Death and Mayhem at LaGuardia

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Last week I saw photos of a wide line of people, many with small children and luggage in tow, standing immobile at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport waiting to board flights out of the "Big Easy."  The article with the photo said that the line extended through the main doors and outside into the airport parking garage.  Yesterday evening I saw a similar photo with an identical story on the internet about LaGuardia Airport in New York.

LaGuardia, the nation's 20th busiest airport which serves as a major pipeline for air traffic into and out of New York City, is closed this morning and nobody is going anywhere through its many concourses and gates because very early this morning, well before daylight, an incoming passenger jet from Montreal collided with a firetruck that was crossing the runway on which the big jet was landing.   The crash was severe.  The jet's cockpit was destroyed and the pilot and co-pilot were both killed, two policemen who were riding on the firetruck were seriously injured, and dozens of passengers on the plane were taken to local hospitals with injures, some of them very serious.

The long lines of pissed-off air-travelers and this morning's deadly accident are all the result of the current funding stand-off by officials of our government in Washington, DC.  TSA workers and Air Traffic Controllers have missed their last two paychecks, and many have either quit to take other jobs or are burning up sick leave in order to get by driving for Uber or picking up second jobs and part-time work.

The boondoggle, as this former air passenger understands it, revolves around the government's current refusal to  fund the portion of the Department of Homeland Security which in turn funds TSA and the Air Traffic Controllers.   The other part of DHS, the one that controls Trump's notorious paramilitary ICE forces, has been more than fully funded.   

Democrats in the Senate are refusing to vote for more DHS funding until the masks come off of the ICE goons and the agency begins mandating the use of "judicial" warrants - those issued by actual judges, and not by ICE itself.  Republican senators are declining to make any basic changes in the program.  The Republicans have a majority in the Senate and could pass the legislation that the President is demanding if they would change the Senate rules, which they could do by themselves, and drop the Senate filibuster rule which requires a 60-vote majority on most legislation.  The filibuster gives power to the minority party to block legisaltion, and Republicans know, rightly, that one day they will again be in the minority and need the filibuster.

Trump, for his part, is vowing not to sign any legislation until Congress passes his "Save America" bill, a measure with no connection to Homeland Security funding that will make it more difficult for minorities and married women to vote.

It's a mess and there is plenty of blame to spread into all corners of government.   As of today there does not seem to be much in the way of serious movement to resolve the political impasse.  Trump says he will send ICE agents (who have no training in airport security or airport technical knowledge) into the nations's airports beginning today to help out - so there is that hazard to look out for as well.

Add to all of that swirling mass of airport confusion, both inside of the terminals and parking garages as well as out on the runways, the fact that Trump's unnecessary war in the Middle East is causing the price of jet fuel (and regular gas for autos) to skyrocket, and this might be a very good year to remain home for the summer and enjoy a "stay-cation."

Either that, or take the train.

Maybe if Presidents had to fly commercial, the government would put more care, thought, and money into America's airports and transportation systems.  Just sayin' . . .