Monday, April 22, 2013

Delays hit major airports as control tower furloughs kick in--Obama damages the economy again to prove he is in charge

So, everyone who does not have an Air Force One is required to sit on a runway, wasting time, because Obama created the Sequester, and let it happen.

Then, HE decided what services would be cut.

This reminds me of the propaganda that California puts out about the "Extravagant Retirements" that public services get, especially police and fire. They quote the $100,00 a year retirement payments that a few top officials get, implying that anyone who retired from a police or fire career gets that.

What you DO NOT hear is how much Illegal Aliens draw in benefits in California. In 2010, it was OVER $21 BILLION. Why don't you hear about it? They are Democrat voters.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matt-jones/why-obama-is-to-blame-for_b_2805155.html

Posted: 03/05/2013 3:20 pm

Why Obama Is to Blame for Sequester Cuts




Over the past four years Republicans have been foolish in so many ways: McConnell's "one-term president" comment, the debt crisis, a ridiculous presidential campaign, and an open civil war have all contributed to a weaker party. These failings, among countless others, have left the party vulnerable and have strengthened President Obama's political position -- to the point where he can win almost any political battle in which he chooses to participate.
But, just because he can win doesn't mean he should fight.
I fear that President Obama has decided to fight every battle with the goal of crushing the opposition, rather than seeking conclusions that benefit the American people. His decision to continually campaign, rather than govern, could have negative and lasting consequences on our country.
The recent stalled discussions regarding the sequester, a poorly coordinated 2.4 percent immediate cut to the U.S. budget, is just another example of a fight that wasn't necessary. Over the past few years, I would lay much of the blame for congressional deadlock on Republicans, as they have stalled and blocked and filibustered; but this time is different.
The problem is this: Mr. Obama may win every battle, and yet our country may end up losing. Bob Woodward, the respected journalist who took down a powerful Republican president, has asserted that President Obama has "moved the goalposts" in his final sequester proposal
Mr. Woodward has had more access to negotiations than any other outsider and has interviewed countless individuals on both sides of the aisle. With this trove of insight forming his conclusions, he believes Mr. Obama has negotiated in a way that was not in the best interest of the American people.
From Woodward, we know that McConnell and Boehner agreed to extend the fiscal cliff beyond the election with the understanding that either the sequester would go forward or Congress would find more appropriate cuts (not tax increases). Now that the time for sequestration has come, Mr. Obama has decided to he wants to use this new "crisis" as a political football. Rather than proposing a new set of targeted cuts or agreeing to Republican suggestions -- as he led Congress to believe he would. Instead, President Obama has proposed closing tax loopholes (which functionally amounts to raising taxes).
In the final weeks before the sequester deadline, President Obama campaigned furiously, blaming republicans for the cuts and calling for them to compromise. However, he, too, refused to compromise, as he proposed a sequester alternative that he knew the Republicans could not accept. After acquiescing to his demands just two months earlier, he knew it would be politically impossible for them to raise taxes again, yet he was unwilling to yield in his proposals. He then proceeded to use scare tactics (as Bush did with his war on terrorism) to increase support for his position.
As president, Obama has the power and he is winning the argument. In a purely political sense, this fight has been very good for him and his party. He has considerable public support and does not need the "political win" the sequester could provide, so why play hardball and risk the country's well being? Rather than using the trust he has built to win the war for America, Obama decided he wanted to use his capital to win a fight with unpopular Republicans.
Public opinion seems to be indicating that the president has won this battle, as he has won the last several battles with Congress. The problem is this: one crisis after another is having a cumulative negative effect on the people of America, on the economy, on consumer confidence, on credit ratings -- on everything! 
The economy only grew by 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 and looks to be stalling. Now is the time for the president to use his popularity and his position to do more than win political arguments.
Obama is winning the battle but America is losing the war.


http://www.southbendtribune.com/sns-rt-us-usa-faa-furloughsbre93l03e-20130421,0,4570158.story

(VIDEO at Link)


Flight delays could get worse as federal budget cuts are now hitting air traffic controllers. CBS News' Sharyl Attkisson reports.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Travelers waited more than an hour for flights in New York and experienced delays at other U.S. airports on Sunday evening as furloughs of air traffic controllers began, reducing the ability of busy hubs to handle arrivals and departures, theFederal Aviation Administration said.

The furloughs that started Sunday reduced staffing by 10 percent across the country. Last week the FAA warned of delays up to 3-1/2 hours at some airports as the agency cuts spending to meet reductions required under federal budget cuts.


New York's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports reported delays of more than an hour, and Philadelphia international airport also reported delays due to furloughs, the FAA said.

Los Angeles International reported nearly a two-hour delay at 10 pm ET, and Newark Liberty International reported 28-minute delays, though the FAA could not confirm whether those were related to the staff cuts. Delays of up to 58 minutes in San Francisco and 29 minutes in Orlando, Florida, were due to construction and weather, the FAA said.

"Relatively good weather throughout the country and light traffic helped minimize air traffic delays," FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said.

The delays come as the FAA furloughs its 47,000 employees, including nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers who manage the nation's airspace.

The furloughs are set to last through September, the end of the U.S. fiscal year, and are expected to save about $200 million of the $637 million the agency must cut from its $16 billion budget, the FAA said last week.

Paul Rinaldi, president of the Air Traffic Controllers Association, said about 1,200 to 1,500 controllers will be staying home each day, on average, and that some airports might be able to shift staffing to reduce the effect of the furloughs. U.S. airports handle about 25,000 flights a day, he said.

(Editing by Mary Milliken and Stacey Joyce)

No comments:

Post a Comment