Beth Anderson

I mean pay, both literally AND figuratively... <BR> <BR>Has anyone read this? <BR> <BR>I am NOT trying to make any sort of 'political statement' or point fingers at any party... but doesn't this sicken you? <BR> <BR>I also find it troubling that the airlines are getting this major bailout, but to my knowledge no exec is taking a paycut in order to keep their company aloft (no pun intended). <BR> <BR>from the Washington Post: <BR> <BR>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2001Oct1.html <BR> <BR>SNIP: <BR> <BR> <BR>Bill O'Reilly of Fox News Channel sees another culprit: "Soon after TWA Flight 800 crashed off the coast of Long Island, killing all aboard, Vice President Al Gore was put in charge of a commission looking at aviation safety and security. That was in 1996. The commission recommended increased security that would have cost the airlines some money. The airlines lobbied against those regulations. . . .," O'Reilly said in his broadcast. <BR> <BR>"In the face of the intense pressure, Mr. Gore wrote a letter to the top lobbyist . . . the president of the Air Transport Association of America, saying, 'I want to make it very clear it is not the intent of this administration to create a hardship for the air transportation industry. . . .' <BR> <BR>"Just days after Mr. Gore's letter went out, the following donations were made to the Democratic National Committee: $265,000 from American Airlines; $120,000 from Delta; $115,000 from United and $87,000 from Northwest. In all, in 1996 the airlines gave the Clinton-Gore re-election effort close to $600,000." <BR> <BR>Gore aide Elaine Kamarck, O'Reilly said, "has denied any connection between the vice president's letter and the donations that came shortly afterward. But very little came out of Gore's commission on safety and security. That's a fact." O'Reilly calls it a "quid pro quo," saying: "It's not like the Clinton-Gore administration never sold consideration for money. They did it all the time." <BR> <BR>UGH! sold out! by the very airlines who are whining for a handout now... guess what, not to sound insensitive or diminish the lives lost, but: <BR> <BR>4 planes lost, HAS to be over 100 million dollars. Has to be. let's leave out the lawsuits for the time being. you can't tell me that making the airlines pay MORE for security would not have saved them TONS of money?? (given that money is KING to them anyway, right???) <BR> <BR>or do they figure the insurance companies will pay for a crash... <BR> <BR>UGH I feel sick. <BR> <BR>Beth

Holly

I would expect that kind of behavior from the airlines. <BR> <BR>We were sold out by the Clinton-Gore administration. No big surprise there.

richard

What happened to the replies that WERE posted here? Been on here for close to 4 years and never saw things just go away.

Barbara

Beth, you are pointing fingers. You should know better than to take phrases out of context. Where is the rest of Gore's letter? The part that probably told the airlines they better improve security regardless of what it cost? Where is the finger you should point at the Republicans who controlled both houses of <BR>Congress back then and who refused to do anything that would cost their big supporters, the airlines, any money?

Please

C'mon, gang, lets not do this. Lets face it, we all have a little of the blame here. We don't want to pay more for tickets, or be unreasonably searched or hasseled at the airport. We weren't willing to sacrifice our free and easy life style for what appeared to be a non-threat. <BR>We are going to pay now, one way or the other. And,yes, Beth, the ceo of Continental(I believe thats the airline) is reportedly donating his entire salary for a year to the NY relief fund. <BR>I think there is enough urgency now that clear thinking policy makers and airline industry people can come up with some meaningful steps. Give 'em a chance. Lets not get into a shouting match over who's team screwed up. We all did a little.

Cindy

Uh, oh. Did a bunch of responses get deleted before I got a chance to read them? Do I now have to park myself here to be able to read, appreciate and participate in discussions like this that have everything to do with travel? <BR> <BR>I'm gettin' real tired of all the deleted posts due to Fodors' itchy trigger finger.

thanks

Fodor owns this site, maintains this site, and takes care of the technical side of things. they have every right to take things off the board that in their opinion get out of hand, or whatever. I'm not going to second guess them on that, if fact, I think they are sometimes a little too tolerant or slow on the removal button. <BR>If we would keep our comments civil and respectful, there would be less "delete."

Beth Anderson

OK, OK, I spoke to soon, at least as to part of this... mea culpa. <BR> <BR>I see that some airlines execs ARE taking a base salary pay cut for the rest of the year. <BR> <BR>I still stand by my statement "I am not pointing fingers at any party" because quite frankly, yes, I do believe that the blame should be spread around - and not just politically. But it still sickens me to think that this sort of thing goes on. <BR> <BR>Naive? maybe. but I don't think money should even enter the equation when it comes to human lives (and that also goes for insurance companies too btw - HMOS included...) <BR> <BR>Beth

Art

The consumer does of course, either through higer fares or taxes or both. <BR>

please

I share your frustration, Beth. As some consolation, the type of hijacking of 9/11 was never envisioned by any of the many committees on airport security over the past two decades. Most of the steps recommended would not have stopped the 9/11 events. This is indeed "different." <BR>One of the things that bothers me now, is that I am prepared for increased surveilance and scrutiny, and yeah, even welcome it. But will the lawyers and civil libertarians stand for what has to be done? That's our job - To let the congress and leaders know what we want, or even what we demand. Let them know what steps we are behind. Give them strength. In this matter, we are no longer republican or democrat. We are citizens who want to travel freely and with a reasonable feeling of safety. I believe that our congress will stay united in this quest if we let them know we are united, and expect the same from them. <BR> <BR>Land of the Free, Home of the Brave.

x

<BR>one suspects some well intentioned folks are somewhat undereducated about the economics of the commercial airline business. Madonna makes more from one world tour than most airlines, with the efforts of thousands of employees, make in an average year. there are no pools of money to dip into for increased security or more peanuts-for that matter. the money must come from one of two sources: the flying public paying for the level of security they profess they want, or, the general public subsidizing the flyers who believe they have a divine given right to subsidies and carry-on bags. and, with airlines losing billions, pay cuts for highly paid executives can't begin to right their finances. sorry to the class war folks who cannot or will not do the arithmetic. as for "bail-outs"- i have no problem where, as here, the economic forces threatening the industry are external-acts of war-rather than self inflicted wounds. most of us like to travel. letting the airlines fold is not a politically popular option.