"Chip Jones" wrote in message news:0oq5b.26774
I disagree. The sunset limitation was added during the conference. Both
the House and the Senate Bill expressly forbade ATC privatization
indefinitely.

No, it just forbade the FAA from further ATC privatization until further act of congress.

Negative. Essentially, this opens up 69 VFR towers to contracting out, not
71. All 71 towers have already been considered.

Right, I forgot to deduct the two Alaskan towers.

What makes the provision of VFR tower ATC
services in Alaska any different than the provision of VFR tower ATC
services in the Lower 48 or Hawaii?

Congressional wheeling and dealing. Same reason why West Virginia had
so many dedicated (i.e. non AFSS) FSS's and control towers at places that
didn't really warrant them up until rather recently.

How then do you pilots define the "core" privatization issue if not the
provision of contract ATC services versus government ATC services?

Contracting out the performance of tasks is a different issue than establishing
a seperate PBO or other non-direct government agency to control the skies.