Donald Trump unveils plan to privatize air traffic control

Fox News ^ | June 5, 2017

[Rennes Templar]

President announces Air Traffic Control Reform Initiative

Live video at Fox link

[samtheman]

Minimum required IQ to understand why this is a good idea: 50.

Number of serious congressional attempts to push this idea in the past: 0.

[Williams]

CNN: Trump To Speak Live Amid Several Firestorms

[Williams]

Had to listen to vacuous FOX commentary. No evidence of any collusion but still Trump has only himself to blame. Pence speaking now.

[LS]

I’m baffled. Why does “Trump have only himself to blame?”

What has Trump to do with hateful, evil Swamp Dwellers who are hell-bent to pursue this no matter what he does or says?

[Aria]

Apparently the previous administration spent 7 billion trying to upgrade the air traffic control system and got nowhere - which was to be expected from those idiots.

Trump says this will lower ticket prices and be safer.

[Red Badger]

To a liberal, ALL things must be government.
This is a declaration of war for them......................

[Williams]

It made no sense but this is what talking heads fill their time with. They repeat the same empty remarks all day long. And this was Fox.

[1Old Pro]

Why just the controllers, let’s privatize the TSA too.

[theBuckwheat]

My only reservation is that where this has been implemented the per service costs have priced private aviation out of the sky, especially for instrument operations. That price is based the very costly bureaucracy that many operations really do not need, but are imposed upon them by the FAA.

A few years ago, my local control tower held a users meeting at which they discussed their budget and operations counts. When I divided their budget by the number of operations, it came out to more than $19 per take off and landing.

In a fully user-costed privatization, if you went out to the airport and shot your 3 takeoffs and landings (for your 90 day currency to take passengers), you would get a bill for 6 x 19 = $114 for air traffic control services. You may or may not need tower services, but if the control tower is open when you fly, you must accept the services and you also must accept how much it cost the government to provide those services.

The issue is that when government assumed full legal control of the operation of aircraft, that became a national infrastructure function of government. That naturally falls upon the general budget of the government. Further, government monies out of the general fund have been used to build and maintain all manner of air navigation facilities. All citizens, by the simple fact of their citizenship, must have equal access. It is a Constitutional issue of equality before the law.

I realize that my reservation goes to the heart of the issue.

[RKV]

Britain and Canada privatized their ATC systems to good result. It can be done and makes financial sense to do so.

[Williams]

There is now a signing but these idiots have to talk over him as if they have something more important to say, then they cut away. CNN has a countdown clock to Comey’s testimony. Fox isn’t much better.

[LS]

Yes. I agree. But the good news is that average voters are NOT listening to this stuff.

That’s why I keep watching voter reg statistics since Nov. in the 7 or so battleground states. Since Nov. PA +100k R, NJ has seen both parties fall, but Ds fall by 26k more than Rs, FL +27k Rs, IA +4k Rs, NH +2k Rs

The only two not showing R gains (that I can get data for) are CO and NV. CO has trended badly for three years, going from +5% R to +1% D today. NV has seen the election’s D margin stay the same, despite growth in both parties (however, there is a big I contingent in NV).

No data available for WI, MN, MI, OH, or NC yet.

[Rennes Templar]

Just another thing that previous admins have let slide into mediocrity that Trump has to fix.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks so much for your support to this point... I personally apprecaite it...
FReepers, it's time to wrap up this FReep-a-thon.  Lets do it...

President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America

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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Just $274.00 to 85.00%

[Skywise]

I’d prefer he dissolve the TSA and return airport security to the airport and airlines first.

[Williams]

Interesting data,ty.

[wiseprince]

Who will be the first Republican Senator to declare this DOA? McCain, Linda....Place your bets. McCain has been seen rushing to the nearest CNN microphone. If it’s not war or VA it’s not happening.

[vette6387]

“Apparently the previous administration spent 7 billion trying to upgrade the air traffic control system and got nowhere - which was to be expected from those idiots.”

As my wife just said to me, “ This is what you get when you make an illegal alien community organizer president!”

[alloysteel]

So is Donald Trump to be pictured as St. George battling the dragon, or is he Don Quixote tilting his lance at the windmills?

There could be no doubt as to the inner vision guiding the heroics of either, but the results are a little - mixed. Neither was beset by self-doubt, and who knows, sometimes the good guy wins.

And in winning, goes on to change the entire world.