Even the Smart Money

Did you hear the sound of the splash too ? That was Marion Blakey being tossed overboard by "the smart money". Literally. Smart Money, a magazine about -- what else ? -- money, ran this article today: The FAA Has a Long Way to Travel to Improve

I’m afraid I don’t keep up with Smart Money (I’m not particularly smart and I don’t have a lot of money) so I can’t claim to know how much sway they hold over their audience. Nor do I know of Igor Greenwald or the reputation of his column -- The Invisible Hand . I just know that in this one case -- he appears to have the flick.

” And when the FAA antagonizes air-traffic controllers to keep up with the Wal-Marts of the world and to look good in the Bush administration's intramural suck-up competition, I don't think it's properly thought through the future consequences of an inexperienced controller force that's had no input into the new system it will be trying to master while coping with a traffic crush.”

“ Government isn't just like a business. It ought to aim for good instead of adequate, and make sure that expedience doesn't trump either the long-term vision or a decent safety margin. The FAA did need to modernize. But it may now have become too businesslike.

(emphasis added)

Don Brown
June 25, 2007