Coping
ARE YOU STILL FEELING DEPRESSED?
Me, too.
Whew!
CLINTON-GORE-ALBRIGHT-COHEN-BERGER.
Gore-Lieberman-?-?-?
Bush-Cheney-Powell-Rumsfeld-Rice-Bush Sr.
‘Nuff said.
Air Amtrak
IT LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THE FIRST CASUALTIES OF THIS “NEW KIND OF war” will be capitalism. First there were calls for a complete government takeover of airport security. If the public deems this to be a police function, or one that the private sector is no longer equipped to handle, maybe they’re right, maybe they’re wrong, but so be it.
But now the capitalists themselves want government intervention, in the form of a federal bailout of the airlines. The politicians appear happy to oblige.
No doubt, the airlines have been hit hard by the temporary stoppage and indefinite slowdown in air travel following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But since when is capitalism only a sunny-day enterprise? If there are fewer air travelers short-term, then investors and managers can figure out ways to tide themselves over. If the problem is longer term, then this wouldn’t be the first time an industry had to consolidate. In either scenario, investors, executives and employees share in the pain. It’s the American way.
However, if great minds really believe the airlines and the country face an emergency that can only be addressed with government assistance, then for Pete’s sake lets do things like loans, loan guarantees and tax breaks, which indeed are on the table. But another key proposal as of this writing is $5 billion cash to the airlines. Why not at least structure such a payment as an equity infusion, with Uncle Sam getting shares in the companies? Heck, given the depressed prices of airline stocks right now, it might prove a good deal for Sam, like the long-ago bailout of Chrysler.
If instead the airlines pull off this direct raid of taxpayer pockets, then they shouldn’t be surprised if the government starts telling the airlines what kind of fuel they can burn, what cities they should service, how much they have to reimburse travelers for cancelled flights, what kind of meals they must offer, how big a raise they owe flight attendants or how much they can pay their executives.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch, remember?
Light Rail, Cont’d
I’VE BARELY RECOVERED FROM THE NEWS THAT COUNTY OFFICIALS want to build bicycle paths as a way to get cars off the road, when here comes another attempt to revive the choo-choo.
The councils of Irvine, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana will soon be considering a 13-mile tri-city line. If that’s what those cities want, let ’em go ahead. So long as they pay for it.
Never Mind
JIM SILVA SHOCKED EL TORO OBSERVERS LAST WEEK WHEN HE UNEXPECTEDLY
broke ranks with his pro-airport colleagues and provided the swing vote for a motion that would delay the airport plan until county voters could decide its fate in a straight up-or-down ballot issue. The next day, Silva changed course again, saying there have been enough votes and he’ll approve the airport plan next month. Silva based his latest decision on feedback from constituents and “community leaders.” Others suggested Silva had just gotten confused initially by some rapid-fire parliamentary moves of his anti-airport colleagues. Whatever. And by all means, stay tuned.
Entertaining sidelights: After Silva’s bombshell vote, he and pro-airport colleague Chuck Smith had a spirited exchange during a hastily called recess. When the board reconvened, an argument erupted between Smith and anti-airport supe Todd Spitzer. Spitzer accused Smith of muttering the “F-word,” which Smith denied. “I never have to watch Jerry Springer again,” said one bemused observer.
With the nation trying to regain its footing in the wake of tragedy, it’s comforting to see that it’s back to business-as-usual in the Hall of Administration.
