OPINION: Unload Federal Aviation Administration budget baggage before shutting off towers: Trenton Mercer Airport (KTTN), Trenton, New Jersey

Since Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has targeted the Trenton-Mercer Airport control tower for closure (“Dark towers loom at airports — In sequester, pilots will be on their own at Trenton-Mercer, raising safety worries,” March 10), perhaps Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-Mays Landing) and Rep. Rush Holt (D-Hopewell) can ask him what the tower controllers will be doing with themselves after the closure. Will they be laid off, subjected to a one-day-a-week furlough or will they just be sitting idle on their hands?

Perhaps they could also ask him why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)  has more than 80 job openings (as of March 10 on its own website), including positions as air traffic controller, at a time when it is “saving” money by closing control towers. Also, they could ask him what savings have been targeted in the bloated management ranks of the FAA through furloughs or position reductions (a.k.a. layoffs) with savings that would result in zero impact to the flying public.

Last, they could ask him why the FAA’s operations budget (DOT budget highlights FY 2013) of $9.653 billion in FY 2012 increases to $9.718 billion in FY 2013 and is not enough to run the Air Traffic Control system without closing towers and furloughing employees.

-- Paul Hunter,
Robbinsville

Source:   http://www.nj.com