NATCA has issued some press releases on the subject including one describing the outrageous bypass of procedure and another demanding the IG to investigate cost overruns and wildly increasing budgets in the contract tower program that the FAA pays for.

Sen. Lautenberg is threatening a filibuster if the current version of reauthorization comes before the Senate (expected in September).  Our allies are incensed at the abrogation of our lawmakers overwhelming wishes, which has resulted in the conference leadership kowtowing to the Bush Administration.

Our own Administrator has gone on record as stating she needs this flexibility especially in light of the impending controller retirement wave.  Is this the same “impending controller retirement wave” that she has insisted would not occur?  Let’s see, there is no request for funding to hire ANY additional controllers for 2004 and she says we are overstaffed (and under-worked and overpaid).  Seems to me it’s pretty clear they intend to contract out and consolidate until the numbers on paper look good.  Basically it’s DPS all over again with no move funding and no historical learning from that programs inability to improve actual staffing.

What can you do?

We have a grassroots email campaign in progress.  If you are already signed up you should have already received an email on how to quickly and easily inform your elected representatives of your opinion.  Please do so.  If you are not signed up, go to www.natca.org highlight “legislative center” on the upper left and select “legislative activism”.  Click “sign up” in the upper right and you’re on you’re way.  Our future depends on this and this is just one step of many but it is one you can personally help with.  Are you giving to the NATCA PAC?