Today I was reading the excerpts (Dallas Morning News, Airline Biz Blog) concerning all those computer hacks that took place in connection to Kate Hanni's flyer rights activities. It certainly isn't a surprise that an air carrier might engage in computer hacking or acquire others to pursue such inteligience gathering activities. What is troubling was the behavior of the consulting firm (Metron Aviation) hired by the FAA (with our Federal dollars) to investigate the root causes of runway delays, and to seek out a valid outside analysis of the occurences. I would expect that having open discussions to be a vital and necessary tool perform that function. However, that does not seem to be the case, Flyer's rights and those assigned to perform the collection duties have been grossly attacked in an old school fashion. As stated here;
"In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Houston, Hanni is seeking at least $1 million in actual damages and $10 million in exemplary damages from Delta and Metron Aviation, a company hired by the Federal Aviation Administration to look at ground delays for airline flights."
How could something so simple,go so wrong, for the consulting firm (Metron Aviation) to posses, or even want to posses transcripts from such an activity, however it took place, is blatantly criminal on their part, and represents gross misconduct. The consulting company hired by the FAA seems to have ignored all basic conflict of interest concerns, and decidedly misrepresented and mis-used the public money that was paid to them by the government (FAA), blatantly working side by side in a corrupt manner with a carrier's senior management, in a manner not related to the purpose they were contracted. There actions suggest collusion, and in this manner suggests they were more interested in future contracts with the carriers they were studying and working with rather than supplying the FAA, the Administration,and the American people a credible result and analisys, suggesting it to be impossible to trust or rely on any end product that might be submitted.
Flyer's rights should be a simple issue, and one that any air carrier would want to be aligned with, to turn into a positive public relations moment,and give us, the travelers, something to feel good about. Unfortunately, whether it's maintenance;
(The FAA is coming down hard on airlines for safety violations. The government agency has proposed a $5.4 million fine against US Airways (LCC) and a $3.8 million fine against United Airlines (UAUA). The fines are for violations ranging from allowing aircraft to fly too many cycles between proper inspections to not following agency safety directives to discovering shop towels in engines that resulted in the engine having to be shut down mid flight.),
the passengers flying comfort, flight delays, lost baggage, etc.. or any other issue the normal, the plan is attack, just want to say No, and make it go away. Sounds sort of familiar, like an old Republican song from Bush/Cheney days gone by. These issues form a pattern and relate back previously mentioned cost-cutting methods of outsourcing maintenance to countries like El Salvador, or simply not performing maintenance checks altogether, pilot training and experience(as tackled by Congress yesterday), lay-offs at the terminals, and many other such areas. It's a good area for our democratic legislatorsand administrators to tackle, and put back upright. I for one, certainly have absolute confidence the new Obama Administraion, with Ray Lahood and Randy Babbit will "make it happen", It's the new way of hope.
good luck Kate, and thanks.
Let's use the member of campaign of change to help Obama and get the change.
Cable news and right wing blogs are swarming with the revisionist history on the New Deal. Arm yourself against lies, spin and propaganda by reading info from a number of sources.
Here down a article about this topic. [Media Matters is a progressive media watchdog and fact checking organization which has received accolades from numerous sources (except the right wing media which often gets debunked by Media Matters).]
The link to digg it and for article: Conservatives Cherry-Pick 1930s Unemployment Figures
Summary: Columnists Mona Charen and George Will continued a trend among conservative media of responding to comparisons between the current economic situation and that of the 1930s and between Barack Obama and FDR by attacking the New Deal. In separate columns, both Charen and Will cherry-picked unemployment figures to assert that the New Deal did not reduce unemployment. But historians and progressive economists have noted that unemployment fell every year of the New Deal except during the 1937-38 recession; further, Nobel-laureate Paul Krugman has said it was a reversal of New Deal policies, not a continuance of them, that contributed to rising unemployment in 1937 and 1938.
Yes we can! Best wishes, Steffen
http://changeforbetterworld.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-way-to-say-goodbye-to-neocons-bush.html
Formal Petition to Attorney General-Designate Eric Holder to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute any and all government officials who have participated in War Crimes.
You can Digg it: My_way to say GOODBYE to neocons, Bush and Cheney!
A picture from me to say goodbye from most bad president of US and all neocons.We can only hope many people will long enough remember. Bush had a lot bad gifts for the change! Let's take care the poor and normal people will not have to pay now too much after the rich made profit in good time!And what's with impeachment now?! What's with hidden knowledge of Sept. 11 2001?[ Maybe an explanation of picture: it's made like an "egg laying wool milk sow" a metaphorical-idiomatic term in Germany]
Yeah, and here you can see something new about neocons were bringing to us - for me to say: don't forgive Bush and neocons and there is still a lot to work of. We will and can do this too - Yes we can!I got now message too like "If anybody can clean up the mess bush left, it's President Obama." - Yes and Obama likes people helping still to do the work - help him! We were a big and strong movement and so people got knowledge back how strong people can be together! Whistleblower: Bush's NSA spied on EVERYONE (already 4255 Diggs) The NSA had access to ALL YOUR COMMUNICATIONS, regardless of who you were or whether or not you were communicating internationally.
John McCain's attempt to nail Senator Obama on the Adler Planetarium's Projector is a clear example of the fact that McCain has no idea on how education is an important integral aspect of growing a strong nation. He asserts that the projector's $3,000.000.00 dollars that was asked for in a bipartisan bill is "Pork Barrel Spending" when the bill was out front and in the open.
In comparing this learning tool for children and adults alike to the cost of the war in Iraq, I found that in the time it took me to research, compose & post this I had already surpassed the cost of $3,000,000.00.
The cost of the war in Iraq is at 10 billion a month (31 days.) That in comparison to the cost of the Planetariums complex projection system is $3 million dollars for 13.392 minutes.
Doctor Phillip Butler is a 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former light-attack carrier pilot. In 1965 he was shot down over North Vietnam where he spent eight years as a prisoner of war. He is a highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals. After his repatriation in 1973 he earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at San Diego and became a Navy Organizational Effectiveness consultant. He completed his Navy career in 1981 as a professor of management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is now a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace.
http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859,00.html
The Democratic National Committee draft 2008 platform that was sent to Platform Committee members on August 7 included a space plank that gives space investment equal billing with alternative energy investment. The relevant text is quoted below:
"... We will make science, technology, engineering, and math education a national priority. We will double federal funding for basic research, invest in a strong and inspirational vision for space exploration, and make the Research and Development Tax Credit permanent. We will invest in the next generation of transformative energy technologies and health IT and we will renew the defense R&D system. ..."
Those of us who hoped for more should appreciate that a party platform is a high-level thematic document. We shouldn't expect to get more detailed treatment than alternative energy! It's worth noting that the 2004 Democratic platform did not mention space at all.
I also wonder what significance to assign to the word "invest" in the space plank. When we invest we expect a return on investment. Could this indicate a more forward-looking commercial or industrial view of space? I'd like to hear some day from the people who drafted the space plank on what they had in mind.
Barack Obama pledged to reestablish the National Aeronautics and Space Council at a town hall meeitng in Titusville, FL, today!
For more info, see: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gG5kBP
...... And we have to do more than provide short-term relief. We have to secure our long-term prosperity and strengthen America’s competitiveness in the 21st century. One of the areas where we are in danger of losing our competitive edge is our space program. When I was growing up, NASA inspired the world with achievements we are still proud of. Today, we have an administration that has set ambitious goals for NASA without giving NASA the support it needs to reach them. As a result, they’ve had to cut back on research, and trim their programs, which means that after the Space Shuttle shuts down in 2010, we’re going to have to rely on Russian spacecraft to keep us in orbit. We cannot cede our leadership in space. That’s why I will help close the gap and ensure that our space program doesn’t suffer when the Shuttle goes out of service by working with Senator Bill Nelson to add at least one additional Space Shuttle flight beyond 2010; by supporting continued funding for NASA; by speeding the development of the Shuttle’s successor; and by making sure that all those who work in the space industry in Florida do not lose their jobs when the Shuttle is retired – because we cannot afford to lose their expertise. More broadly, we need a real vision for space exploration. To help formulate this vision, I’ll reestablish the National Aeronautics and Space Council so that we can develop a plan to explore the solar system – a plan that involves both human and robotic missions, and enlists both international partners and the private sector. And as America leads the world to long-term exploration of the moon, Mars, and beyond, let’s also tap NASA’s ingenuity to build the airplanes of tomorrow and to study our own planet so we can combat global climate change. Under my watch, NASA will inspire the world, make America stronger, and help grow the economy here in Florida....
Fritz Hollings, who resigned from the Senate in 2003, explains to Bill Moyers in pretty blunt terms one of the more obvious ways in which our government has been overthrown. The old fashioned way, with bribery.
Space policy made a pretty decent splash at Netroots Nation. We had an excellent panel on space policy, and an excellent platform meeting. For those of you who don't remember, we had Andrew Hoppin moderating, and Chris Bowers, Lori Garver, Patricia Grace Smith, and George Whitesides all speaking. You can about the panelists here.
Join me over the fold to read, and see it
Hey Everyone,
I figured now would be a good time to remind everyone (again) about some upcoming space events, that would be worth going to. We have a couple of major events this week, as well as future events upcoming. I promise reports to any and all I attend, and I suggest that you attend as well
This is being re-posted from my diaries over at dailykos
In many of my past diaries, I commented on Senator Obama, and his lack of a space policy, and the concern that he is anti human spaceflight. These diaries have ranged from long explanations, to something that was probably close to a rant.
Senator Obama, there should be no question as to wether the US should continue and bolster a vigorous manned space program without pause. This coupled with unmanned missions and the pursuit of fusion energy for space travel can be the winning combination that gets us where we want to be in space travel and value for what we hope to accomplish.
The Constellation mission will be a very important stepping stone to the giant leaps to come. We cannot afford to cut this funding and stall the program, only to pay more later to start back up and be way behind the potential. There is no good trade off of a vigorous manned space program for funding of education.
I say to you Senator Obama that we must do both, and they must be intertwined, and in the words of President Kennedy we must do it, not because it is easy but because it is hard, but we must do them together.
It is in the DNA of mankind to push the limits, it is what kills us and what keeps us alive!
To: Steve Robinson, space policy spokesperson for the Obama campaign.
Dear Steve,
Thank you for your long time support of Barack and your service in advising him on science policy. I am primarily interested in energy independence issues, but as a close follower of Space Policy (I admin the Space and Aeronautics Policy blog on democrats.org), I would like the opportunity to offer some observations about the recent debate you participated in at the International Space Development Conference.
Thanks for your time in considering these options for future confrontations with space spokespersons representing the Bush-McCain " Vision for Space Exploration" that will doom us to a 30 year delay in space exploration. An example of how I employ these themes and rhetoric may be found on the democrats.org space and aeronautics policy blog. Link to a recent post here. Although I am for reconsideration of Constellation/Ares in favor of heavier investment in climate change monitoring and remote exploration of space, contrary to the appearance given in this post, I am not an opponent of manned missions. In fact I fiercely believe this gets us a significantly more aggressive space policy using the same resources budgeted by the Republicans. I foresee manned bases on the moon and mars, but see the base construction and extraction of local resources largely conducted by vehicles operated remotely by humans on earth. I personally believe it is the fastest and smartest way to extend humanity's dominion to the inner and outer planets.
Warm regards,
John
