Archive for the ‘Transportation’ Category
When Gov. Dayton visited St. Cloud Tuesday night, he said that he wouldn’t raise taxes on the middle class. That’s a verifiable lie. His budget includes increases in the metro sales tax and the cigarette tax. Both taxes are regressive taxes, meaning they’ll hit the middle class and the working poor harder than they’ll hit 1-percenters.
Appearing on Ox in the Afternoon, Sen. John Pederson said that he’s the ranking minority member on the Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee. He’s also the ranking minority member on the Finance- Transportation and Public Safety Committee. As a member of the Senate Transportation Finance Division, he got a fiscal note on the Senate’s proposed .75% metro sales tax increase. That fiscal note said that it would raise $300,000,000 a year, all of it dedicated to metro transit projects.
That tax will hit the middle class and the working poor the hardest.
That’s before talking about Gov. Dayton’s 94-cent-per-pack cigarette tax increase, which hurts convenience store operators:
Convenience store owners challenged a cigarette tax hike proposal by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton at a town hall meeting earlier this week, Minnesota Public Radio reports.
The retailers said that the governor’s plan to raise the cigarette tax by 94 cents a pack will send their customers to bordering North Dakota.
“When you lose those tobacco customers, those guys and gals that come in every single morning and get their coffee, their pop, they buy their gas, they buy their car washes…we’re all of a sudden looking at running our business on 75%-60% of our customer base. And that’s pretty tough to do,” said Frank Orton, owner of 15 convenience stores.
Dayton said the tax is designed to deter smoking, though he told Orton that he is willing to consider adding tobacco products to legislation that equalizes taxes for businesses located along state borders.
“If people can go across the river and buy their cigarettes in Fargo for whatever less the tax difference is it’s obviously undermining the intent of our raising the tax at all because they can just go over there and not be affected by it,” Dayton said.
Gov. Dayton is utterly clueless. People driving across the Red River to North Dakota or crossing into Wisconsin or Iowa is the totally predictable outcome to his proposal. Though this wasn’t the intent of the legislation, that’s the predictable outcome of raising taxes.
In that article, Gov. Dayton admitted that people change their behavior when taxes get raised. What’s galling about that is that he apparently thinks that businesses that can relocate to other states won’t move if he raises income taxes. According to this article, St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce President Teresa Bohnen has proof he’s wrong:
St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce President Teresa Bohen says she’s recently talked with four local companies who say they may have to transfer their investments to other states, if the Governor’s plan goes through.
That’s a polite way of saying they’ll move if their taxes get raised.
One thing that came through clearly from Tuesday’s meeting was that Gov. Dayton and his supporters think of businesses as second class citizens. That attitude was clear this week. It was clear when Gov. Dayton addressed the State Chamber of Commerce gathering in St. Paul 2 weeks ago.
That’s after they applauded Gov. Dayton for pulling his sales tax increase from his budget proposal. Gov. Dayton then went on a hissy fit tirade, saying that businesses weren’t paying their fair share, that they were essentially getting a free ride.
In addition to being dishonest, Gov. Dayton apparently isn’t the brightest bulb in the DFL chandelier. If Minnesota’s businesses start expanding in other states as a direct result of Gov. Dayton’s and the DFL’s tax policies, their move will undercut whatever growth is happening right now.
Gov. Dayton hasn’t made economic growth his highest priority. Apparently, tax fairness is Gov. Dayton’s and the DFL’s guiding principle. They apparently haven’t learned that a rising tide lifts all ships and that a growing economy benefits everyone.
That’s a sad day in Minnesota.
Tags: Mark Dayton, Townhall Meetings, St. Cloud, Moorhead, Tax Increases, Metro Sales Tax, Cigarette Tax, Transit, DFL, John Pederson, Economic Growth, MNGOP
Most of the pundits on local TV shouldn’t be on TV. Former state senator Don Betzold is one of those pundits. While criticizing Michele Bachmann for not supporting expansion of the North Star Corridor to St. Cloud, he insisted that extending the corridor would solve I-94′s congestion problems. He hinted that expanding I-94 wasn’t a priority.
That last part parrots a line from MnDOT Spokesman Kevin Gutknecht:
But Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said the I-94 widening doesn’t rank high on the agency’s long-term list of priority projects. “There are projects like this all across the state — really good projects, really important projects, projects that have tremendous support like this,” he said. “It all really boils down to the funding piece.”
Anyone that thinks fixing I-94′s congestion problems isn’t an important problem worthy of solution isn’t qualified for a MnDOT job. Either that or he’s a political hack attempting to undercut a sitting US congressperson.
But I digress.
Betzold’s commentary suggested that expanding North Star was a solution. It isn’t. In fact, it’s a death trap that should be avoided at all costs. In addition to the construction costs, the taxpayers’ subsidies that help bring the cost to riders down total tens of millions of dollars over the next decade. Without those subsidies, the cost per rider would be wildly expensive.
Then there’s the consideration that people don’t like transit that much. The DFL frequently insists that transit is the wave of the future. It isn’t. Americans love the freedom of driving. We love being in control of our lives. That includes the ability to go where we want to go when we want to go there. Transit doesn’t give us that option.
What transit lacks in mobility, it makes up for in subsidies. We shouldn’t be in the business of subsidizing private industries. If they can’t make it without subsidies, that’s proof they aren’t viable. A key economic principle is that if something isn’t sustainable, it can’t be sustained indefinitely. I’d take that a step further. If something can’t be sustained, it’s likely heading for a quick collapse.
The only thing as painful as listening to Betzold was hearing Tom Hauser call the I-94 project an earmark. Earmarks typically are dropped into a conference committee report in the dead of night. They don’t go through the scrutiny of a committee mark-up. The I-94 project Michele Bachmann proposed went through the committee process. It was done in the light of day. Most importantly, the I-94 project isn’t pork designed mostly to prove she’s ‘bringing home the bacon.’ The I-94 project Michele proposed is actually a solution to a major problem.
Contrary to what Mssrs. Gutknecht and Betzold said, anyone who’s been trapped at the bottlenecks where I-94, 694 and 494 connect knows that that’s been a major problem for a generation. Anyone who’s tried getting on I-94 near Bass Lake Road or Highway 101 knows that those have been problem areas for a decade.
If that isn’t worthy of prioritizing, then nothing is. Mr. Hauser is usually a pretty good reporter. This time, though, he slipped.
Tags: Transportation, North Star Corridor, Subsidies, MnDOT, Kevin Gutknecht, DFL, Michele Bachmann, I-94 Expansion, Bottlenecks, Public Safety, Transparency, GOP
This recent LTE is titled “We all want the same things.” It’s possible that the LTE was written by someone wanting to be polite and professional. It’s possible that it’s accurate most of the time. It’s impossible to say, though, that it’s right the vast majority of the time.
This part of the LTE shouldn’t be underexamined:
When he came into the room to speak to the Chamber of Commerce, all the members stood up and applauded. He could have owned that room if he would have said a few things: Thank you for all the jobs you provide in Minnesota; thank you for being the economic engine that drives this state; thank you for taking out time in your schedule to talk about the issues today that are important to Minnesota; and we can work together to make some difficult decisions and compromises to make Minnesota the greatest state to do business in.
It’s true that Gov. Dayton would’ve been a hero had he said those things. Likewise, it’s true that that isn’t in his, or the DFL’s, nature. Gov. Dayton and the DFL have repeatedly stated that funding K-12 and higher education was the cornerstone to a thriving economy. At other times, they’ve said that funding transportation was integral to prosperity. While it’s true that those things contribute to economic growth, there’s no question that they’re only part of the equation that delivers economic prosperity.
Based on the DFL’s actions and the actions of their political allies, the DFL apparently thinks that crippling regulations, especially on precious metals mining and frack-sand harvest, won’t hurt Minnesota’s economic growth. The frack-sand moratorium will hurt job and income growth. North Dakota has a booming need for this sand. Minnesota’s environmentalists’ response has been disdain or outrage. They want to prevent this industry from getting started.
That’s hardly the picture of “everyone wanting the same things.”
Conservation Minnesota (with special emphasis on the CON) is doing everything possible to prevent Iron Rangers from providing for their families. Though other states have proven that it’s quite possible to harvest copper, gold, nickel and other precious metals in an environmentally friendly way, Conservation Minnesota has fought hard to prevent the PolyMet and Twin Metals projects from starting.
That isn’t the picture of “everyone wanting the same things.”
I’d agree that everyone professes to wanting the same things. President Reagan was right, though, in saying you can’t love jobs but hate the employer. Though that was said 30 years ago, President Reagan’s statement accurately depicts the DFL/ABM/Mark Dayton/Paul Thissen/Tom Bakk mindset perfectly.
Gov. Dayton and other likeminded politicians think that businesses aren’t contributing “their fair share” to Minnesota’s economic health. They’ve taken the jobs these companies have created for granted. The thought of actually appreciating the benefits these companies provide Minnesota’s families and communities doesn’t cross the DFL’s mind.
The truth is that the DFL doesn’t consistently want what Minnesota wants. The DFL frequently talks about using a “balanced approach” to balancing Minnesota’s budget. That’s a nice-sounding thing but it doesn’t make sense. That implies that Minnesota’s problem is revenue-based, not spending-based.
For instance, Don Betzold was on At Issue With Tom Hauser. He was discussing Michele Bachmann’s plan to expand I-94 and Highway 10. He said “She (Bachmann) can’t have it both ways. I wish she had supported extending the North Star Corridor to St. Cloud.”
Betzold’s argument is fatally flawed, starting with the undeniable fact that all transit lines, North Star included, require massive taxpayer subsidies. Betzold also ignored the fact that, without the taxpayers’ massive annual bailout, North Star ridership wouldn’t put a significant dent in the I-94 traffic.
I’m not alone in thinking that North Star shouldn’t be extended to St. Cloud. I’m not alone in thinking that the taxpayers’ subsidies, aka the taxpayers’ annual bailout of transit, is a good investment. By definition, that means the DFL doesn’t want what Minnesotans want on this issue.
It’s time Minnesota’s taxpayers stopped pretending that the DFL pretty much wants what they want. The facts don’t bear that out.
Tags: Mark Dayton, Tax Increases, Don Betzold, North Star Corridor, Taxpayer Subsidies, Bailouts, Conservation Minnesota, Frack-Sand Moratorium, Unemployment, DFL, Michele Bachmann, Transportation, Interstate Highways, Public Safety, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Economic Growth, MNGOP
Allegiant Airlines’ announcement that they were temporarily shutting down air service from St. Cloud Regional Airport caught people by surprise:
Allegiant Airlines will suspend its service between St. Cloud and Arizona from Aug. 14-Oct. 9, the company confirmed Thursday.
The news came in response to an inquiry from the St. Cloud Times. Allegiant Media Relations Manager Jessica Wheeler said the cost-cutting move is not unusual for the company that specializes in point-to-point flights to leisure destinations, although it’s more common on Allegiant’s Florida routes.
“It’s something we do as part of our business plan to keep costs low when we do fly,” Wheeler said.
She said the timing of the suspension is driven by the cyclical demand for leisure travel. Vacations tend to drop off as a new school year approaches, rebounding as holiday travel periods approach.
Based on the statistics, it looks like Allegiant isn’t having difficulty filling their flights:
During January and February, Allegiant handled 5,142 passenger departures and arrivals in St. Cloud, according to data requested by the Times. The data suggests the flights, on McDonnell-Douglas MD-80s that carry about 150 passengers, have been near capacity. Airlines generally don’t release passenger load information for specific routes.
The airport’s data shows use was fairly evenly split among travelers headed to Arizona and those coming to Minnesota: 2,686 going south in those two months and 2,466 headed north from Arizona.
Attracting St. Cloud to Chicago air service relies on a different dynamic. Airlines are significantly less likely to move into a market that doesn’t provide workforce training, especially pilots and mechanics. The healthier the pipelines for pilots and mechanics, the more attractive the market is to an airlines. This article illustrates how important that pipeline is:
In an email to prospective job seekers on Friday, American Eagle Airlines announced that it is offering a $5,000 signing bonus for newly hired pilots. At present, Eagle plans to hire 600 new pilots in 2013. New FAA rules require that new airline pilots meet Airline Transport Pilot license standards.
American Eagle notes that American Airlines, its parent company, is planning to hire 2,500 pilots over the next five years. Approximately half of the current list of Eagle pilots is expected to be hired by American or other major airlines.
The $5,000 bonus is paid at the beginning of training and requires a two year commitment to Eagle. According to Airline Pilot Central, American Eagle’s first year pay is $25 per hour with a 75 hour reserve guarantee. This works out to about $22,500 for the first year, not including the bonus. Pay is relatively flat for turboprop first officers, but FOs on jets, the majority of the fleet, will see an increase to $34 per hour and about $30,600 annually for the second year. Currently, the most junior captain has a hire date of May 2006, but as the major airlines ramp up their hiring, upgrades could potentially move much faster.
In short, Allegiant’s reason for its hiatus has nothing to do with St. Cloud’s ability to attract regional air service between St. Cloud and Chicago. If St. Cloud has a healthy aviation program, it stands a fighting shot at getting air service. If it doesn’t have a healthy aviation program, it can’t compete with other markets competing for regional air service.
Rather than shutting down St. Cloud State’s Aviation program, MnSCU should be talking about opening up a program to train air maintenance workers at the St. Cloud Technical and Community College. Strengthening, not eliminating, St. Cloud’s aviation workforce program is the only decision that makes sense.
Tags: Allegiant Air, Tourism, Arizona, Regional Air Service, American Eagle, Starting Bonuses, Pilots, Mechanics, St. Cloud State, MnSCU, Earl Potter, SCTCC
Watching this interview was painful:
The interviewer tried repeatedly to get Rep. Dennis Lien to answer whethere “there was any circumstance” where he might vote for Gov. Dayton’s business-to-business sales tax increase. Rep. Lien repeatedly said that he didn’t think it was wise to make a pledge on how he would vote.
Several times, Rep. Lien talked about the need to look at the budget in its totality (that’s quite the dodge, isn’t it?) rather get hung up on the details.
It’s worth noting that this interview was conducted on March 7, at least 6 weeks after Gov. Dayton first submitted his Mulligan Budget. Rep. Lien certainly had time to study the proposal. He repeatedly said that he’d listened to businesses in his district. He acknowledged they had concerns about Gov. Dayton’s sales tax proposal.
Despite that information, Rep. Lien wouldn’t tell his voters whether their concerns would determine his vote. That’s a stunning thing. If he’s had the time to study the proposal and he’s listened to businesses who’ve expressed reservations about the business-to-business sales tax, what’s left to do before making a decision?
It isn’t like the interviewer was asking him to sign a pledge to never, under any circumstance, raise taxes. The interviewer simply wanted Rep. Lien to make up his mind on this specific policy. That isn’t too much for Lien’s constituents to ask. Instead, Rep. Lien chose to not tell his constituents what he’d do on a matter of import to them. (That’s the polite way of saying Rep. Lien acted like a weasel.)
In the past, demented Michele Bachmann haters argued that she didn’t care about her district. While it’s true she took time to run for president, it isn’t true that she doesn’t care about what’s best for her district. Her getting a new Stillwater Bridge built is proof she cares about the Sixth District. This Pi-Press article offers more proof that Rep. Bachmann cares about the Sixth District:
Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann sought Monday to muster support in Minnesota and Washington for money to add a new Interstate 94 lane in each direction between the western Twin Cities suburbs and St. Cloud.
The congresswoman came to the state Capitol along with supporters from local government and businesses to talk about the project, as well as a related push to upgrade U.S. 10 that runs parallel to the heavily traveled interstate. Backers of the I-94 project are trying to amass $25 million for the first construction phase of an expansion that could reach $100 million when fully complete. The improvements to U.S. 10 are priced at $300 million.
Of course, the Dayton administration sought to diminish the importance of the I-94 project:
But Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said the I-94 widening doesn’t rank high on the agency’s long-term list of priority projects. “There are projects like this all across the state — really good projects, really important projects, projects that have tremendous support like this,” he said. “It all really boils down to the funding piece.”
It’s interesting that MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht hints that widening I-94 isn’t a good project or an important project. The notion that one of the two busiest highways in the state doesn’t qualify as an important project is utter nonsense.
This stinks of political gamesmanship on behalf of the Dayton Administration. Sixth District voters will remember that when Gov. Dayton asks for their support in 2014. I’m betting they won’t like it that his administration prefered playing political games rather than doing what’s right for economic development in central Minnesota.
The other thing that’s worth noting is that Michele didn’t airdrop an earmark into a transportation bill conference committee report. She’s putting the project through the committee where it can be researched in the light of day. Michele’s projects, including the Stillwater Bridge project and this project, both went through the committee process. The Stillwater Bridge project was signed by President Obama because it withstood the scrutiny of the House and Senate transportation committees.
Years ago, Rep. Bachmann pledged not to be a porkmeister like the late Jack Murtha or Minnesota’s Jim ‘Bike Path’ Oberstar. She’s kept that promise while still looking out for what’s best for her district. Minnesota needs more politicians who are committed to doing things in the light of day rather than away from the people’s scrutiny.
I expect this post to get tons of comments from Michele’s left wing haters. Their comments will expose them for the partisan haters that they are. Remember their hate-filled comments the next time you enter a voting booth.
Tags: Michele Bachmann, Transportation, Economic Development, Public Safety, Interstate Highway System, I-94, Stillwater Bridge, Committee Mark-Up, GOP, MnDOT, Mark Dayton, Jim Oberstar, Earmarks, Pork, DFL
Gov. Dayton, the DFL and their puppeteers with the Alliance for a Better Minnesota have been telling people that the sales tax increase they’re preparing to pass this session won’t negatively affect the middle class or the working poor. This report from the Minnesota Department of Revenue indicates otherwise.
According to the Department of Revenue report, the proposed sales tax is projected to collect $198,700,000 from auto repairs in 2014-15. “The rich” don’t pay that because they often trade their vehicles before their warranties expire. That means the vast majority of that $198,700,000 tax increase will be paid by the middle class and the working poor.
Another situation where the middle class will get hit with a sales tax increase is the area of personal services. According to the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s projections, they’ll collect $107,600,000 in sales tax revenues from barber shops, beauty salons, nail salons and from body piercings and tattoos. What’s the likelihood that “the rich” will pay a significant percentage of those taxes? I’m betting it isn’t likely that “the rich” will pay a significant portion of that tax increase.
The DFL isn’t telling anyone that their sales tax increases will drive up property taxes on smaller cities. Imagine the outrage that people will express when find out that their cities (think Sauk Rapids, Sartell and similar-sized cities) will get charged sales tax when their city hires an auditor or a city attorney.
Some cities will have their sales tax bill double. Read that again. That isn’t a typo. Some cities’ sales tax bill will double as a direct result of Gov. Dayton’s sales tax proposal. Those cities won’t have an option that doesn’t include either massive budget cuts or massive property tax hikes.
Comparatively speaking, cities getting LGA won’t get hurt that bad by the DFL’s sales tax expansion. That doesn’t mean they won’t get hit by this tax increase. Whenever the DFL has the legislature, one thing’s always worth keeping in mind. In 2007, Rep. Cy Thao made this epic statement:
“When you guys win, you get to keep your money. When we win, we take your money.”
I don’t see any proof that the DFL’s mindset has changed since 2007.
Tags: Mark Dayton, Tax Increase, Sales Tax, Clothing, Services, Auto Repairs, Accountants, Audits, Attorneys, Property Taxes, City Budgets, DFL
This AP article says that 2 people have emerged as candidates to replace Tom Sorel as the next MnDOT Commissioner:
One finalist is Charlie Zelle, the president and chief executive officer of Jefferson Lines. The regional bus company operates in 13 states from North Dakota to Texas and has a sister charter company as well.
Zelle is a former investment banker who returned to Minnesota to run his family’s company. He also serves as the chairman of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, giving him deep connections in the business community. He gained notice this summer for being among the Minnesota business executives to publicly advocate and contributing financially to the defeat of a constitutional amendment to permanently ban gay marriage.
The other finalist is Bernie Arseneau, the acting commissioner. He has worked at the department for three decades. An engineer, Arseneau took on a more visible role after the Interstate 35W bridge collapse by helping coordinate alternative traffic plans to compensate for the disruption of a key artery.
Based on recent news stories, the next Commissioner of MnDOT should expect to pay more attention to selling light rail construction and the subsidies that taxpayers will have to pay for the next half century.
It’s clear that environmentalists, including Gov. Dayton and Alida Messinger, don’t like people having the freedom of driving cars. Though Gov. Dayton has said he won’t push the 40-cent-a-gallon gas tax increase proposed by his Transportation Advisory Commission, he didn’t take the tax increase that would pay for light rail projects.
Light rail is a waste of the taxpayers’ money. Despite the progressives’ continuous sales pitch on LRT, LRT hasn’t caught on. What’s worst is that taxpayers will pay massive subsidies annually for the next fifty years on each of these policy excesses.
Any swing district DFL legislator that votes for tax increases that fund additional LRT projects must be defeated the next time they’re up for re-election. The taxpayers should take their frustration out on the DFL’s reckless spending on special interests’ projects.
Tags: MnDOT, Tom Sorel, Charlie Zelle, Bernie Arseneau, Mark Dayton, Alida Messinger, Environmentalists, Progressives, Tax Hikes, LRT, Subsidies, DFL
The incoming DFL majorities aren’t even sworn in and they’re already telegraphing their expensive agenda:
Gov. Mark Dayton’s own transportation advisory panel called Friday for a higher state gas tax and other fees and taxes to raise at least $50 billion more for roads and transit over the coming two decades.
The Transportation Finance Advisory Committee’s recommendations aim to improve the state’s roads and expand transit, including new light rail lines, as a boost to the state’s economy.
That’s a $2,500,000,000 a year regressive tax increase for the next 20 years. How many of LFR’s readers think they need a $2,500,000,000 a year tax increase? More importantly, how many of you think it’s important to raise taxes by that much to build sparsely populated light rail lines so taxpayers can subsidize them for the rest of their lives?
Predictably, the DFL is all over this action:
“My sense is the governor would very, very much like to get us back in a posture of making these needed and key investments,” said Sen. Scott Dibble, a Minneapolis Democrat who served on the advisory committee and will head the Senate Transportation and Public Safety Division.
Sen. Dibble is a blithering idiot if he thinks light rail is a “needed and key investment.” It’s a waste of money that’s constantly taking money out of people’s pockets for something only a handful of people use on a daily basis. Simply put, it’s a long-term waste of taxpayers’ money.
That isn’t the worst part about this panel’s recommendations. This is:
The 19-member group led by Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel picked the costliest of three options it studied.
Of course they picked the most expensive option. The DFL has the votes. The DFL doesn’t care what Minnesotans think about light rail. In fact, they’ve never cared about the taxpayers’ opinions. The DFL is the party that caters to special interests. They aren’t the party that listens to main street. They’re the party that listens to their special interest allies.
It’s time to quit pretending that the DFL is all for compromise and fairness. Sen. Wellstone fought hard for his beliefs but was willing to compromise. He loved debating issues on the floor of the Senate. Ditto with Hubert Humphrey.
Today’s DFL has little in common with Humphrey or Wellstone. Today’s DFL is all about grabbing as much money from people’s wallets as possible. Whether it comes from a middle class worker’s wallet, the rich’s wallet or from the working poor’s wallet is irrelevant to a DFL legislator fixing on going on a spending binge.
God help us all.
Tags: Gas Tax, Sales Tax, Tax Increases, Regressive Taxes, Light Rail, Subsidies, Pork, Scott Dibble, Tom Sorel, Mark Dayton, DFL
Two months ago, Chip Cravaack submitted a bill that would require cargo pilots to be subject to the same rest rules that airline pilots operate under:
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Chip Cravaack (R-MN) and Tim Bishop (D-NY) introduced H.R. 4350, the Safe Skies Act of 2012. Importantly, the bill would ensure that pilot rest requirements apply to all cargo air operations.
Following the Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash on February 12, 2009, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) developed a rule to address pilot fatigue for passenger flights using extensive scientific study, hearings, and industry feedback. The rule, which requires eight hours of rest between shifts, was finalized on January 4th, 2012. The rule is scheduled go into effect January 14, 2014, but exempts cargo pilots.
“As a former cargo pilot, I understand the importance of a single standard of safety for pilots who share the same airspace and runways with passenger aircraft. I introduced the Safe Skies Act in order to apply the new, common sense standards for pilot rest to cargo pilots as well,” said Rep. Cravaack.
Specifically, the bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to apply the rule relating to flight crew member duty and rest requirements to all-cargo operations in the same manner as they apply to passenger operations.
That bill apparently was stalled but it might’ve received a welcome jolt from an unlikely source:
The original pilot fatigue rule the FAA crafted, which requires airline pilots to have 10 hours of rest between flight duty periods and limits flight time to eight or nine hours during each work period, excluded cargo pilots.
That decision befuddled the Independent Pilots Association, which represents UPS pilots, and Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.), a former aviation union official and pilot of both cargo and passenger planes. Cravaack says there’s no difference between flying a plane filled with people or boxes; therefore, there should be one aviation safety standard.
The FAA has since indicated there are errors in its cost-benefit analysis that led to excluding cargo carriers and is taking a second look. Steve Alterman, a spokesman for the Cargo Airline Association, said when the FAA crafted the cargo carve-out, all it took into account was a cost-benefit analysis finding that “the costs so greatly outweigh the benefits by 10 or 15-to-1 that they just couldn’t justify” the rule. Alterman, whose group stands behind the carve-out, expects new information from the FAA within the month. The FAA, required to offer public updates within 60 days of the review, said a second look is under way but declined further comment.
Last week, Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would end what the two call a “loophole” in pilot rest rules, a sister bill to the Safe Skies Act sponsored by Cravaack and Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.). The House bill has garnered a diverse if mostly Democratic group of more than 30 co-sponsors since its April introduction. Though it is too early to tell whether Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) will hop on board to move the legislation through committee, IPA public affairs director Brian Gaudet called the Snowe-Boxer bill a “game changer.”
Chip Cravaack is being called extremist by the DFL because they’re desparate. Chip’s legislation pours cold water on the DFL’s accusations.
It’s impossible to take the DFL’s accusations of extremism seriously when Chip’s sensible rulemaking legislation is supported by Sen. Boxer, Rep. Bishop and Sen. Snowe. Sen. Boxer is as left as they get in the Senate and Sen. Snowe is the Republican senator Republicans dislike the most.
That’s good work by Chip. He identified a situation that needed correcting, then proposed legislation to correct it. Now his legislation is gaining solid bipartisan support because it makes sense.
If that’s the DFL’s definition of extremist, then that’s my definition of extremism.
Tags: Chip Cravaack, FAA, Airline Pilots, Cargo Pilots, Public Safety, Olympia Snowe, GOP, Barbara Boxer, Tim Bishop, Democrats, Bipartisanship