Help me help you

Sorry I already signed the petition that keeps people from dying in the streets and firefighters from eating teachers while loose nuclear particles float about the atmosphere.

I one the other day stating that due to the sequester the gov't was going to have to shut down the force field that kept Godzilla trapped under the ocean.

Sent.

Actually this is more important than people realise, especially when there will potentially be fewer flights across the US and even more airport delays, and don't forget about the safety issues, as air traffic controllers are responsible for keeping you and your loved ones safe in the skies!  

This NPR story shows what we could be facing and it isn't pretty: 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/02/21/172524523/one-place-you-may-notice-the-sequester-at-the-airport

I grew up as an "airport brat" as my Dad was an electrical engineer and helped upgrade local airports into international airports in Africa and the Middle East.  Driving around the airport in an ancient Landrover or Toyota, asking permission to cross runways, learning every type of different civilian aircraft, visiting control towers, and helping my Dad fix things was a fantastic learning experience.  I know a lot of air traffic controllers, who are gifted and dedicated people, who have an unbelievably stressful job, with a stunningly high burn-out rate.  Dub Z - 14 years, wow that is just amazing, you must have absolute nerves of steel?! 

Next time your flight is delayed, or the cost of flying increases x amount because there are fewer flights, blame Congress and not the FAA

Thank you to everyone who wants to understand more about this issue. Air travel accounts for 5.1% of the nations GDP and for that to take a hit would be very bad.

Wartho, thank you for the comment, it has been an exciting career so far and I hope to keep it going for another 14ish years, Lord willing.

I certainly appreciate what ATCs do for me when I'm flying thru the air at 400+mph in a tin can.

But I do have to ask a more general question.  How is it that we got by for so many years paying our ATCs, keeping facilities open when were spending so much less than we are?  The cuts made due to the sequester are peanuts in the grand scheme.

My point is this sequester is a bunch of BS.  And honestly the Obama admin is trying to make it as painful as possible on the public to make it appear that it's the GOPs fault.  Let's be honest here.  It's ALL of our government's fault. They created this problem themselves.

Your right, the sequestration is a bunch of junk. I'm meeting with the mayor, politicians (Senator/State Reps/Govenor), business men, and the pilots to try to get everyone to understand what could happen. The more and more I find out about the underwritings of Obama-care the more and more I see of the train wreck that is about to happen to the U.S. and it makes me terribly sad.

Yep, disappointed in the prez... he said in the debates that it wouldnt happen... now it def looks like they are playing games.  It definitely seems like they are purposefully trying to make the general public "feel" the cuts... w/ air traffic control, no tours of the White House, etc.  And just to be fair, I dont really trust any of our politicians... I'm not sure any of them can get that high up without "making deals."  It's sad.  

Honestly, I am patiently waiting for common americans to get fed up enough to do something.  I'm ready to jump on board.  I heard Warren Buffet say once that passing a law stating none of them could be re-elected if they went more than 3% over budget would fix the problem... he said it sort of jokingly, like it would never happen... but it would def work.

An overwhelming majority of the republicans I've heard have absolutely no problem with sequestration.  The more conservative the person, the more likely they are to tell you, "Sequestration?  A problem?  Nope, it's just a good start."

Because at 31 the govt. can still get 25 years of work out of a person before the mandatory retirement age ((((for controllers)))) of 56, now that does not include management. The reason the for 56 age limit is because of a lot of things start to deteriorate, first being health. At that age a studies have shown that reflexes, hearing, eye sight and cognitive reasoning (problem solving) start to slow down. 

And to reply to the Warren Buffet remark: