All Knowing Michael Boyd on possible Mergers

[AlbieF15]

Hey...I just want the commie-pinko card if/when I do become an MEC rep.

I have been a life-long Republican (like most military guys) and tend to be a very conserative voter. On another board, Occam said "vote your career" and "hold your nose" at times. Like the dude in Full Metal Jacket wearing the peace sign, I laugh at the duality of man...and our own conflicting interests. All my posts on this thread are completely tongue in cheek...

Not a bit more serious...
Just me...but I tend to vote based on foreign policy and 2nd Amendment considerations over my job security. Maybe not the best long term strategy, but being America I get to vote how I want. If elected I'll support the PAC, so that we get the ear of the politicians. But I'll probably still vote for the dude who I think will be protect the country for my kids, not the one who will protect my job. In my perfect world, there would be a moderately conservative leader who not only wanted to promote a strong defense and control domestic spending (and NOT raise Social security taxes ala Obama!) but one who just might value Americans keeping their jobs and industries at home. (Sigh). Still looking...

 

[Occam's Razor]

Hey...I just want the commie-pinko card if/when I do become an MEC rep.

It's not a card...it's a bulls eye. It's not unlike when we raised our right hands and swore to "Support and defend...", only to learn later that we weren't really working directly to keep a document airtight...but to help each other, and do whatever it took to support the grunt with the rifle.

I have been a life-long Republican (like most military guys) and tend to be a very conserative voter. On another board, Occam said "vote your career" and "hold your nose" at times. Like the dude in Full Metal Jacket wearing the peace sign, I laugh at the duality of man...and our own conflicting interests.

Same interests...different game plans.

And remember, my lead-winged, purple-tinted brother...in any instance where you and I find ourselves in disagreement on a matter of policy...you're wrong.

'Kay? Button two for taxi...

Just me...but I tend to vote based on foreign policy and 2nd Amendment considerations over my job security.

We're close. I vote domestic policy, and 3rd Amendment.

(Check out the "NO TROOP QUARTERING!" bumper-sticker on my Volvo)

...one who just might value Americans keeping their jobs and industries at home.

NOW who's talking crazy talk!!??

 

[AlbieF15]

NWA flyin', Volvo drivin' freak... Did you did ROTC at Berkley?

Actually...had an 89 244 I'd still own if Hurricane Dennis hadn't put 2 feet of water in my yard. I LOVED that old car....at 200000 plus miles it still rode like a champ. I'd buy a 2008 240 if they would make one...

 

[Max Powers]

I support the second ammendmant:
The Second Amendment, as passed by the House and Senate, reads:
“ A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. ”
So if your in the military: active guard or reserve you have the right to have arms.....

People who think a gun can be used as personal protections are fools. Are you going to pull out your 9mm when someone hassle you on the L? And if you do there is a very good chance it will be used against you I mean are you going to kill someone because they said they want to kick your butt. Or someone is in your garage trying to steal something would you pull your gun out and kill them for trying to steal your kids bike for drug money. If you really think about it the only time you would want to pull your weapon out is if someone has a weapon pulled on you and then you risk a O K corral showdown.

My father was a NY city cop for 37 years walked the beat and made it to Cpt he never heard or saw of anyone effectively protecting themselves in those years with a gun but he did see how wonderful the gun could be used as a tool to kill; by people who had ever legal right to own one.

The only weapons we should allow are a good ole deer rifle and a shotguns.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Albie... you don't back the PAC now?

The smart guys understand the paradox. Pledging allegence to any political party or agenda is for the weak. Effective politics mandates that each issue is worked regardless of party. Your political ally on one issue might be your adversary on another... it is never black and white rather quit grey. Career high ranking MIL officers know this....

As Air Line Pilots... supporting GWB is like a pig voting for Jimmy Dean.... but sometimes you can't mess with a pilots identity... as they get led down the slaughter shoot, with thier freinds ahead shrilling thier last squeel...they may or may not come to the realization.... but nonetheless they shrug thier shoulders and say.... "I gotta be me!"

Albie, like most FedEx pilots [and Air Line Pilots in the 1990's..] you work in a growth industry so you have the luxury to choose your politics to fit your conditioning..

Keep in mind though... at some point... if you lost your house, income, pension, respectablity (yes, many pilots base thier self worth on thier status....such as job title or employer) your concern for foreign policy would decrease if not become minute. If you have no home do you think your wife and kids are going to want to deal with Iran or where they are going to sleep tonight. Let's face it... we are dependant on our employer to pay our bills. However, our employer isn't dependant on us, as they are ready to hire our replacement..

As an Air Line Pilot if you must vote for Jimmy Dean then at least lobby the gov't to use methodologies that are humane and limit the pain. IOW, as Air Line Pilots our political effectiveness doesn't end with 'once every four year voting' for the Prez. The Prez is just one piece to the puzzle. As pilots we have to lobby Congress continously to address our agenda. That is what ALPA-PAC is all about.

As you may (or may not) know... Fred Smith went to Congress in the 1970's to lobby Congress to change the law that would allow FX to operate larger jets. Without the change Fx couldn't grow. (Fred wanted DC-9's at the time, the law said no). And FedEx remains in the political arena of play.

http://opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strID=C00068692&cycle=2008

FedEx has thier own PAC and is giving more money in 2008 to DEMS than GOP. I really don't think FedEx cares what party a Congressman belongs to... they just want an audience and access to work the FedEx agenda...

As Air Line Pilots we can insist that ALPA plays politics to our personal opinions so we can feel good about being counter productive..... or we can get down to taking care of the business of the Association.

but one who just might value Americans keeping their jobs and industries at home. (Sigh). Still looking...

Well, Jimmy Dean, er I mean W., is NOT your man...

How about a mega hub in Mexico? DFW/HOU and the MEM sort facility could go south. Now, instead of connecting through DFW and HOU, US passengers would fly into Mexico... They'd be confined to the airport ..but with plenty of high dollar shopping and bars..who cares.. just sit for three hours...pump the Mex economy and get on your connecting flight.. back to the US...meanwhile across the mega-ramp is the new FX mega sort facility staffed by cheaper labor mexicans...


Would it surprise you that FedEx has a plan to hire foreign nationals to fly Boeings, A-300, B757, B777, MD-10's, MD-11's out of MEM? Domicile them in dormitories off Airways Blvd..... with the right politic-ing and the TSA/DHS covered.... Pedro and Xiang will be flying our jets..... and the same neo-con 'national security' politicians we vote for will make it happen. Hey, ensuring national security doesn't mean you have a good job or are prospering in life....

 

[Morning Wood]

I support the second ammendmant:
The Second Amendment, as passed by the House and Senate, reads:
“ A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. ”
So if your in the military: active guard or reserve you have the right to have arms.....

People who think a gun can be used as personal protections are fools. Are you going to pull out your 9mm when someone hassle you on the L? And if you do there is a very good chance it will be used against you I mean are you going to kill someone because they said they want to kick your butt. Or someone is in your garage trying to steal something would you pull your gun out and kill them for trying to steal your kids bike for drug money. If you really think about it the only time you would want to pull your weapon out is if someone has a weapon pulled on you and then you risk a O K corral showdown.

My father was a NY city cop for 37 years walked the beat and made it to Cpt he never heard or saw of anyone effectively protecting themselves in those years with a gun but he did see how wonderful the gun could be used as a tool to kill; by people who had ever legal right to own one.

The only weapons we should allow are a good ole deer rifle and a shotguns.

And those can't be used to kill people?

 

[Occam's Razor]

NWA flyin', Volvo drivin' freak... Did you did ROTC at Berkley?

Nah. I got my commission the old fashioned way: Woke up after a 3-day drunk, in Quantico, head shaved, with an unreasonably loud gentleman in a green outfit shouting anatomically-impossible suggestions at me.

Actually...had an 89 244 I'd still own if Hurricane Dennis hadn't put 2 feet of water in my yard. I LOVED that old car....at 200000 plus miles it still rode like a champ. I'd buy a 2008 240 if they would make one...

'82 244 with 340,000 on it. I use it to fetch parts for my 57,000-mile Dodge pick-up.

Back to topic: Boyd writes very well and makes some very strong points.

Pity the industry doesn't operate on smooth writing and strong points.

 

[pipe]

Albie... you don't back the PAC now?

The smart guys understand the paradox. Pledging allegence to any political party or agenda is for the weak. Effective politics mandates that each issue is worked regardless of party. Your political ally on one issue might be your adversary on another... it is never black and white rather quit grey. Career high ranking MIL officers know this....

As Air Line Pilots... supporting GWB is like a pig voting for Jimmy Dean.... but sometimes you can't mess with a pilots identity... as they get led down the slaughter shoot, with thier freinds ahead shrilling thier last squeel...they may or may not come to the realization.... but nonetheless they shrug thier shoulders and say.... "I gotta be me!"

Albie, like most FedEx pilots [and Air Line Pilots in the 1990's..] you work in a growth industry so you have the luxury to choose your politics to fit your conditioning..

Keep in mind though... at some point... if you lost your house, income, pension, respectablity (yes, many pilots base thier self worth on thier status....such as job title or employer) your concern for foreign policy would decrease if not become minute. If you have no home do you think your wife and kids are going to want to deal with Iran or where they are going to sleep tonight. Let's face it... we are dependant on our employer to pay our bills. However, our employer isn't dependant on us, as they are ready to hire our replacement..

As an Air Line Pilot if you must vote for Jimmy Dean then at least lobby the gov't to use methodologies that are humane and limit the pain. IOW, as Air Line Pilots our political effectiveness doesn't end with 'once every four year voting' for the Prez. The Prez is just one piece to the puzzle. As pilots we have to lobby Congress continously to address our agenda. That is what ALPA-PAC is all about.

As you may (or may not) know... Fred Smith went to Congress in the 1970's to lobby Congress to change the law that would allow FX to operate larger jets. Without the change Fx couldn't grow. (Fred wanted DC-9's at the time, the law said no). And FedEx remains in the political arena of play.

http://opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strID=C00068692&cycle=2008

FedEx has thier own PAC and is giving more money in 2008 to DEMS than GOP. I really don't think FedEx cares what party a Congressman belongs to... they just want an audience and access to work the FedEx agenda...

As Air Line Pilots we can insist that ALPA plays politics to our personal opinions so we can feel good about being counter productive..... or we can get down to taking care of the business of the Association.



Well, Jimmy Dean, er I mean W., is NOT your man...

How about a mega hub in Mexico? DFW/HOU and the MEM sort facility could go south. Now, instead of connecting through DFW and HOU, US passengers would fly into Mexico... They'd be confined to the airport ..but with plenty of high dollar shopping and bars..who cares.. just sit for three hours...pump the Mex economy and get on your connecting flight.. back to the US...meanwhile across the mega-ramp is the new FX mega sort facility staffed by cheaper labor mexicans...


Would it surprise you that FedEx has a plan to hire foreign nationals to fly Boeings, A-300, B757, B777, MD-10's, MD-11's out of MEM? Domicile them in dormitories off Airways Blvd..... with the right politic-ing and the TSA/DHS covered.... Pedro and Xiang will be flying our jets..... and the same neo-con 'national security' politicians we vote for will make it happen. Hey, ensuring national security doesn't mean you have a good job or are prospering in life....

I know for a fact (speaking personally to Dem congressmen) that the PAC money going to Dems is mostly to prevent congress from letting FDX out from under the RLA.

The Dems know that the vast majority of FedEx employees have little or nothing to do with the actual airline - and therefore the company should not be subject to the RLA. Think about it - why is a Kinko's clerk subject to the RLA? The GOP knows that the RLA stomps employees and unions into the ground and renders them almost completely ineffective.

Endgame - Fred buys enough Dem votes to keep us under RLA, no other employee groups really bother to unionize as it is a pointless exercise. That is goal #1 of the FDX PAC.

PIPE

 

[~~~^~~~]

Another interesting point I read/heard somewhere was that there is a little bit of time pressure to get a deal done sooner than later. If a deal is done now it will probably receive little scruitny to the business friendly Republican justice department. If you wait until 2009 and the Republicans don't win the whitehouse - it will bcome more difficult to get one of these deals through with a labor-friendly White House.

Not just this, but at UAL Tilton's only plan from the kids doing his homework for him (McKinsey) seems to be a merger before bankruptcy.

If an airline slips into bankruptcy in this capital market, where credit is tighter than Hugo Chavez in a pair of size 28 Levi's, it aint coming out.

(how's that for a nonsequitor metaphor, Boyd?)

 

[PCL_128]

I support the second ammendmant:
The Second Amendment, as passed by the House and Senate, reads:
“ A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. ”
So if your in the military: active guard or reserve you have the right to have arms.....

People who think a gun can be used as personal protections are fools. Are you going to pull out your 9mm when someone hassle you on the L? And if you do there is a very good chance it will be used against you I mean are you going to kill someone because they said they want to kick your butt. Or someone is in your garage trying to steal something would you pull your gun out and kill them for trying to steal your kids bike for drug money. If you really think about it the only time you would want to pull your weapon out is if someone has a weapon pulled on you and then you risk a O K corral showdown.

My father was a NY city cop for 37 years walked the beat and made it to Cpt he never heard or saw of anyone effectively protecting themselves in those years with a gun but he did see how wonderful the gun could be used as a tool to kill; by people who had ever legal right to own one.

The only weapons we should allow are a good ole deer rifle and a shotguns.

What an ignorant load of bullsh*^.

 

[SNOWBUM]

In my perfect world, there would be a moderately conservative leader who not only wanted to promote a strong defense and control domestic spending (and NOT raise Social security taxes ala Obama!) but one who just might value Americans keeping their jobs and industries at home. (Sigh). Still looking...

That would be bill clinton but he cannot run again.

 

[PCL_128]

That would be bill clinton but he cannot run again.

You mean the same Bubba Clinton that signed NAFTA and called it one of his greatest accomplishments? Yeah, great for labor and the little guy. Even his Hildabeast disavows that agreement now. Too bad that it's already destroyed thousands upon thousands of jobs. I'd rather have almost any of the current crop of Democratic candidates rather than Bubba.

 

[Mr.B]

Why are you wishing such a mess on us poor AWA folks? Don't we have enough problems with the Airways bunch? I was glad to see the Delta deal fall through. One less airline to get screwed up.

Having flown for both UA an HP, I can say the HP pilots will be the "problem".

 

[SkiFishFly]

I support the second ammendmant:
The Second Amendment, as passed by the House and Senate, reads:
“ A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. ”
So if your in the military: active guard or reserve you have the right to have arms.....

People who think a gun can be used as personal protections are fools. Are you going to pull out your 9mm when someone hassle you on the L? And if you do there is a very good chance it will be used against you I mean are you going to kill someone because they said they want to kick your butt.

Or someone is in your garage trying to steal something would you pull your gun out and kill them for trying to steal your kids bike for drug money.

If you really think about it the only time you would want to pull your weapon out is if someone has a weapon pulled on you and then you risk a O K corral showdown.

Yes - without hesitation.

If you wait this long you will be shot and perhaps be dead.

 

[Lebowski]

This happens to be my opinion, also.

There is yet another option, however. When you think about an LCC like Southwest, they seem too large and powerful to get swallowed up in the same way as the others you mentioned. Which leads me to wonder if we could see a merger of some other fairly complementary LCCs (JB + Frontier + Spirit) to create another supersized LCC (like Southwest but with AirBii) BEFORE they become easy-pickins' takeover targets as individual companies.

For the love of God, please stop bickering about gun control and Republicans vs. Democrats and respond to my most excellent post (which happened to be on topic). : D