10%: The Tough Call that's a No-Brainer

The Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Controllers are overworked, and at the moment, unpaid. They are the imporant eyes in the sky in the control towers of commercial airports around the United States. Recognizing flagging morale and increased absenteeism, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced a temporary 4% cut in flight slots, with the prospect of 10% or 20% cuts in the future. While many people of all stripes reluctantly accepted the Secretary's decision, some felt that the flight cuts were political blackmail. Vested interests in the aviation field wanted proof that "10%" was the correct number. There seemed to be a handful of limousine types who wouldn't accept human constraints: that working air traffic controllers too hard or too long could have negative consequences. In terms of the federal government shutdown, aviation again is the straw that breaks the impasse. Politicians are betting that the All-American Thanksgiving Traveler probably won't understand why their flight was cancelled, either. I applaud the Secretary of Transportation for his understanding of the nuts and bolts of the transportation industry- that is, the people and the equipment. In a given situation, you have to work within the constraints. A 10% cut is not unprecedented in aviation: Fred Smith of the then-new Federal Express company, recalled fighting for fuel allotments during the 1973 energy crisis. Looking to marine transportation, the Military Sealift Command last year made the quite shocking decision to lay up 17 ships, or about 25% of its civil service crewed vessels, to alleviate a crewing shortage. In addition to being a prudent steward of aviation safety -or hardball negotiator- Mr. Duffy has his sentimental side as well: his admiration for the Lifeboat Jesus painting at the US Merchant Marine Academy made national news- on the FOX network, at least.