Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 08:16:00 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
From: Candy Madigan <candymadigan at mindspring.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Odd events
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Yeah, even though I didn't know any ATCs, that is what I remember about
it.  But then, I tend to look past what the government is telling us and
notice little things like Georgie boy giving the Oil Companies relief money
for Katrina before giving any money to the human victims of the
disaster.  It always amazes me how little people pay attention to what is
actually happening around them and just buy into what the government tells
them is the truth.

At 11:55 AM 12/21/2005, you wrote:
>I agree with Ted on this.  I had friends who were ATC at the
>time and the strike wasn't really about wages though that was
>part of it. It was about safety. The ATC's were being 'forced'
>to work longer shifts which takes away from alertness especially
>with the out-of-date equipment. Another item was they wanted
>the equipment updated.  The refresh rates on some screens was
>such that planes could exchange places during the update so
>that the ATCs could lose track of them when stacking for landings.
>
>I think Reagan pushed the wage angle to gather sympathy for
>his actions and the union really didn't make a strong enough
>case for themselves.
>
>Gayle
>
>Ted White wrote:
> > ronkean at juno.com wrote:
> > [...]
> >> The air traffic controllers, who were already highly paid, were
> >> arguably trying to extort even higher wages, and Reagan's response
> >> was probably the right one.
> >
> > I strongly disagree.  Reagan's desire (which he fulfilled) was to *break
> > the union*.  There are few jobs in this country with more responsibility
> > and stress, and the air controllers were also (as they still are)
> > hampered by obsolete and barely functional equipment.  What's it worth,
> > salary-wise, to keep the controllers sane and functioning optimally?
> > Consider the alternative.
> >
> > --Ted White
>--
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president,
>or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong,
>is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
>to the American public."    Theodore Roosevelt
>*
>Gayle Surrette             Brandywine, MD
>davinci at chesapeake.net     home email
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Candy
(301)345-6635