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Guest Commentary June 13, 2002
Privatizing Air Controllers Is Step Towards Disaster
The Honorable Joe Baca
The administration decided last week to privatize our air traffic controllers by executive order. So why are we spending millions on transportation security, federalizing baggage screeners, if we are going to commit ourselves to unsafe air travel?
Our Nation's air travel problems were on the ground with the security screeners, not in the air with the traffic controllers. Why are we penalizing them? These men and women take pride every day in keeping their fellow citizens safe as they travel America's skies.
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On September 11, the controllers landed 5,000 planes in less than 2 hours without an operational error. My question is, Where is the problem? Why are we privatizing it?
The President's recent steps toward privatizing air controllers is a step towards disaster, and I state, towards disaster, literally.
On September 11, we quickly realized that using private companies to handle airport security was a mistake. We federalized airport security because private contractors could not do the job. Why would we lock the windows, only to open the doors to potential disaster?
Privatizing has proven to be a mistake in most prominent nations. I say this is wrong. Let us not privatize our system. Let us allow the controllers to do the job, to keep our airlines safe.
Joe Baca, a Democrat, represents the 42nd Congressional District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives. The above commentary has been adapted from a speech Rep. Baca delivered on the floor of the House, June 11, 2002. To contact him, Click Here.
The above column has been distributed by PoliticsOL.com.
