So, Republican feedback is to ultimately make Wall Street responsible for the payback of the taxpayer's bailout, thus part of the delay to why the plan has not been finalized. Finally, the voice of reason I've been waiting for.
The ill constructed house of cards should not fall on the shoulders of the tax payer when previous profits went into the hands of private investors. Success or failure, the repayment should come from Wall Street who used smoke & mirrors that earned billions in profit.
BTW...where is stock trading these days in the company manufacturing 'Smoke-n-Mirrors'?
My point exactly, use Wikipedia for any peer-reviewed, hell an Air War College paper, and you would be laughed out of the house.
Thread drift.....
GTF Since you, and most of the liberal establishment, has termed a loss by BHO as racist, that the Republican vote is dominated by racists, that Republicans could not win without racist, YES, it is about you. The door has been opened on personal issues. My question is related to your actions, and the candidate you support, positions. Can you "square" your decision to work for the the FAA, post-PATCO, with Obama's position that use of replacement workers should be made unlawful?
Your blog characterizes the FAA work rules as "imposed". I assume controllers are not enslaved to work there, they freely come to work and take the check. They have the option to leave and pursue other opportunities. I suppose with 20-25 year retirement, they are. Because you haven't forced the Government into accepting your demands does not mean the contract was "imposed". Having, under the Clinton-Gore administration, achieved and exceeded the PATCO goal of pay parity with airline captains, NATCA seems bent on becoming the highest paid Federal employees. That the current administration refuses to cave is hardly "imposing" a set of work conditions. There is NO competitive market for controllers, which combined with a monopsony of employers, means no one can accurately judge fair compensation. There are many pilot employers and if I am not compensated at a reasonable wage, another employer might give me a go. Before you start on the $166,000 is not cash, right, it isn't, it is the total value of a controller's package, including FICA. I worked in Civil Service, the benefits are generous-a defined benefit retirement, FEHB health plan, unheard of vacation and sick time. In Civil Service, I had over 1200 hours of sick and 200 hours of vacation, numbers that could not be dreamed of in civilian markets.
I find wikipedia very handy for initial orientation on a subject, for it may offer many clues where to find more comprehensive, accurate, reliable information.
Just to prove the whole bailout is a scurvy idea....
JP Morgan floated a $10 billion stock offering to fund the WaMu purchase AND it stock price was up 11% today despite the stock dilution. I'd say there is plenty of willing investors, IF you have a good offering!
The public hates the bailout, Obama has stood on the sidelines (he's vote PRESENT, if given the chance) and McCain's performance is about neutral, he isn't ready to commit to a bailout plan without Republican backing which might not be coming soon. Market up, McCain might just be right, if the debate goes well. The debates will settle the election this year as it has in many past.
Any handicapping? If McCain can do well tonight, he'll have an advantage going into the second debate despite being a poor economist. Too much a moralist, not enough realist. Palin should pull off embarassing Joe Hairplugs, if they let her go. It has been a damned shame how the McCainistas have tried to protect her.
In Civil Service, I had over 1200 hours of sick and 200 hours of vacation, numbers that could not be dreamed of in civilian markets.
Agreed, when I first started flying for the US Government I came into the office one Monday morning and no one was there. I sat there for a while and one showed up, so I called one of the many, many bosses we had and was informed that I had to be an idiot because it was 'President's Day'.
I had never had 'President's Day' off before in my life. Never had it off again after I left governmental service.
Now, as for vacation (holiday) time off, God, what a deal. Actually it was called 'annual leave'.
Rather sad that some people base their support on who will be better for a Union, or Unions on whole, rather than the country.
I find wikipedia very handy for initial orientation on a subject, for it may offer many clues where to find more comprehensive, accurate, reliable information.
But to rely solely on it -
Hey Barit, have you been to my blog and seen all the books listed ? I've read them all. Hopefully, you've read some too (so I won't try to insult your intelligence.)
Try reading American Theocracy and see if you think the author has the flick.
Philips points to three unifying themes holding this coalition together. First, its tie to oil and the role oil plays in American and world events. Second, to the coalition of social conservatives, Evangelicals and Pentecostals in this Republican coalition. Finally, he points to the "debt culture" of this coalition, and to a coming "debt bubble" related to the debt of the U.S. Government and U.S. consumers. He argues that similar issues have been prevalent in the past, when other world powers, such as the Roman Empire and the British Empire declined from their peaks and fell into disarray.
Do I need to tell you that Wikipedia is accurate in this case ?
Just after I left, my Stan/Eval guy retired. Cheerfully told me that his last day consisted of his LAST 4 hours of sick leave!! 22 years, that is about 2300 hours of sick used without getting anyone's attention. I was just glad my old Boss was gone-he would have strung me up for allowing sick leave abuse. CSRS at least gave credit for sick leave on the books at retirement, FERS eliminated the incentive to manage sick leave-it was use it or lose it. An F/E retired with a whole year of sick under CSRS. He timed it so precisely, I think he only lost 4 hours. I separated to take this job with about 1300 hours that evaporated. But did go to Type course on annual!!
Then again, 3 days off in Bologna made up for Xmas worked!!
GF, it was standard policy with the Department of Justice that when you retired that everyone would take sick leave for what ever they had accumulated and stay on, for a lack of an effective term, active duty, but would use their sick leave and receive full pay for years.
I was one of the stupid ones that did not, however, I still have thousands of hours of sick leave on file if I should ever go back. I used 'annual leave' when I needed sick time off. You lose 'annual leave' at the end of the year, but sick leave just keeps mounting up.
By the way GTF, an Air Traffic Controller told me to use 'annual leave' instead of 'sick leave'. Your union members really know how to screw over the taxpayer, never the less, I can't blame them, hell I did it myself.
God, Obama is still interrupting during McCain's time. What an arsehole.
Obama; "It's all about me, waaaaaaa, me, me, me, me."
Plus the fact he keeps going over his time limit.
(I've been using a stop watch. Oh God, I'm pathetic. )
I have to admit, Obama does love hearing his own voice.
Reference tonight's first Prez debate, Senator McCain is taking nObama to the woodshed! This is a great example of a statesman vs political so called rock star! God help us if idiot Barack gets elected. Barack is missing his teleprompter.
And BO just pointed out being on the Veterans's Committee and hearing the plight of the Vets, but offered nothing of what he would differently for them.
Should not this man have something to offer, other than just bringing up their plight as as an accomplishment of attentiveness? Oh, yeah--one can't condemn the war and support the vets too, can one?
McCain was strong on issues and BHO was too involved in his own sense of self to have known the difference.
Having, under the Clinton-Gore administration, achieved and exceeded the PATCO goal of pay parity with airline captains, ....
Quote:
There is NO competitive market for controllers,...
Is that the "circular logic" mentioned a few posts ago ? A comparison when there's no comparison ?
Once again you seem to want to make this personal (about me) instead of the issues (American Presidential Election) so let me help you stay on track.
Senior, major airline pilots -- once upon a time -- made vastly more than I made. The figure of 200-250K comes to mind but regardless, it was extremely well paying job. I never begrudged them their pay. The only reason controllers ever caught pilots in terms of salary was because of deregulation of the airline industry and union busting. Controller's pay didn't increase nearly as much as pilot's pay decreased. But that wasn't enough -- now they are losing their pensions too.
This is a perfect example of the Republican mindset (thanks for bringing it up.) It's those bad old unions -- the organizations that actually fight for the lower and middle class -- that are the "problem." Their pay demands are too much. Never mind the multi-million dollar golden parachutes for their 6 month CEOs that drive the company into bankruptcy -- it's the unions that are the problem. And deregulation ? Yes, I know it was Carter that implemented it. Look what it's done to the industry since it was implemented. Pay has been cut, jobs have been lost, pensions have been stolen. Yet still the airlines still go broke. Maybe they'll get a bailout too. Oh wait, they've already had theirs.
It's a perfect example of a smaller portion of the economy mirroring what has now happened with the economy as a whole -- it's almost been destroyed.
Well, just watched the Presidential Debate and I thought it was quite good.
Just as you thought John was getting ahead, so Barack would put forward a well delivered riposte. Jim was good too, perhaps he should have been allowed in the card cutting for presidency. Nah, I'd never remember how to say his name.
Do I need to tell you that Wikipedia is accurate in this case ?
Don Brown
Once again you have missed the point.
Some months ago someone did a back-to-back study of a fairly significant sample of wiki entries vs Encyclopedia Britannica Online, and found wiki to be, on average, slightly better than the scholarly E.B.
But when wiki was wrong, it was WAAAAYYYY off base. Hence my caveat.
Mr. Brown...as someone who was pts away from being selected as ATC during the PATCO strike, is it my understanding, based on your political viewpoints, that you would do things differently now--perhaps if in current circumstances? Would you accept a job as an ATC if the situation presented itself today or would you put your beliefs above your livelihood?
If I need to be directed to a particular post or blog, so be it. But I'm just seeking a simple, honest answer to someone who had a trade seeking employment and who may have achieved that--not provocative banter on the subject.
Perhaps I might have a different view of gov't if I'd had been brought on board, but I'm curious to your opportunity then, if it presented itself now.
I only ask because those who need gov't often accept it during times of opportunity.
agree 100%!!!
I can't wait until Biden and Palin go at it.
Did anyone else hear Bidens gaff regarding FDR in lieu of Hoover watching TV when it had not evev invented?
In all fairness McCain could have done better. Obama did not hurt himself but I think McCain scored more debate points and is obviously more qualified to be President.
Bring on the next one!
)
Linear Mode
