DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Small Child Directs Air Traffic And FAA Not Amused.

**DoctoNilsonDen** · 03-04-2010, 05:26 AM

An investigation is underway. The FAA is taking appropriate measures to ensure the rules are followed, and that any (hard-earned) lessons from this event are fully absorbed into the Agency's corporate culture. I for one do not expect recurrence, at any facility, but hey--you never know -- people are people, and people from time to time do dumb and inexplicable things. Any FAA manager could wake up, tomorrow, and find himself or herself in a predicament such as this, regardless of what proactive measures were taken in an effort to prevent dumb behavior.

Before any disciplinary action in the federal service is proposed, it is important to establish the facts. Should the investigation show that one or more FAA employees need to be disciplined, the employees need to be able to tell their side of the story, respond verbally and/or via written form to any proposed disciplinary action, and in all be afforded DUE PROCESS: 1. as human beings, 2. as federal employees, 3. as members of the NATCA bargaining unit (if applicable,) and 4. as prescribed by law.

As a nation, and as a people, we seem to have lost the ability to laugh at ourselves. We are quick to chop people's heads off, often to satisfy political expediency or to keep CNN at bay, and we have millions and millions of people behind bars. Sensationalized news stories add fuel to what otherwise would be small brush fires, quickly extinguished. Our current political and cultural climate turns my stomach. So there, I said it.

Should the investigation confirm a serious lapse in judgment, and that the employee(s) were guilty of just being stupid, a stern warning and "If you pull a stunt like that again, I'll have your head" might be sufficient. But could that happen in this America? In 2010? Don't count on it.

03-04-2010, 05:26 AM	#12
DoctoNilsonDen Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 418 Senior Member	An investigation is underway. The FAA is taking appropriate measures to ensure the rules are followed, and that any (hard-earned) lessons from this event are fully absorbed into the Agency's corporate culture. I for one do not expect recurrence, at any facility, but hey--you never know -- people are people, and people from time to time do dumb and inexplicable things. Any FAA manager could wake up, tomorrow, and find himself or herself in a predicament such as this, regardless of what proactive measures were taken in an effort to prevent dumb behavior. Before any disciplinary action in the federal service is proposed, it is important to establish the facts. Should the investigation show that one or more FAA employees need to be disciplined, the employees need to be able to tell their side of the story, respond verbally and/or via written form to any proposed disciplinary action, and in all be afforded DUE PROCESS: 1. as human beings, 2. as federal employees, 3. as members of the NATCA bargaining unit (if applicable,) and 4. as prescribed by law. As a nation, and as a people, we seem to have lost the ability to laugh at ourselves. We are quick to chop people's heads off, often to satisfy political expediency or to keep CNN at bay, and we have millions and millions of people behind bars. Sensationalized news stories add fuel to what otherwise would be small brush fires, quickly extinguished. Our current political and cultural climate turns my stomach. So there, I said it. Should the investigation confirm a serious lapse in judgment, and that the employee(s) were guilty of just being stupid, a stern warning and "If you pull a stunt like that again, I'll have your head" might be sufficient. But could that happen in this America? In 2010? Don't count on it.
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