The Main Bang

A Fate Worse Than Death, Part Two

After Linda Peterson took her own life, the facility came apart.  Many of Linda’s co-workers were witnesses in her EEO case and were intimately familiar with what had happened over the years. 

Linda's co-workers and friends were on the one hand livid over the fact that the FAA had done nothing to stop the harassment, and on the other racked with guilt, as anyone in their situation would be. 

You can imagine the thoughts...that maybe if some of them had stood up to the harassment they received from the same supervisor, Linda might still be alive.  That maybe if they had come forward, or said something, or done something...   It was awful.  The supervisor was quietly moved out of the tower and booted upstairs, to the Western Pacific Regional Office in Southern California.

It was about one year later that the official decision in this case came down, and it seemed that our sister could finally rest in peace.  Her allegations were thoroughly and impartially investigated, she was vindicated, the supervisor was found to be not credible, the FAA was chastised for its lack of action to fix the working environment, and now maybe things could move forward. 

At this point, you would expect the FAA to respect the rule of law and the memory of their dead employee.  At this point you would expect the agency to show a modicum of integrity, a shred of decency, a micron of compassion.  You would be wrong.

Shortly after the decision came out, the FAA sprang into action.  NATCA Western Pacific Regional Vice President Bob Marks was contacted and told that the supervisor involved in Linda's harassment was going back to Phoenix Tower, to his original position, in order to show support for him.  Bob was further told that it was "a Headquarters decision," and that no one could do anything about it.  Bob and other NATCA activists went ballistic at this possibility.  They raised the ante, fought the agency at every turn, and with the permission of Linda's family they prepared to go public to the media concerning the story.  The FAA relented, and the offending supervisor was left in LA. 

Remember the part about the FAA having to prove they shouldn’t be held liable?   They swung into action there, too, and squirmed and wiggled this way and that to avoid their responsibilities. 

Your tax dollars went to pay for an FAA contracted forensic psychologist whose SOLE job was to engage in character assassination of a woman who was no longer alive to defend herself.  His job?  Smear Linda, and reduce the cash cost of damages. 

Linda’s father took her place in the case, and was subjected to having to hear this hired goon try and destroy any shred of dignity his late daughter had.  The FAA tried to evade responsibility by destroying her in front of her still grieving father. 

What kind of human beings are these?  This story should once and for all change the way we look at those currently in leadership at the FAA.  Their efforts failed---AGAIN.  They appealed it and failed---AGAIN.  Eventually and finally, the FAA Administrator's team gave up on their efforts to ensure Linda’s loved ones and co-workers suffered as much as possible.  Damages were assessed against the FAA which eventually reached into the low six figures.   

The supervisor never did return to the tower as originally threatened, and remained at the Regional Office in Los Angeles.  This was a man who lied under oath and manipulated the Training Order in order to harass and intimidate a subordinate woman...some say to death.

His feelings and biases about women in the workplace are now part of the official record in this case.  The FAA can no longer claim innocence or ignorance.  The FAA cannot close ranks around their despicable lout.  The FAA is on full, complete written notice about this guy.  They paid cash money, big time, to try and wash his stain out of their agency.   

Amazing, isn't it?  The FAA fires twelve of us for not checking a box on a form.  They claimed in court that this heinous form-filling act was dishonesty, which they said strikes so severely at the heart of the employer-employee relationship that termination is the only option.

And yet---here you have a supervisor lie under oath, call women terrible names, contribute to a culture and a working environment that was brutal, unlawful and in retrospect may have contributed to a poor woman's demise, and he gets booted upstairs to the Regional Office in LA.  He skates away, scot-free.

Last month, NATCA at Phoenix Tower had occasion to write their Facility Manager concerning Mr. Gilding, and their letter reads in pertinent part:

"Before Mr. Gilding was given a job in the Western-Pacific Region (the memorandum informing the bargaining unit of this action was dated August 27, 2003), NATCA had several grievances against Mr. Gilding for creating a hostile work environment at PHX.

Just in case you and the FAA need a refresher course in Mr. Gilding’s history of superior abuse, I have attached several documents (not everything because it would be entirely too large)including the decisions against the Agency for which Mr. Gilding was acting. I will also include in the following paragraphs some additional information concerning Mr. Gildings conduct while a supervisor at PHX.

On January 18, 2000 a bargaining unit employee filed a formal EEO complaint against Mr. Gilding for harassment and discrimination.

On February 23, 2003 Mr. Gilding had a meeting with a bargaining unit employee concerning possible discipline. At this meeting Mr. Gilding called another supervisor into the meeting to act as a witness while not affording the employee any type of representation. This was a violation of the employee’s rights.  Less than a week before this same employee had filed an informal grievance with the assistant manager for operations at PHX accusing Mr. Gilding of harassing the employee.

A grievance was filed on February 27, 2003 which showed Mr. Gilding was discriminating against a Hispanic male and a Black male while not treating his “buddy” White male the same.

In a letter given to you by NATCA, the following information was given to you due to the fact Mr. Gilding continues to fail to adhere to his responsibilities and abuse his authority as a supervisor and continues to harass, intimidate, discriminate, and treat employees at Phoenix Tower unfairly.

1) August 1999, decertification of Linda Peterson leads to an EEO complaint being filed by Ms. Peterson against Mr. Gilding
2) November 1999, Mr. Gilding watches an operational error occur without taking action
3) June 2000, Mr. Gilding attempts to charge an individual with 8 hours of AWOL
4) December 2000, Mr. Gilding coordinates, then covers up an operational error requiring a hotline call
5) June 2001, Mr. Gilding made threatening remarks towards a potential witness in the pending Peterson EEO case [for which Mr. Gilding did not receive the proper penalty under the Conduct and Discipline Order—which states, #52 Reprisal or retaliation action against a complaint, representative, witness or other person involved in an EEO investigation, proceeding,  hearing or other agency process (e.g. Accountability Board). First offense by a supervisor: 5-30 day suspension to downgrade and/or removal from supervisory position.
6) Summer 2001, several issues with Mr. Gilding not addressing requests in a timely manner on the Phoenix Tower daily worksheets and then when instructed by you to address the requests he is suppose to address, he maliciously denies all requests no matter their merit 
7) January 2002, employee request to be removed from Mr. Gilding’s crew due to harassment by Mr. Gilding
8) July 2002, Mr. Gilding meets with two employees to explain why he is not in the tower cab very often
9) July 2002, Mr. Gilding attempts to blame a controller for a pilot deviation
10) August 2002, Mr. Gilding  is improperly assigning  CIC duties
11) August 2002, Mr. Gilding, purposely, is illegally recording conversations in the tower cab utilizing the “RB” button [Per the Conduct and Discipline Order 215b. FAA employees, in the conduct of their official duties, may not use secret recording or monitoring equipment of any kind or aid in or ignore the improper use of such equipment.] 
12) August 2002, Mr. Gilding discriminates against two employees by wanting the full punishment for them while trying to get his “buddy” out of trouble when all three employees were accused of leaving the facility early
13) January 2003, Mr. Gilding has a meeting with his crew intimidating them and ultimately causes the flow requested to have to be changed whenever he is on duty
14) February 2003, CIC issues again with Mr. Gilding
15) February 2003, Mr. Gilding attempts to neglect his supervisory  responsibilities by having a CPC call in overtime
16) February 2003, Discriminates and abuses his authority against an employee in the assignment of work
17) February 2003, Mr. Gilding lectures a supervisor in the ways in which Mr. Gilding wants the operation handled and employees treated [the supervisor disagrees vehemently with Mr. Gilding]
18) April 2003, Mr. Gilding informs his crew he is going to be recording conversations in the cab [in direct violation of laws, regulations, rules and/or the Conduct and Discipline Order].

On November 4, 2004 an EEOC Administrative Judge found the Agency (through Mr. Gilding’s actions) was guilty of discrimination on the basis of gender.

On September 21, 2005 the EEO Commission upheld the Administrative Judge’s decision and further stated, “The agency will consider taking disciplinary action against the supervisor for his conduct which was found to be discriminatory. The agency shall report this decision. If the agency decides to take disciplinary action, it shall identify the action taken. If the agency decides not to take disciplinary action, it shall set forth the reason(s) for its decision not to impose discipline.”

“Commission regulations state that each agency shall take appropriate disciplinary action against employees who engage in discriminatory practices.” What actions were taken against Mr. Gilding?

In addition to these past grievances, one only needs to talk to the minorities who are or who were at PHX during Mr. Gilding’s tenure as a supervisor to realize the extent of his discrimination, harassment and intimidation. An individual who was a supervisor during the same time period relayed a story of how Mr. Gilding was leaving for vacation and pointed to three individuals on the schedule and told that supervisor not to approved anything for those “fu*kheads.”

And why did Phoenix NATCA have occasion to write their Facility Manager last month? 

Because the FAA had just announced a new Assistant Manager for Training at Phoenix Tower/TRACON:  John Gilding. 

Yes, you read that right:  The man who used the Training Order to harass a subordinate, the supervisor with the 18-plus complaints against him, the supervisor the agency paid big money to cover up, is now in charge of all training in Phoenix.  He was quietly moved back to the Phoenix area just a few weeks ago, where he maintained the house he never sold.  He must have known he was eventually coming back.   

Resist the urge to vomit, and instead email the FAA Administrator at

marion.blakey@faa.gov

and weigh in on her tacit approval of this grossly inappropriate personnel move...the promotion of this miscreant, and his transfer back...to the scene of the crime.

EPILOGUE:

New Assistant Manager for Training Gilding has already participated in at least one training review board.  The developmental controller is a  military veteran and a new hire, straight into Phoenix, and was struggling on Clearance Delivery.  (By the way, Phoenix is way too busy for a new hire, and the agency is idiotic beyond belief to put this kid in one of the busiest air traffic control towers in the world.) 

Mr. Gilding asked the young man what he thought his problem was.  The trainee replied that he thought he was transposing call signs.

Mr. Gilding then shocked everyone in the room by saying words to the effect of, "Do you know you can kill hundreds of people by transposing call signs?  You can kill people."  His manner was reminiscent to those who saw it...reminiscent of the last time John Gilding had supervised others in Phoenix. 

The developmental was shaken, his confidence shattered.  He is now exploring other employment opportunities.  He isn't sure he wants to continue in the FAA as an air traffic controller. 

A Fate Worse Than Death, Part One

Stories abound of FAA mismanagement and incompetence, and any one of us can get tunnel vision under the kind of working environment the FAA has fostered under the lack-of-leadership and responsibility of one Marion C. Blakey.

I cannot possibly catalog all the wrongdoing for you as I only have a couple decades left on this earth, but I have found a calling in reporting to you those I can.  Admittedly, some of the stories are more dramatic than others.  Some of the stories make better tales than others.  And some of the stories...well, they just hurt worse than others. 

This is one of those stories.  It will be told in two parts, today and tomorrow.  After you read Part One, you are going to want to throw up.  I urge you instead to forward it to friends, neighbors and others who still think you have it made, who still think it's just about the contract, who still think it's the employee's fault.

Let us pull back for a moment and put the last few years in perspective not just from our working environment but from the way the FAA is treating human beings.  Real, live people with families, hopes, dreams, responsibilities, and in many cases children counting on us to make a living while providing the opportunity for a better life than we have. 

Under the current Administrator, just to tick off a few points:

--imposed work and pay rules under an ignorant misapplication of law and Congressional intent that are an insult to every air traffic controller in the country, a misapplication of law that a wide, bipartisan majority of the Congress voted against last year and is hell-bent on overturning this year.

--our jobs have been trivialized to the point that she compared us to Maytag repairmen, sitting around getting paid with nothing to do.  Marion Blakey has shown utter contempt for her workers in the press and in the Congress.

--academy pay was cut to less than $9 an hour, per diem payments (which let a person eat) were eliminated, and most travel expenses were placed on the backs of those least able to pay but most needed to give their all for this career.

--a dozen controllers were fired in the largest mass termination since the 1981 PATCO action.  Their  sin?  Not checking ONE box correctly on a confusing form with over a hundred questions.  And remember: this particular injustice was so grave, so egregious, so wrong, that when the FAA had finished putting on the finest case their money and lawyers could buy---

NATCA rested without calling a SINGLE witness or admitting a SINGLE piece of evidence.  NATCA was confident that the FAA's witnesses had not only perjured themselves, but made the union's case for them.  And when the smoke cleared, the arbitrator overturned the FAA's unjustified actions and put every single one of those men back to work with back pay. 

Every. 

Single. 

One. 

This was just before Christmas, 2005, and this righteous decision enabled our brethren to save homes, college educations, marriages, and have a well deserved but late Christmas.  They were able to pull their lives back from the brink, to yank victory from the abyss the agency had thrown them into.  After reading this story you will know---they were the lucky ones.  Other employees who were mistreated, harassed and mentally tortured by Marion Blakey's FAA were not so fortunate.  Their stories don't end so well. 

With this background in mind I want to refocus your attention on something that took place in Phoenix and ask your indulgence as I tell this story.  The story begins several years ago and will take me two days to tell, but the ending is ripped right out of current events.  What I am about to report as a journalist will be reconstructed, to the best of my ability, exactly as it was recorded in official EEOC decisions, and in communication with myself, former Western Pacific Regional Vice President Bob Marks, and members of the PHX and P50 (Phoenix TRACON) locals. 

NATCA Member Linda Peterson went to PHX Tower to train.  She was not a favorite of management.  She did check out at the facility, but was then subjected to scrutiny beyond belief by a supervisor named John Gilding.  She filed an EEOC complaint.  She was decertified on the basis of an alleged communication that took place which Supervisor John Gilding "heard."

Other witnesses said the communication was fine, but this particular supervisor decertified a qualified, competent controller WITHOUT LISTENING TO THE RECORDING OR EVER HEARING THE COMMUNICATION FIRSTHAND.

The supervisor then decided to take it a step further.  An impromptu quiz was administered to her.  I never had an impromptu quiz given to me in 29 years of federal service, and I never heard of one being given, or knew of someone who took one.  From the decision:

--Complainant provided evidence during the hearing which established that Mr. Gilding did not administer the impromptu verbal quiz to any male controllers during the relevant time period (July 1999).  I find that this evidence clearly demonstrates that Complainant was singled out and required to take the impromptu verbal quiz and that Mr. Gilding did not routinely utilize this method of ascertaining the knowledge base and skill level of his subordinates during the relevant time period.

--Complainant and various witnesses, all testified that they were not aware of any controller other than the Complainant who had been decertified based on a "non-operational" error.  I find that the Agency did not provide specific evidence to refute their testimony on this point.  I also find that this evidence supports the Complainant's testimony that she was singled out for harassment by Mr. Gilding.

--Complainant provided a significant amount of evidence which demonstrated that Mr. Gilding possessed a bias against women. 

--testified during the hearing that Mr. Gilding told them that, "women controllers do not move traffic well."

--testified that Mr. Gilding referred to Complainant as a *"b**ch" and a "c**t" during a meeting in August 1999.

Other quotes from the decision, that Mr. Gilding said in the presence of others:

"That's what the tower needs, another woman controller who can't do the job."

"She has so little self esteem in her appearance that she had to have her breasts enhanced..the only way she would succeed is because she is a woman with big breasts."

Now lets talk about credibility, and the obligation to be as truthful as possible at all times during an official investigation.  From the decision,

"Based on the demeanor of the witnesses during the hearing, I find that their testimony regarding Mr. Gilding's derogatory gender based statements are credible."

"In contrast, based on Mr. Gilding's testimony during cross examination and my observation of his demeanor, I do not find that his denials regarding the derogatory gender based statements are credible."

In the hearing, when Mr. Gilding was asked about the statements attributed to him by numerous witnesses, he was vague and evasive, and constantly answered he did not recall making the comments, or that he didn't know if it was possible or not he made them.  Remember the comments were all made between July and September of 1999.  Back to the decision:

"During the hearing Mr. Gilding's recollection of the events that occurred between July and September 1999 was excellent and he was able to provide detailed information regarding the specific reasons for Complainant's decertification and placement on remedial training. I do not find his testimony that he could not recall whether he made the above mentioned derogatory gender based statements about the complainant during the relevant time period are credible.  I further find that his reluctance to provide a definite "yes" or "no" response to questions about such statements further undermined his credibility."

So, Mr. Gilding's memory was perfect when it came to supporting his version of the story, but he suddenly suffered from amnesia when he was rightfully called out on the comments he made about Linda, and the names he called her.  The administrative law judge found him not credible.  In other words, he was lying under oath.

And the icing on the cake:

"I specifically find that Mr. Gilding made the above-mentioned derogatory gender based comments regarding the complainant.  I also find that these comments clearly demonstrate that Mr. Gilding possessed a bias against the Complainant because she is a woman.  Based on the preceding analysis, I find that Complainant has demonstrated a prima facie case of gender based harassment.  The Agency must now demonstrate that there is no basis to impose liability."

The EEOC  Administrative Law Judge and eventually the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Washington, DC, upheld the findings against all FAA appeals, and Marion Blakey finally dropped her objections.  Six figures were paid, the FAA was ordered to reconsider their decision not to discipline the supervisor, and that was that.

The EEOC Case Number is 350-2000-08328X, the Agency Case Number is DOT 6-00-6032.  The case decision was originally transmitted on January 29, 2004.  The FAA rejected the decision, and the EEOC then ordered the FAA to comply in September, 2005.  These are facts, and they are absolutely incontrovertible. 

What an amazing vindication!  Like our brothers in New York you would think, truly justice was served and the FAA would respect the rule of law and abide by this decision.  To quote from a February 10, 2003 reply to a Hotline call a full year before the decision, the Air Traffic Division Manager John Clancy said, "While we acknowledge we had differences, Ms. Peterson exercised her administrative options in accordance with law, rule, and regulation."  Harumph, Harumph.  What a load from that toad.  Yes, she did, John.  She took your punk-ass agency to court.  And those options resulted in a decision against the FAA.

Tragically, Linda was not able to celebrate this hard won victory.  You see, the working environment was so bad at the tower that two years earlier someone had defaced the obituary of Linda's mother that was posted in the facility.  How unspeakably cruel do you have to be to do that?

Additionally, someone had scrawled her operating initials on the inside of the tower elevator doors after she went forward bravely with her complaint, so that every time she went to work, they were staring back at her on the ride to the cab.  The FAA, of course, never removed the graffiti. 

Linda was a suffering soul, and after all the issues with fighting the FAA for years she succumbed to depression.  Linda had a bad day on January 12, 2003, and with the specter of a quick turnaround back to the midnight shift that evening, she left early.

Linda Peterson drove home, her mind no doubt racing.  She had heard nothing about her case, and every day at work she was probably forced to mentally relive the way the FAA had treated her. 

She arrived at her driveway just as she arrived at the end of her hope.  Linda Peterson drove up to her garage, raised the door, drove in, and closed it. 

She left her car running. 

Her housekeeper found her the next day. 

Tomorrow:  A Fate Worse Than Death, Part Two

Whoops, They Did It Again

Just a few days ago I alerted you to a disturbing FAA practice:  ignoring NTSB safety recommendations for twenty years or until somebody dies, whichever comes first. 

Ruh-Roh, Rastro.  They've done it again.

As I promised Ricky D in a previous blog, I am back to point you in the direction of the NTSB's findings regarding the crash of Comair 5191.

This article covers it nicely. 

Another Safety Board recommendation made almost twenty years ago.  Another case of FAA inaction.  Another airplane-full of fatalities. 

Your turn, Rick, oh Master of the hollow "Accountability" speech.  Who's getting fired?  Suspended?  Fined?  Caned?  Shat at?  Stoned?  Reprimanded?  Sternly spoken to?  Meekly reminded?

What's that you say?  Nobody at FAA is accountable?  Not a single name?

I thought so. 

Cake and punch for everybody!!!  We've made another one of our "FAA Flight Plan" goals:  Abject failure as a safety and regulatory agency. 

That trophy will go nicely in the case next to, "Ruined World's Greatest Air Traffic Control System" and "Winner:  Worse Morale Than Guantanamo."

Even More Posters We'd Like To See

I've been looking for a fun use for this picture for a couple of weeks, and in my terminal summer laziness this is the best I could come up with. 

Weird coincidences...this nine foot, 700 pound beast is a "bull" shark.  It was caught the first week of June, just a mile or two down the beach from Johnny "The Bull's" southern casita in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida.  The lady on the left with the camera is named Mandie CARR...no relation. And lastly...I know what it feels like to get a treble-hook to the snout.  No fun.

Please...do NOT tell my wife about this shark.  When we were buying my little piece of paradise I told her all the pretty fish stayed on the Gulf side and all the sharks stayed on the Atlantic side.   

Comment For New Hire Blog, Below

The comments on the blog, below, indicate a complete lack of knowledge concerning new hire pay in the FAA and at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.  Here's a quick take, but don't cut yourself short...read the blog, below, and the associated comments as well to get a full flavor for this discussion.  (Sorry about the three blogs in one day.  I was on a roll.)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think these kids down at the FAA Academy are even considered real FAA employees while at the Academy any more.  They are something like a temporary hire, made permanent at their first facility.  Their wage is just a hair over eight dollars an hour.  YES, I SAID EIGHT DOLLARS AN HOUR.  That's 1,280 dollars a month BEFORE TAXES...or roughly what I spilled in Dr. Pepper on my way to the golf course this morning. 

In a 25% tax bracket they are taking home $480 every two weeks if they elect no health insurance and no TSP and no benefits that cost anything.  $240 dollars A WEEK.  NO insurance for themselves, their spouses or their children.  No life insurance, either.  NO HEALTH INSURANCE AND NO SELF-FUNDED RETIREMENT----and they are only clearing $480 EVERY TWO WEEKS.  That's $240 dollars a week.

Out of $240 a week comes food, clothing, shelter, gas, insurance, car payment, household goods, formula, diapers, study materials, toiletries, and various and sundry other items.

And out of that $480 every two weeks they are expected to maintain TWO HOUSEHOLDS.  What, did you think they sold everything and moved to Oklahoma City in boxes the day the mighty FAA called?  Don't be naive, 'cause they sure aren't.  They are holding their old residence, in case they fail or quit or get fired.  So they are trying to make ends meet at both ends.  Many of them have taken second jobs.  One is a stripper.  Several qualify for, and are receiving, food stamps and other government assistance for the poor.

What Marion Blakey has done to new hire pay is a crime.  She has completely disrespected these professionals' knowledge, skills, abilities, and potential.  She is paying them less than an FAA janitor.  She should be profoundly ashamed of her actions.  I know I am. 

FAA Gives The Sausage To New Students

Word from my boots on the ground in Oklahoma City has the FAA buying pizza for the students at the FAA Academy last night.  I hear this came as a surprise to the students, who nonetheless enjoyed the free food.  On their salaries many of them were getting sick of Ramen noodles with hot water from the the bathroom sink for dinner. 

The FAA's transparent effort is no doubt in response to NATCA's frequent and repeated "Meet And Greet" sessions, where a team of senior NATCA Representatives, including the President, is dispatched to OKC on a regular basis to mingle, feed and give information to the new hires on their facilities, careers and profession.  There is always a question and answer period, and attendance at these things has simply been through the roof.  If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then NATCA should be duly flattered by the agency's attempts at playing Papa John's. 

In fact...NATCA's social and networking efforts at the FAA Academy have been so successful that the FAA has barred anyone from posting an invitation poster to the NATCA event on Academy grounds, and some instructors have been "counseled" on the propriety of wearing NATCA-logo gear. 

NATCA has been aggressive in welcoming new controllers into the fraternity of tin pushers, hosting a student's BBS forum, joining potential students at their networking website, ATCCTI.com, meeting students in the early stages of their career, and mentoring these young men and women when they arrive at the facility. 

The new generation of air traffic controller is no dummy, either---they know EXACTLY who is fighting for them every day in the field and on Capitol Hill and they know EXACTLY who cut their starting pay to eight bucks an hour and capped their wages for life at a car mechanic's salary.

And all the pizza in the world isn't going to change that.

If the FAA would stop buying pizza and start paying these kids a decent wage with decent working conditions in a safe environment under professional leadership maybe the Employee Attitude Surveys would inch up, and maybe NATCA membership rate for new hires wouldn't be so close to 100%.  As it is, my correspondents tell me the students are happy to take the FAA's pie even as they anxiously await the transfer to their first facility (at their own expense of course)...so they can join NATCA and join the fight against the agency and their moronic policies. 

Jeanne Dixon Would Have Been Proud

On January 30, 2006, a year and eight months ago, I spoke to NATCA members who had come to Washington, DC to participate in our annual Lobby Week.  This event would bring 400 activists and members to our Nation's Capitol for three days of training, briefings and lobbying on Capitol Hill.  Later that same year we switched to rolling Lobby Weeks, with a full time presence on the Hill by working NATCA members, but in January it was a large event and a full house.

I had occasion to recently read my speech to the assemblage that morning, and if I do say so myself---I called that shot.  I was so scary-accurate at predicting the future that my middle name should be Nostradamus. 

I had Marion Blakey pegged for a bad-faith bargainer and a union-wrecking politico long before she lied to Congress and walked out on her employees.

My remarks that morning were extensive...you can read the whole speech here if you like.  But to see just how well I predicted the future, here's a couple of paragraphs. 

Over a year and a half ago I correctly predicted that Marion Blakey would abandon her employees and impose her work rules on the union almost three months before she pulled the trigger and declared impasse...almost five months before the sixty day Congressional clock expired.  In fact, if you read closely you will see that I correctly predicted many things that came to pass. 

I saw Blakey's lying, bad faith bargaining, union-busting ways coming a long way off.  We started working on countering her impasse plans before the teams even went to the table because WE KNEW, and the consultants knew, and Lockhart and Gillespie knew...that she was going to do it.  She was going to walk out on her obligations to the country and her employees and declare impasse.

We threw Obama, Murray, Lautenberg, Inouye, Kelly, Costello and ultimately LaTourette at her.  She shook those off during a Republican Congress...let's see how she fares this summer with a different hand at the whip.

This was a very good speech, and the first paragraph rings as true today as it did a year and a half ago.  Is it September yet? 

John Carr Speech

NATCA In Washington

January 30, 2006

Your employer has attacked you, maligned you, disparaged you, lied to you, insulted you and thumbed its nose at you. They have distorted facts, revised history, took credit for your work, conspired to intimidate you and let no opportunity pass to try and put their boot on your neck. They won't work with us. They won't talk to us. They won't negotiate in good faith with us. And they won't stop until your union is crushed, your wages are slashed, your workload is suffocating and your morale is destroyed.

Is it any wonder, then, that a recent survey on workplace satisfaction by a non-partisan think tank in Washington found that the FAA came in last - dead last - among no less than 250 American government agencies?

Because by now we have little doubt about what we're facing: a carefully planned attack on our rights to bargain collectively. An assault on our rights to represent ourselves fairly and in good faith. What we are facing is a premeditated attempt to eliminate collective bargaining in the federal sector. In fact, if the Administrator has her way you will be reduced to collective begging, and even then your chances for fairness and equality are remote.

If it wasn't clear before, then believe me it's clearer now than it ever will be:

Marion Blakey isn't interested in compromise.

Marion Blakey isn't interested in finding common ground.

In fact, I don't believe Marion Blakey even cares what happens at the negotiating table. I would be surprised if she could name five articles in the contract.

What Marion Blakey cares about is creating a false sense of crisis and creating a desperate situation that paints you, and your union as irresponsible and unreasonable.

It's funny.we've seen this movie before, during the ILWU lockout of 2002. The starring role? None other than Mr. Joe Minace - the Fa's Chief Negotiator.

The playbook he employed then was eerily similar to the one he's working from now.

First task is to attack your own workers. That box has already been checked by the Blakey-Miniace team. Even before we got to the table this past June Blakey and her communications team embarked on a sophisticated 22-city press junket attacking us and claiming we were overpaid. Then at the end of last year, they did it again, hitting 15 cities with messages that at best could be described as misleading, though frankly most impartial observers would label them simply as lies.

Second play? Publish distorted statistics about salaries. That's another check for the FAA team. Apparently, who knew it but there's lots of us air traffic controllers making over 200,000 dollars a year? Can you believe it? No, neither could I when Marion stated this as fact to the entire aviation press and elected officials on Capitol Hill.

Third in the playbook is to create a false sense of urgency, and that box is certainly checked. Just last week Marion declared that contract negotiations had to be completed in weeks, not months. Apparently she doesn't realize that the pace we've set is months ahead of the last set of negotiations, which, by the way, were considerably less contentious. In fact, if you will recall it took Marion Blakey herself almost an entire year to roll over a contract that had no changes at all to it, and yet six months into this mission we are suddenly in a hurry.

Finally, the playbook calls for blaming workers for failures to modernize. I've got to admit, I didn't think they'd dare try this one on for size. For an agency that has delayed, side-tracked, ignored or canceled a wide range of vital modernization programs, surely they wouldn't try to accuse us of being the problem. But the FAA Administrator never fails to disappoint - she rose to the task, blaming us for her own dismal record. Meanwhile, at the contract table, we were forced to withdraw articles on ERIDS, RNP, ERAM, JPDO, NEXOM, CPDLC and ASDE-X because the FAA refused to negotiate with us on deploying these vital tools.

So let's tally it up:

Breathtaking hypocrisy? Check.

Threaten and intimidate the workforce? Check.

Sink morale to it's lowest point since the strike of 1981? Check.

Distort contract proposals when briefing Congress? Check.

Assign mandatory overtime to cover for short staffing, and then complain about salaries? Check.

Blame controllers for failed agency modernization initiatives? Check.

Yes, the FAA contract negotiation playbook is as predictable as it is cynical and manipulative. In fact, about the only thing we don't expect to see from Chief Negotiator Joe Miniace this time around is the lockout.

But most worrying of all is FAA Administrator Marion Blakey's determination to exploit the law to unilaterally impose a contract on our union.

Already her intentions are quite clear. As soon as she can reasonably do it - actually, forget about reason---as soon as she can pull it off, Marion is determined to declare an impasse - sending our contact negotiations to the Congress.

And when that happens, the clock will start ticking. We will have 60 days - only 60 short days - for Congress to intervene before the FAA can simply impose their last best offer upon us.

Now I may not be a Washington insider, but I can predict this piece of political strategy - the FAA is counting on and praying for our elected officials on Capitol Hill to do nothing. They're counting on and praying for our Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen to sit idly by and let a government agency violate the law, imposing a draconian contract on a vital segment of the federal workforce. They are counting on partisanship and politics to trump sanity and safety.

FAA'S Ducharme To NTSB: Don't Bother, Part Two

Sometime today the NTSB will issue their findings concerning the crash of Comair Flight 5191 on August 27, 2006 in Lexington, Kentucky.  I don't see why they bothered.  Mr. Rick Ducharme, a middle-level bureaucrat with the Federal Aviation Administration, had it all figured out scarcely a week after the disaster unfolded in the early morning mist. 

Mr. Ducharme was speaking to a gathering of turkeys in St. Louis, Missouri on September 5, 2006 when he made the following remarks.  I have attached the audio tape along with a transcript of the sound bite.  The first file is an MP3 and should load quickly, the second is an aiff file and is ten meg.  It could take a while.  They are both the same audio.

Download DucharmeTwo.mp3

Download DuscharmeTwo.aiff

"What a concept. I'm the employer, you're the employee, I want you to come to work. I'm the employer, you're the employee, I expect you to do things right. I'm the employer, you're the employee, you had one airplane ... and you didn't watch him ... and there is not one, single excuse in the world that is acceptable. And if it's acceptable to anybody in here ... then you don't deserve to be here. You don't." (tepid applause)

Ricky, Ricky, Ricky.  There you go again.  "Rebel Without A Clue."

Let's ignore for a moment all the Charles Bronson tough guy yodeling in the early going and concentrate on Ducharme's remarks concerning Lexington.

"I'm the employer, you're the employee, you had one airplane...and you didn't watch him..." 

That's RIGHT, Ricky!  Johnny---tell him what he's won.  "For starters, John, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT ON TRAFFIC.  If they were...nobody would fly when it rains, now would they, Professor?"

So.  According to the FAA's own regulations, which they thought of, created, wrote, published and enforce---the air traffic controller on duty in the Lexington Air Traffic Control Tower on the morning of August 27, 2006 was NOT required to watch Comair Flight 5191 as he acknowledged his correct air traffic clearance and then lumbered down the (wrong) runway.

"...and you didn't watch him..."  Couldn't, Rick.  Too busy with "other duties as assigned."  The administrative duties you made him do.  The administrative duties another controller could have been doing, if you had staffed your air traffic control tower according to your own regulations.  Regulations, I might add, that you thought of, created, wrote, published, and enforce.  On everybody except for YOU.  The FAA's conduct reminds me of an old Lynrd Skynyrd tune..."Ooh, ooh, That Smell."  Remember that one?  "Ooh, ooh that smell...can't you smell that smell?  Ooh, ooh that smell...the smell of death surrounds you."

"and there is not one, single excuse in the world that is acceptable."  No excuse necessary, Rick.  Your regulations prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the controller on duty that late night and early morning, the one you worked sixteen out of twenty-four hours, the one with two hours of sleep before the midnight shift, the one working with 50% less staffing than the FAA requires, was not required to watch the aircraft. 

But I can see why you might want to deflect attention from FAA management on this one, Ducharme.  Your agency is going to take it on the chin sometime today from the NTSB, and that's a fact we've both known since very early on August 27th. 

Ever since that morning the FAA has been trying to make it be anybody's fault but their own.  The controller's.  The pilot's.  Comairs.  NATCA.  Anybody.  Ooh, ooh that smell.  Can't you smell that smell?

But as long as we're on the subject I'll tell you something there's no excuse for:  Management being alerted to safety-critical information about dangerous practices in their organization and refusing to do anything about it until 49 innocent people die.  THAT's something there's no excuse for, and that's PRECISELY what the FAA did in this case, as this story proves.  And if you read Monday's blog you will see something else there's no excuse for:  ZERO accountability at FAA for any of this.

Ducharme closes with another one of his Clint Eastwood moments and you can tell by the tepid applause in the crowd that most observers probably thought it was time for Mr. Ricky to have his medi-medi. 

It's typical Nazi indoctrination tactics here.  Pure Hitler Youth.  War games, threats, intimidation, abuse, and a paternal opportunity for you to agree with the speaker, here, in front of the masses.  A gauntlet thrown down, a dare to anyone thinking about stepping out of line or disagreeing. 

How desperate the FAA must be as they lose control of the workforce.  How sad it must be to try and rule by force.  And the audience...FAA supervisors, brainwashed into compliance, legally and mindlessly obedient, unable to resist the destructive forces of authority gone awry. 

What a concept.  I'm the blogger, and you're the management stooge.  Your agency inaction killed 49 people.  I'm the blogger and you're the management stooge, and you had in your possession detailed information concerning understaffing of the Lexington Tower on the midnight shift and you did nothing about it. 

And there is not one, single excuse in the world that is acceptable.

Ooh, ooh, that smell... 

Can't you smell that smell?

Ooh, ooh, that smell...

The smell of death surrounds you...

Viewer Mail (not from your rich relation in Zaire)

Stop the presses...this just in from our friends at ATCCTI.com, with minor edits for clarity:

"Well, I've got a little story here. Remember how I was saying that I could neither confirm or deny if the graded problems had gotten harder or easier?

Well, a certain person from the class previous to ours failed their graded problem...twice. The first time they failed on both ground and local, and I'm not sure if they failed one or both for the second time around. Either way, they did not pass their graded problems. This is a person that has been described by multiple independent sources as a horrible controller and not-so-great person, with these statements going back to their college days. I've met this person and didn't get a good vibe from them either. Words that come to mind in describing them include "squirrelly" and "uneasy".

I find out today that they pushed them on to their facility anyway.

During the last few days of labs, one of my instructors was talking about his time at the academy. He said that when he went through, it was a class of 18 people. Only three made it to their facilities. In the class previous to theirs, only two made it out. And these are the people that are still in 20-odd years later.

Is this really what it's come to? I feel badly for the instructors here (not to mention the OJTI's in the field) when the graded problem process is diluted to the point where it seems like a person that has proven themselves incapable (via the official means put in place to gauge a person's ability) is just pushed through in order to put a warm body in a headset and keep the staffing monkeys employed.

Remember how I said before I would rather succeed on merit than because of a quota? Well, right now I'm feeling more like part of that quota."

And now, more Viewer Mail:

"Dear John,

When I read the blog about the ORD localizer I thought of Deuteronomy 32:35, paraphrased of course:

Vengeance is ours, and retribution.
In due time their foot will slip;
for the day of their calamity is near,
and the impending things are hastening their doom.

For NATCA will vindicate its people.
         
And they will say, where is Marion?
The rock in which ATO sought refuge?
Who ate the fat of controller sacrifices?
Let them rise up and help ATO,
Let them be your hiding place.
If NATCA sharpens its flashing sword,
And its hand takes hold on justice,
NATCA will render vengeance on its adversaries
and repay those who hate us."

"Dear John,

I hope you are enjoying retirement.  First, let me say that I am an avid Main Bang reader. Love your work.  While I don't always agree with your positions, I always respect them.  I had the good fortune once of meeting you out in Hawaii.  We were getting the Kalaeloa local organized and you came over for about a 2 hour talk with us.  I was much impressed.

I am currently in the slave position of CPC at XYZ.  The reason I am emailing you is that we have had several new trainees arrive here.  Unfortunately they don't know a lick about ATC.  This is no exaggeration---our Training Specialist and OPS Manager spent the better part of
2 hours teaching one what the basic pattern was!!!  Another said a friend down in OKC couldn't do the problems and was on the verge of washing when they just passed the kid and said, “We’ll just let the field facility take care of them."

WTF, over?  These newbie’s are no slouches... One a Grad from Brown, The other an IBM employee before being laid off. I don't see how this is their fault. But is this what the future holds?   Of our 22 controllers, 10 are eligible to retire by the end of the year. SWEET MERCY!!!! As things are right now we are pulling our office staff in and scheduling them to work.  That’s before someone gets sick.  Just this last Wednesday someone called in sick and we had to start curtailing services.  This is crap."

And finally, this one, which should get the Comments section all fired up:

"Hi John,

After 36 years of ATC in the USAF, FAA, DOD and contract twice, I decided to retire.   I've always tried to stay up with what's going on in the FAA and now that I'm retired I'm free to peruse all sources.  The more I take in, the more puzzled I am.   How has such a wonderful, highly respected and beloved occupation been reduced to a level just below used car salesman? 

It's very easy to immediately jump up and say, "Well management, of course."   But for discussion sake, let's look at the "hot button" topic of dress code.  I came in right after the white shirt and black tie boys.   At first, jeans were frowned upon but tolerated and no one showed up to work with a collarless shirt.  As you know, controllers are notorious for pushing rules to the edge, and much later, on a rare occasion you would see shorts and sandals.   Very quietly, and out of managerial sight, this controller was told by a fellow controller, "Guys that make $60,000 a year don't wear sandals to work."   Or, "No one is going to recognize you as a professional while you're wearing shorts."  And that was the end of it.  As time went on the ultra-rebellious would show up in flip-flops.   Although it irritated everyone, it got to the point where the self-policing stopped and things went down hill from there.  The attention drew spotlights on all ATC facilities that before, very few people even knew were located.   I'm not saying that the controller workforce brought all of this downfall on themselves.  I am saying that they didn't do enough to prevent it.   When you are holding no trump cards, your hand must be played very carefully.

I think that the general belief is that the strike in 1981 was a bust.   In fact, the strike worked wonders; it just didn't do anything for the strikers.  12,000 guys, by luck, walked into the best job a man can have.   They arrived with a huge upper-hand advantage.  The pay sky-rocketed and all was well.  As everyone knows, when everything is going great, important details are ignored.   Important detail #1 should be quality of controller.  As the years went by, the quality dropped dramatically.   Guys were showing up that couldn't turn a Cherokee on the localizer.  This was the heaviest factor in my decision to retire.  It became too painful to listen to these guys butcher my beloved job. 

Then you have the other end of the spectrum.  Every once in a blue moon you run into a fellow that had left the womb to be a controller.   I worked with one in the DOD recently.  Joe Blow.  We lost Blow to ZLC so he could be with his future wife.   Well, ZLC decides to treat him like a red-headed stepchild.  He checked out, alright...and then resigned.  When he arrives back at the DOD he will, immediately, get a $50,000 pay raise.   I'm sure you have heard by now that they lied to him about his pay.  How can this happen???  How can you let a quality guy like that slip through your fingers???   The FAA has made a terrible mistake letting this guy go.  His talents are much more that the DOD needs.

John, I miss ATC badly but there's no way I could have stayed and watched the erosion continue.   Something must be done quickly.  People listen to you John.  Please advise them to DO SOMETHING."

FAA'S Ducharme To NTSB: Don't Bother, Part One

We've told you before about the gang indoctrination sessions the FAA held for their management minions in St. Louis last year in advance of their imposition of jailhouse work rules on America's air traffic controllers.  We are beginning our examination of the audio tapes from these meetings, and some of what we are finding is deeply disturbing.  The attached audio file is very large...thirteen meg I think...but it is worth a listen.  I have also included the transcript, along with my personal observation regarding these grossly unprofessional remarks.

These audio files have been professionally scrubbed of most hissing, popping and background noise and their quality is very good.  They came to me from a senior-level FAA employee in Washington who is fed up with what they see happening all around them and decided to do something about it.  She chose the right vehicle.   

This first one comes from Rick Ducharme, a middle-level manager with the FAA, on September 5, 2006.  Rick's claim to fame is his co-chairmanship of the FAA's contract negotiating team in 2006.  This gives Rick the distinction of taking the coward's way out, abruptly and prematurely declaring impasse and walking out on his employees. 

Very recent Marion Blakey quotes found in news media reports (and quotes by Rick on tapes I will play for you later) clearly reveal that the FAA had more room to maneuver at the contract table in April of 2006, had more money to offer at the table in 2006, and yet they declared "impasse," a technical legal term that means "deadlock, a situation from which there is no escape." 

The FAA bargained in bad faith, as their own words will prove.  They folded like a cheap tent.  They broke the law and they abandoned their employees because they had a PREMEDITATED outcome in mind:  impasse, and imposition. 

My receipt of these audio files couldn't have come at a better time, what with the NTSB report due out this week on the events Mr. Ducharme is referring to, the crash of Comair Flight 5191 on August 27, 2006...barely a week before these remarks were made.

Download DucharmeOne.aiff

Editor's Note from late afternoon:  I have the file in an MP3 that is much, much easier to load and listen to.  Here...try this:

Download Ducharme1.mp3

"This guy up here (name) he's a friend of mine. And he's getting beat up right now like you wouldn't believe over Lexington tower. And I know him personally. Very well. Why didn't you have five people in the tower? Well we know. I know. Still probably had four downstairs but that's not the point. It's a profession, it's about accountability. So when you start to snowballing stories ... alright? ... in Lexington, Kentucky ... one airplane, one controller ... sounds like a good ratio to me ... "Why didn't you see him?" ... "I was counting the strips" ... strips? You had one airplane?"

What a bloated, pompous, self-righteous ass.  The wreckage had probably not even been moved out of the tree line in Lexington and here's this FAA official declaring the cause of the accident to be controller error.  Quick...somebody forward this blog to the NTSB!

Here's an FAA official commenting on an official NTSB investigation, in direct violation of FAA policy.  Here's an FAA official denigrating his workforce.  Here's an FAA official trying to smear an innocent controller over the bodies of 49 people.  And here's an FAA official trying desperately to throw the bloodhounds off the scent...the scent of Rick and his fellow managers, who are all complicit in the crime of understaffing our nation's air traffic facilities to death.  Literally, in this case.

Did Rick Ducharme say, "I sure hope our controller is OK?"  No.  Did he say, "I wonder if the facility needs a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing?"  No.  Did he say, "Let's all pray for the families of the victims?"  No.  Rick spent his time at the microphone puffing about his poor friend and trying to character-assassinate air traffic controllers.   

Let me decode Rick's rant for you:

"he's getting beat up right now like you wouldn't believe."  Ahem, cough, cough.  His pal is probably getting "beat up" because his decisions contributed to the deaths of 49 people.  He's lucky "beat up" is all he's getting, as opposed to "slammed to earth, showered in jet fuel, thrown into a tree at 140 kts and burned at a thousand degrees" like those poor souls in Lexington that Ricky was talking about.  Poor Ricky's friend.  I really feel for him. 

"Why didn't you have five people in the tower?"  This question has never been asked by anyone at any time in any forum.  This remark is Mr. Ducharme going off his meds and going off the reservation.  It's also his way of setting up his snide insinuation regarding "other controllers" who may have been on duty that night but not in the tower.  This is Rick at his finest:  preparing the battlefield to hear his lies.

"Well, we know.  I know."  This is Mr. Ducharme's admission of some sort while discussing the deaths of 49 people in Lexington.  He is probably admitting that he knows that as part of Marion Blakey's Lack-of-Leadership team he bears part of the responsibility for letting facilities get staffed with only one person on the midnight shift. But I bet it hasn't happened since, has it, Ricky?  Now that you are using SEVENTEEN TIMES AS MUCH OVERTIME as you were before your myopic staffing decisions turned Comair into a lawn dart.

"Still probably had four downstairs but that's not the point."  This is Tricky Ricky's attempt at insulting air traffic controllers, all tied up in a nice little lying, mud-slinging bow.  Rick KNOWS FOR A FACT that there were not four people "downstairs."  He is saying this to incite his fellow gestapo into thinking there were controllers on break that evening.  He is inferring there were other employees present, but they weren't in the operating quarters, they were on break.  But there WEREN'T.  The FAA intentionally understaffed Lexington, and people died. 

"It's a profession.  It's about accountability."  Say WHAT?!?!?!?  The FAA is accountable to NOBODY.  They wouldn't know accountability if it snuck up and bit them in the six o'clock position.  Listening to a senior FAA official lecture about accountability is a complete waste of time.  The FAA hasn't been accountable in any way, shape, form or fashion that I know of---but I've only been following them for thirty years.

Do you want to talk about accountability, Rick?  Because I can play that game all day.  Let's start with a different Comair crash...Flight 3272 in January, 1997.  Remember that one, Rick?  Stalled and spun out of control?  The FAA got the blame for that one too, Ricky, because the agency intentionally SAT ON information that could have helped prevent the accident.

The accident was avoidable.  The FAA didn't act.  People died.  Tell me, Rick, who was held accountable at the FAA?  Tell the world...post it here, in the comments section.  A single name. 

The NTSB report says "the probable cause of the accident was the FAA's failure to establish adequate certification standards for flights in icing conditions."  Referring to the FAA, NTSB Chairman James Hall said "the taxpayers aren't getting what we are paying for."  Is he a union troublemaker too, Rick?

The FAA ignored NTSB recommendations on icing that go back to 1981, including a 1994 commuter crash in Roselawn, Indiana, also due to inflight icing.  Accountability?  How about "despicable conduct for trying to blame your employees for your own failures while failing to act for almost twenty years on NTSB recommendations that would have saved two airplanes full of people."

Your turn, Rick.  By my count there are three airplanes full of people in this blog alone (Comair twice, American Eagle once) that the FAA contributed to killing.  And like I said...I can do this all day long.  Have Google, Will Travel. 

Tell me, Ricky, all about your hallowed accountability.  How pathetic.  Listening to an FAA stooge like Duscharme yammer on about accountability is like listening to Osama Bin Laden singing "Give Peace A Chance". 

"One airplane, one controller....sounds like a good ratio to me."  Really, Rick?  Then you owe the Southern California TRACON 2,430 controllers for this evening's shift, you ignorant nitwit.  You owe Chicago 1,500.  Let's go, tough guy.  Show the world what a "good ratio" looks like.  Ah, just as I thought----"Big Hat, No Cattle."  Lot's of talk, no action.  Remind me never to take you into a bar...you're the lout with the big mouth you can't control that starts all the trouble.   

Ducharme's effortless, automatic denigration of his workforce is appalling.  His sanctimonious pontificating makes him sound like an ideological goon.  "One airplane, one controller."  What a hack.  If this doesn't prove that Ducharme's wild-eyed rants are full of declamation, bloviation, obfuscation and defacation then I don't know what will.

"Why didn't you see him?"  Simple stuff, Rick.  You had one person doing three people's jobs.  YOU took his attention away from his traffic.  YOU tried to put ten pounds of work in a five pound bag.  YOU control the schedule that worked the controller sixteen hours in a twenty-four hour period.  YOU have been trying to cover your tracks ever since with record-breaking overtime usage in Lexington.  But we know, Rick.  We know. 

We know you short staff facilities and overwork controllers with inadequate rest periods intentionally, to save money.  We know.  Marion made you do it.  Sometimes that kind of short-sighted "run it like a business" strategy works.  But sometimes...it doesn't.  And in a safety business where perfection is the minimum acceptable level of competence...if you cut corners, innocent people die.  And for that, there has been NO accountability by the FAA.  None.  Google the term "Tombstone Agency."  520,000 hits about the FAA's lack of accountability, Rick, and they ain't talking pizza.

This blog has gone long enough, and honestly---even though I speed-read and speed-type I have wasted way, way too much time and energy on a hollow, empty lieutenant.  We get it, Rick.  You don't think you, or management, or the FAA is at all to blame.  It's all the controller's fault.   

I'll tell you what, Rick:  Let's wait to find out what the NTSB says about the crash of Comair Flight 5191.  They will issue their report on or about this Thursday, July 26.  Let's see if the NTSB faults the FAA in any way for the disaster.  Let's see if the NTSB has anything to add to the discussion.  And then...let's see who the FAA holds accountable.

And when the NTSB issues their report, Rick, I'll be back to blog it for you.  Like I said earlier...I can do this all day.