.

By: Robert Mark

Robert Mark — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:29:19 +0000

Jeff and all:

You’re right. I should really know better than to be surprised, but this time around, with a new administrator, I guess I just thought maybe we had a chance.

So tell me what the controllers are going to be thinking about now when they come back to the bargaining table? I can’t imagine this is going to make anyone feel none to warm and fuzzy.

Thanks for your note my friend.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 21:47:39 +0000

Mr. Mark, I’m suprised this shocks you. It certainly doesn’t shock any of the current controller work force. The amount of smoke blown up our behinds for the last few years is testament to this behavior. Head over to faafollies.com if you’d like to be educated. Thanks

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:32:20 +0000

Does this really surprise anyone?? Look at who is really calling the shots here. Good luck with that

By: John J. Tormey III, Esq.

John J. Tormey III, Esq. — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:53:42 +0000

SSDD.
We’re going in.
John J. Tormey III, Esq.
Quiet Rockland

By: Jim

Jim — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:12:56 +0000

The spin machine and lying to the public is part of the ingrained culture at FAA HQ’s. It will take more than the appointment of a new administrator to change that.