Maybe a reson to vote Dem.

[spinproof]

"Life is full of paradoxes. Smart people embrace paradox."

Let me get this straight Einstein. Life is full of contradictions. Smart people embrace contradictory statements?

Of course you support Whammy O'Bam Mo!

 

[spinproof]

typical loud republicans who don't know politics, international relations, or their history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1wS...tory/66217-funny-chris-mathews-interview.html

Oh yeah Air America that's the radio show that's in bankrupcy because no one listens...puzzling why?

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Oh yeah Air America that's the radio show that's in bankrupcy because no one listens...puzzling why?

Because there is no need to listen to Air America... many Americans know how to think independantly.

Many Americans don't need Sean, Rush and Bill to tell us what to think and believe....

 

[Soverytired]

So you can offer your opinion and I cannot? or you are offended by mine?

<Snort!>

Nice double talk. Your opinion that federal support of unions is the number 1 issue is your prerogative. Your opinion that "everyone's problem" is that they don't agree you and are therefore shortsighted and foolish is simply silly and arrogant beyond belief.

Everyone has different things that are important to them, politically. Do I also think there are some really dumb issues out there? Certainly. Am I so arrogant to believe that what is closest to me must be closest to everyone else? Hell no.

You may have been told many times in your career that flying should be your standby job (profession, whatever) but you should have a primary back up. I humbly suggest you BELIEVE IT. If you're a responsible ADULT, you'll plan for it accordingly.

Look around you. If you have any friends recently furloughed, you should now appreciate how quickly this can happen. Furloughs, loss of medicals, poorly run airlines, well run airlines that still can't compete with even better ones (like Frontier vs Southwest) . . . all of these happen, and no government plan or ultimate federal protection will make any difference.

 

[Soverytired]

Dude, what are you on a double dose of Zoloft? What rock are you living under that you think everything in our profession is so honkeydory?

It's not. I fully believe that total airline capacity in the US will shrink by 30-50% over the next decade and nothing can change that fact. I'm planning accordingly.

However, lets fast forward though to Summer 2009. After sweeping both houses and winning the White House in a blowout election (deservedly, I might add) and Congress passes the "Airline Right to Strike Act".

Your union group now gets to strike whenever it wants. Isn't that great? You can negotiate for anything! Except the airlines will still be losing billions, and you can't squeeze blood from a turnip.

I have yet to hear anyone explain how a labor friendly Congress will actually help airlines or their labor groups. Can they:

• Lower oil prices? - doubtful, cuz it ain't within their power
• Spur development of supply via shale, oil sands, offshore drilling and new refineries - are you kidding? (It would take decades anyway.)
• Subsidize airlines, picking winners and losers? - possibly, but there is no way the taxpayers could support anything like the number of airlines we have now
• Give tax breaks to airlines? - hahahahahahah!
• Build new airports at major hub areas to improve efficiency at congested areas? - (see previous)
• Actually implement ATC "point to point" and NextGen FAA improvements that have been promised and delayed for 30 years and save a fortune in gas? - only if they fire half the FAA brain trust first (not controllers)
• Implement "profiling" at the TSA instead of 10,000 see-through-clothes x-ray machines? - not gonna happen.

Neither party will commit to any of the above.

If there is a single reason to vote "red" based solely on what's good for the airlines, it really is this: Which party is likely to "do what it takes" to prevent another crippling terrorist attack? Personally, I think it's still the "reds" but it's certainly a debatable point, and even I don't think that's a good enough reason to keep them in.

 

[Soverytired]

I will never vote for a man that sat under a pastor that makes statements "I hate White America". And still continued to attend that church. You have to question his JUDGEMENT!!

"Today !! is the first time in my adult life I am proud to be an American"...Michelle Obama= SAD, because your husband is winning?=SAD

Obama will lose by huge numbers in November !!
He will lose NH,OH,FL,WV,PN,=all states Democrates need !!

He's going to win in a landslide and the Democrats will have a veto proof majority.

The Republican party is completely and utterly bereft of idea's and morally bankrupt. They deserve what's coming.

Gonna be a long time in the wilderness. I figure at least 10, and probably 20 years out of power on the federal level.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

<Snort!>

Nice double talk. Your opinion that federal support of unions is the number 1 issue is your prerogative. Your opinion that "everyone's problem" is that they don't agree you and are therefore shortsighted and foolish is simply silly and arrogant beyond belief.

The way Air Line Pilots pay their house note, other bills, etc is via union labor. Union labor sets the hourly rate. Even Skywest, VA and jB pilots pay rates are inflouenced by union labor.

Union labor is very political.

Tell me... what is the most important each month? Your house/rent payment or gays getting married? (or whatever "is important")?

If you can't make your house payment or the rent, what is ones primary concern?

Everyone has different things that are important to them, politically. Do I also think there are some really dumb issues out there? Certainly. Am I so arrogant to believe that what is closest to me must be closest to everyone else? Hell no.

The ability to pay your mortgage is done via work rules and hourly rate. The ability to earn fair work rules and pay rates is determined by the POTUS, judge appointments and NMB appointments.

You may have been told many times in your career that flying should be your standby job (profession, whatever) but you should have a primary back up. I humbly suggest you BELIEVE IT. If you're a responsible ADULT, you'll plan for it accordingly.

There are many ways to make money in this country. However, there are not easy ways to make money.

Re-education is time consuming and expensive. Starting and running a small business takes away from family time and doesn't gurantee success. The US economy is incredibly competitive.

If I need to I will do something else.

But I don't care for your ideals.. of being aloof to ones job and simply finding another when squeezed out.

I believe in fighitng for this profession, and I intend to.

Look around you. If you have any friends recently furloughed, you should now appreciate how quickly this can happen. Furloughs, loss of medicals, poorly run airlines, well run airlines that still can't compete with even better ones (like Frontier vs Southwest) . . . all of these happen, and no government plan or ultimate federal protection will make any difference.

Wow.. that is really deep.

I've been furloughed twice. If we had a pro pilot POTUS in the WH the last 7 years I don't think we would have gotten screwed as hard.

The difference is the ability to pick up the phone and talk to someone in the WH about air line pilot issues. Never happens with GWB and it never will with McCain.


So whats the most important action each month? House/rent payment or gays/guns/abortion?

 

[spinproof]

Because there is no need to listen to Air America... many Americans know how to think independantly.

Many Americans don't need Sean, Rush and Bill to tell us what to think and believe....

Wait a minute! I think you're on to something here!

Let's see Air america is Liberal and Bankrupt! All the other people you mention are very successful and Conservative...hmmm I see a pattern here.

Obviously Liberals don't own radios or they're just too busy listening to Oprah,NPR or Al Gore Global Spontaneous Combustion reruns.
Wow you really are Independant thinkers!

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

It's not. I fully believe that total airline capacity in the US will shrink by 30-50% over the next decade and nothing can change that fact. I'm planning accordingly.

However, lets fast forward though to Summer 2009. After sweeping both houses and winning the White House in a blowout election (deservedly, I might add) and Congress passes the "Airline Right to Strike Act".

Your union group now gets to strike whenever it wants. Isn't that great? You can negotiate for anything! Except the airlines will still be losing billions, and you can't squeeze blood from a turnip.

I have yet to hear anyone explain how a labor friendly Congress will actually help airlines or their labor groups. Can they:

• Lower oil prices? - doubtful, cuz it ain't within their power
• Spur development of supply via shale, oil sands, offshore drilling and new refineries - are you kidding? (It would take decades anyway.)
• Subsidize airlines, picking winners and losers? - possibly, but there is no way the taxpayers could support anything like the number of airlines we have now
• Give tax breaks to airlines? - hahahahahahah!
• Build new airports at major hub areas to improve efficiency at congested areas? - (see previous)
• Actually implement ATC "point to point" and NextGen FAA improvements that have been promised and delayed for 30 years and save a fortune in gas? - only if they fire half the FAA brain trust first (not controllers)
• Implement "profiling" at the TSA instead of 10,000 see-through-clothes x-ray machines? - not gonna happen.

Neither party will commit to any of the above.

If there is a single reason to vote "red" based solely on what's good for the airlines, it really is this: Which party is likely to "do what it takes" to prevent another crippling terrorist attack? Personally, I think it's still the "reds" but it's certainly a debatable point, and even I don't think that's a good enough reason to keep them in.

It appears you know not much...

A friend flies for UAL. On a vancuver, Canada overnight he asked a UAL ramper if UAL took his pension... the ramper replied.. Nope.. the gov't would not allow it...

It is not about stopping oil prices or pathetic airline managemnt it is about not getting screwed in the response...

 

[Soverytired]

It appears you know not much...

A friend flies for UAL. On a vancuver, Canada overnight he asked a UAL ramper if UAL took his pension... the ramper replied.. Nope.. the gov't would not allow it...

It is not about stopping oil prices or pathetic airline managemnt it is about not getting screwed in the response...

Now we're getting somewhere! Your number one voting issue is airline pension reform! Fair enough, and a worthy issue. And the democrats are likely to do it . . . although one COULD argue that the unions should have negotiated this themselves years ago when times were good instead of "pie-in-the-sky" unfunded pensions. I might also add that POTUS "O" wants to raise capital gains taxes, which will make the growth of your 401(k) slow considerably.

Sorry about the furloughs. Yeah, they suck. Retraining to another career is expensive, time consuming, and the experience does not improve with repetition (I've done it twice so far). However, there is not a profession or job in America where your job is "safe." Anyone who's been furloughed once and hasn't started lining up other options hasn't been paying attention.

Any career counselor will tell you to keep developing skills because that's the world we live in . . .global competition on steroids. It's a trend that will only accelerate in our lifetime. There are no guarantees, but you can only make your own opportunities. Lucky for you, as a pilot, you're more intelligent and resourceful than the average Joe.

As to the "gay marriage" issue you seem hung up on . . . I posit that IF you were gay and in love, this one issue would be more important to you than cheap housing or even gainful employment. If you truly believed "abortion" was murder, wouldn't you be torn up by the millions of abortions that take place? Stopping a perceived holocaust would be more important than rent, right? "Guns"? . . . .well, I like guns, but I have plenty already . . . non-issue for me (but I could always use more . . . )

Personally, I think immigration policy, public school reform at the local level, energy policy and national defense are the "big four" . . .and I'm dismayed at the total lack of leadership on most of them.

I'm not going to deride anyone who has other priorities though.