Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You

Every regular reader of this blog is familiar with the Failed Aviation Administration's psychotic conduct and discipline efforts.  The agency will gladly fire a union representative for posting a cartoon on a bulletin board, happily suspend another union rep for not signing someone in at the facility visitor log, but do nothing to the manager that had sex with a subordinate or charged thirty grand in cash advances at casinos to his government credit card.

The latest case lands a little closer to the head of the agency.  According to the DOT Inspector General's website,

"Title: Former FAA Senior Advisor Pleads Guilty To Theft for Filing False Travel Vouchers

Date: October 18, 2007

Type: Investigation

Summary: On October 18, 2007, Howard L. Swancy, a former Senior Advisor (GS-15 equivalent) to the FAA
Deputy Administrator, pled guilty to First Degree Fraud in D.C. Superior Court. Mr. Swancy entered into
a deferred sentencing agreement which allows his sentencing to be continued for six months during which
time he must complete 40 hours of community service and the fraud charge will be dismissed. Mr. Swancy
filed five fraudulent travel vouchers, including altered and fabricated hotel receipts, resulting in
wrongfully receiving more than $5,200 between March 2005 and January 2007.

If a controller filed five fraudulent travel vouchers the only sound you would hear is the hiss of the door as it closed behind his fired ass.  But over and over again the leadership of the FAA acts with impunity and wanton disregard for the laws of the land.  It's no wonder, then, that the Administrator thought she could do as she pleased, workforce be damned.  It's no wonder that her credibility dropped faster than a teenager's dress on prom night. 

According to this web site, Mr. Swancy is still knocking down over a hundred and thirty grand a year.  Jerry McArthur, on the other hand, the union rep fired for posting a cartoon on the bulletin board, is at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, working as a controller for the summer.  Or winter.  Or whatever the hell it is down there.  Or up there.

Bobert Sturgell was the Deputy Administrator when these shenanigans went down.  He is now the "Acting" Administrator.  It will be interesting to see if Mr. Sturgell thinks five fraudulent rip-off attempts is a firing offense...because if it's not, put me down for four.

Comments

[ZZ-Retired]

Bobby will do nothing because he is not held accountable either. The only thing Bobby is interested in now is landing that nice paying job with ITT or Lockheed Martin and taking whatever controller workforce is left with him.
NATCA's Bridge to No-where (Faa Re-auth) will soon collapse with one swipe of W's pen and then what ??????
Is there a plan B ?

[Bobby aka "Bitch Boy"]

ZZ you are my hero. Throw stones from your retired couch. Get a life. This is not NATCA's fault and they are doing everything possible in the current state of the USA. You probably voted for W twice, that is why we are in this. Stop the bashing of the Union.

[Over and Over again]

Judging by the previous posts the Controllers are getting more restless. Put in you stop dues after Feb 1. If NATCA wont do something, maybe the workforce can send a message they will read. I love an ATC blog-site that explains the rigors of the job and how inflation may affect salaries. 3$ a gallon gas versus .98 cent gas. How about a 1000$ VCR versus a dvd/vhs combo for 59$. Enough already! We get it. Lets push the real issues!!

[Retired warriors]

ZZ has a perfect right to throw rocks from the couch. What kind of morons say this type of crap. once a controller always a controller. Free Speech is a right. What better credible speech is that coming from a former controller. Or are you Management--Just labeling him a "disgruntled employee"! Of course its not entirely NATCA's fault; But its been over a year and silence! THAT IS NATCA's FAULT!!

[I'm Management]

I'm FAA Management and I'm embarrassed to be so over an incident like this. This person should be fired. PERIOD !! I'm shocked that this person was allowed to keep their position as it's a trusted position in which this person obviously demonstated that they cannot be trusted.

Bobby,......you should step in and do the right thing !

[Last Gasp]

Bobby
Make believe no one is watching and do the right thing.
Sincerely

Last Gasp

[zz-retired]

Hey Bitch Boy, Did you participate in any sick outs in the 70's ? Did you go on stike in 1981 ? I DID ! Were you ever a union officer at a large TRACON or Center ? I WAS ! I have more union blood in my little finger than you have in your entire body. When JTB was voted out I knew that playing nice with the FAA was the wrong way to go. That is one of the reasons I retired. But based on what I read from spineless pussies like yourself having any real plan of ACTION would not work either. You have had it too good until now. NATCA has all it's eggs in 1 basket with FAA Re-Authorization. "W" and the rest of the politicians are going to screw you. Even a simple minded idiot like yourself can see that.....RIGHT ? Is that your phone I hear ringing ? You better answer it....it is probably work calling you in for OT.

[Chris Kennedy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaJJLBlCIYQ

I find this blog to be most informative; and as a controller in Australia it's amazing how the managerial and technical incompetence is so easily replicated; the above you tube link is amazingly funny and reflects my organisation to a tea. Keep up the good work
John.

ATC is truly a global business, all I can say is I'm glad ASNPs don't actually build the aeroplanes.

World wide shortages and yet the ANSPs still attempt to drive conditions lower and thus make it less attractive to actually enter the gig; you know it makes sense, cause after all most work studies think ATCs are worth the same as 'data entry' IT jobs; to me 'data entry' looks like having better career prospects.

[lowskillset]

I'm betting Bobby won't do a thing to the clown in DC who falsified travel vouchers for his personal financial gain. "Inegrity: Do as I say, not as I do."

[BigaL]

UN FREEKIN BELEEVABLE.

We (controllers) get disciplined for "sick leave abuse"..... that's taking SL when management doesn't think (I use the term 'think' loosely) you should be taking SL, (despite the fact that these members of the higher-skill-set have the MD qualifications of a cactus), -----and some management clown actually steals money from the US Gov't by means of fraudulent paperwork...and gets a friggin deferred prosecution -- allowing him/her to get these charges DISMISSED by performing 40 hours of baby-sitting, lawn mowing or sitting in a state owned truck while some juvenile delinquents pick litter. OUT-RAGEOUS !

[Mikey G]

No not "outrageous" it is a simple fact of American life. Those that have make the rules those that don't have live with the rules. The rich get richer the poor get poorer. yada yada yada yada

[Wrong Again]

Liberal Tripe. Taxes are redistribution of monies from the people that work to those that dont!

[Wrong again Wrong Again]

I don't know how "liberal tripe" and taxes got brought into this? But since you brought it up, taxes are the costs needed to make this country safe and and free so that the multi-millionaire and billionaires of this country can amass more wealth at the expense of the rest of the country.
Redistribution of wealth? Please, get off that old republican mantra. "Redistibution of wealth" occurs when a population gets tired of being screwed over by the priviliged and moneyed class and decide to take matters in their own hands. Happens all the time across the world. The way this country is going, it wouldn't suprise me to see major backlashes against the historic income gaps that we now have.
The folks with the big fortunes, and those on the higher ends of the economic scale, are there BECAUSE of the society that has been built with the help of taxes: internet commerce (the internet was a government project), computers and the digital age courtesy of advancements from NASA, interstate highway system, world's largest and most effecient aviation system, just to name a few benefits of taxes.
Milton Friedman's economic theories have been disproven time and time again. There is support for controlling tax levels and wise spending of public money. But taxes are an integral part of (and the cost of) a civil society. (and world)

[lowskillset]

Management maintains the Animal Farm attitude (management good, worker bee bad). Since management is not held accountable for bad conduct and bad performance in the way that ordinary employees are, the bargaining unit does not respect the employer.

This is Leadership 101 anywhere outside of the FAA. In the FAA, it's a course under development.

[w]

Thanks for voting me in twice guys. I have spent more than the last 3 Presidents combined, yet all I have to say is "I'm a compassionate conservative" and all you morons vote for me! TWICE!

[Using the FAA's salary to fund my other job]

Sounds like you need a hobby ZZ. It must be a lonely existence getting up every morning to read blogs and remember the good ol' days when you were such a Union Warrior.

[chip degan]

I'm getting another headache

[Things look better in the rear view mirror]

Yeah death, taxes, and stupid people are part of a civil society too. I would like the option of getting up everyday, blogging, and not having to go work!! Use your energy to do something instead of this end fighting and ZZ bashing.

[justjeff]

Maybe ZZ enjoys getting up late and reading and posting to this blog. He doesn't deserve your contempt for the job he did for NATCA and the flying public.
I'm sure the FAA loves to see the infighting and eating our own young here and on other boards. For those that suggest quitting NATCA to send a message...The FAA would love to fund you campaign.

Try to keep your focus where it needs to be...On the bone job we are all gettting from the FAA.