Flight Service Sigmet

An Air Traffic Controller from Georgia has been writing his senator, Saxby Chambliss on the imminent loss of Flight Service Stations to the Lockheed-Martin contract. The letters specifically ask the Senator to support S. 776, a bill that would make Flight Service an ‘inherently governmental’ function (i.e. not subject to outsourcing). Like too many others, the Senator’s response is hilarious:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the outsourcing of
maintenance jobs by American airline carriers. It is good to hear
from you.

The safety and vitality of our airline industry were issues of the
highest importance to lawmakers here in Washington, D.C., long before the
attacks on September 11, 2001. Since then, however, the airlines
have come under considerable economic strain, and the government has tried
to institute policies aimed at alleviating this crisis while ensuring the
security of air travel. American jobs in the airline industry have
also felt the affects of these trends, especially in Georgia.
Airlines across the country are laying off employees and furloughing
pilots and flight crews at unheard of rates. The financial bailouts
and heightened role of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
are just a few examples.

Someone needs to ask the Senator who it is that reads and responds to his mail.