DEALING W THE REAGAN CARD

Air Controllers Clash With White House (Don Phillips, August 15, 2003, Washington Post)

After years of labor peace under a friendly Democratic administration, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has chosen to take on the Bush administration over whether the Federal Aviation Administration can continue to contract out control towers at some smaller airports.

At first glance the boisterous duel seems to be over whether to continue unchanged a program that the union once tolerated. But beneath the surface, it represents a decision by the union and Senate Democrats to use the issue as a battleground for the Republican philosophy of privatizing functions now handled by government employees.

Union President John Carr said bluntly that he aims to head off any future plan to privatize other air traffic control functions.

"I'm not really comfortable leaving it up to ideologues when it's a matter of safety," Carr said.

Obviously it should be left up to the union bosses... Posted by Orrin Judd at August 15, 2003 1:23 PM