Sold Out

Marion Blakey has earned some unwanted attention with her new job.

FAA chief moves to high-paying industry job

”Blakey has parlayed a succession of government posts with aviation oversight into one of the most coveted jobs in the aerospace industry. “

”There’s little doubt that Blakey received a substantial pay raise to go to AIA. At the FAA, the Alabama native earned approximately $168,000 annually. The 2005 tax return for AIA, the most recent public filing available, shows that her predecessor was paid $532,000 annually, plus benefits and expenses. “

$532,000. Not back work if you can get it. Keep in mind, this is the lady that cut air traffic control trainee’s pay to less than 9 dollars an hour because that was all the FAA could “afford.” I made that much when I was washing airplanes for Lockheed over 26 years ago. Speaking of Lockheed, they are one of AIA’s clients.

”It was Blakey’s first year-end assessment of the aerospace industry as president of AIA, which represents powerhouses such as Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics.

At a luncheon in a hotel ballroom about a mile from the Pentagon, she said the industry had posted a record year in 2007, with total sales reaching $198 billion.”

$198 billion in a year versus $9 an hour. Do you see anything wrong with this picture ? Get the flick.

Oh yeah, just in case you forgot. From Wikipedia:

”Historically, Flight Service Stations in the USA have been operated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In February 2005, the FAA selected Lockheed Martin to operate 58 Flight Service Stations. In its 2006 annual report the FAA described this as the largest nonmilitary outsourcing initiative in the Federal government.”

(emphasis added)

Don Brown
December 17, 2007