Teasing the Truth

This is going to be tougher than I thought. I’ve spent most of the morning searching out John McCain’s positions on aviation and air traffic control. In that he was Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, you would think that would be relatively simple. Not so. For a morning’s work, this is all I have to show (so far.)

”As noted by Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, in his remarks supporting certain provisions in Air 21, numerous respected studies have shown that "slots and perimeter rules are anticompetitive, unfair, unneeded, and harmful to consumers." “

And as I believe is obvious, that is a second-hand quote by someone trying to bolster their case.

There’s no doubt that slots are “anticompetitive” and “unfair”. There is also no doubt that they are not “unneeded” and “harmful to consumers”. Slots are specifically designed to control competition. It would be more accurate to say that they are designed to control the destructive forces of competition. Without them, everyone gets to schedule a flight to an airport with limited capacity. It creates gridlock and every airline gets to go broke -- “fair” and square. It takes what should be the most profitable destinations (like New York) and turns them into bloodbaths.

As soon as we implement any type of regulation to control this destructive competition we’re being “unfair” to somebody. Even if we used the Bush Administration’s plan to hold auctions to regulate the number of slots at an airport, it would be “unfair” to somebody. And while we’re talking “unfair”, I might as well address what is “harmful to consumers”. Which is more harmful ? Higher ticket prices or gridlock ? Which costs the economy more ? Higher ticket prices or delays that cost consumers $100 a minute ?

You may have noticed Senator McCain’s mention of the “perimeter rule.” If you don’t know what that is, you can read an excellent summation of the perimeter rule at The Cranky Flier. Having said that, I don’t necessarily agree with TCF’s conclusion that the perimeter rule in no longer needed or the Senator’s assertion that the rule is unfair. George Bush (the 1st) may have managed to get Houston inside the perimeter, John McCain may have gotten Phoenix inside -- but what about Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and even Anchorage ? Is it “fair” to them ? What about all the other cities that are excluded ?

It’s not a matter of fair or unfair. It’s a matter of making the best decisions we can and implementing policies that serve the national interests. Somebody has to make these decisions. To me, the obvious entity that should be making the decisions is the body we control and elect to make the tough choices -- the government. Strive to be fair ? Certainly. Having a functional National Airspace System is the goal.

As to Senator McCain’s record on aviation ? I’ll try to tease the truth out and let you know as I find it.

Don Brown
August 24, 2008