Bush wants to close FAA facilities like the base closure initiative from the Reagan era...

"John Theune" wrote in message news:%VWFh.1$jf1.0@trndny01...
: Blueskies wrote:
: See: http://tinyurl.com/32xsat
:
: or:
:
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gener...des%20Closures
:
: "The FAA reauthorization legislation sent to Congress this month calls for establishment of a commission to
recommend
: the closing or consolidation of certain FAA facilities, similar in structure and mission to the Base Realignment and
: Closure (BRAC) organization that was used to shutter scores of Defense Department installations."
:
:
: One problem with this whole concept is that we need to keep these facilities open and viable. This is not like the
: downsizing after the Cold War where we had all sorts of excess capacity. The nonsense coming out of this
administration
: astounds me!
:
:
:
: So tell me why they need to stay open? From the story it looks like
: they are going to study the issue and close what is not needed and
: consolidate the work. Rather then calling this nonsense, I think it's
: about time the federal government examine it's operations in light of
: the current technology and the requirements for multiple facilities.
: The cost of the system continues to go up, yet none of the users want to
: pay that increasing cost, so looking at ways to reduce it looks good to me.


I was seeing the comments about selling facilities (read airports!) as especially interesting. I can only imagine Daily
'owning' O'Hare, or LAX going to the highest bidder.

Also, the way it is written it seems to severely limit the oversight by congress by putting apparently unreasonable
timing constraints on changes.

"The commission would then seek public comment on the FAA Administrator's proposals. Based on its analysis of the
Administrator's proposals, and any public comments, the commission would "make its independent recommendations to the
President for realignment and consolidation of aviation services or facilities," along with a report explaining and
justifying any of its recommendations that differ from those made by the Administrator. Copies of those recommendations
and reports also would be sent to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee and the Appropriations Committees in both houses.
The President then would have the option of approving or disapproving the commission's recommendations in whole or in
part and sending that decision, along with a report, to Congress. But Congress would end up with a very limited window
to review the President's recommendations for facility and services closures or realignments. The language in the
proposed bill says Congress could block the President's recommendations only by adopting a joint House-Senate resolution
within 60 days after transmittal of the President's report. The legislative branch also would lose its opportunity to
block the President's recommendations if it did not act before adjourning for the session during which the President's
report is transmitted."