On the investigation of an Air Traffic Controller’s Disability, and the Importance of Being Severely Discriminent in the Job Search for Second Jobs
He wasn’t sure of who was to blame even though he didn’t know all those things. No need to wait for the investigation to finish.
Indeed, he acknowledged that there were many unanswered questions. He doesn’t know if that would have been the reason for the helicopter pilots not following instructions. He said he did not know whether another plane might have blocked the pilots’ view.
He couldn’t specify whether air traffic controllers with severe disabilities were hired as air traffic controllers as opposed to other jobs compatible with their abilities. He could not say if anyone on duty fit that category.
Source: Trump Administration Live Updates: Federal Workers Urged to Find Second Jobs
Why Does Donald Trump Really Want to Resign? A Reply to Schumer in New York, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Other Reply Against Mr. Trump
In this opening chapter of his return to power, Mr. Trump seems fixated on diversity programs more than ever. He made immigration the central villain of his second term. The elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs was one of his first acts.
Mr. Musk has clashed with the F.A.A. in the past and sought to delay a launch. Last fall, he called for “radical reform at the F.A.A.” and a week later he reposted a picture of Michael Whitaker, the agency administrator, with the caption, “He needs to resign.” On the day that Mr. Trump assumed office, Mr. Whitaker was chosen by the new President to be his replacement.
Recognizing the writing on the wall, many states, localities, universities and private companies are now scrapping their diversity programs, either to curry favor with the new administration or to preserve their federal financing. Mr. Trump and his allies have successfully made the acronym D.E.I. politically radioactive.
Mr Buttigieg pointed out that the members of the aviation security advisory group had been fired by President Donald Trump, but there was no evidence that the move contributed to this week’s crash. The time has arrived for the president to show real leadership and explain how he will stop it from happening again, wrote Mr. Buttigieg.
Democrats were angered by Mr. Trump’s focus on diversity programs. It is one thing for internet pundits to make up stories about something else, said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York on the Senate floor. “It’s another for the president of the United States to throw out idle speculation as bodies are still being recovered and families are still being notified. It makes your stomach turn.
In addition to Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden, two of Mr. Trump’s longtime favorite targets, the president singled out Pete Buttigieg, who served as Mr. Biden’s transportation secretary, saying that “he’s a disaster.” In 1528, Mr. Buttigieg could be a Democratic candidate for president.
He has never been the same as other presidents. He doesn’t follow many traditions in his office. He practices the politics of division rather than unity. Where past presidents have sought to project a comforting, paternal presence for a stricken nation in moments of crisis, Mr. Trump’s instinct is to move quickly from grief to grievance. He has long showed he is more comfortable as the blamer than the consoler.
If the victims of a tragedy support his political argument, then the exception has been. At a ceremony this week to sign a bill cracking down on unauthorized immigrants charged with certain crimes, he expressed compassion for relatives of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student killed last year by a migrant from Venezuela who had crossed into the United States illegally.
“Trump doesn’t lead with empathy,” said Olivia Troye, who served on the White House Covid task force staff before later publicly criticizing the president’s management of the pandemic. He exploits tragedy for political reasons at the moment and never offers the comfort or stability that a president should.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, he threw paper towels at people in San Juan that had been left without food, water or power. He was angry with the criticism of his handling of the disaster and suggested to his aides to trade Puerto Rico for the United States.
He responded to natural disasters by going on the attack. The President insulted the governor of California by using the term “newscum” to describe him.
Mr. Trump told reporters that he put safety first when he was in the room. “Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first. And they put politics at a level that nobody’s ever seen because this was the lowest level. Their policy was horrible and their politics was even worse.”
Even for Mr. Trump, the decision to use the pulpit of the White House to apportion blame for the crash to his political rivals was a striking performance. And it was just what you would expect from a comment like that. The next order was signed directing a review of problematic and likely illegal decisions made by Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden.
Five years later, when American Airlines Flight 587 fell out of the sky, President George W. Bush predicted that the “resilient and strong and courageous people” of New York would get through the tragedy. In 2009, President Barack Obama talked about the fragility of life after a Colgan Air plane crashed near Buffalo.
After declaring it to be an “hour of anguish for our nation,” Donald Trump just five minutes later let anguish give way to aggression as he blamed diversity policies promoted by Mr. Obama and former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. for the crash, which killed 67 people.
is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.
Civil penalties against air traffic control: Duffy, Whitaker, and the FAA/STARLINK investigation of Musk’s attacks on SpaceX and SpaceX
At a press conference Thursday with rescue officials, newly confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ignored reporters’ questions about whether the FAA had an acting director in place to help manage the crisis.
The FAA has also fined Starlink, after the SpaceX subsidiary failed to submit safety data before launching satellites in 2022. In a House hearing, Whitaker explained that the FAA’s civil penalties were “the only tool we have to get compliance on safety matters.”
In addition to Musk’s attacks, the FAA has long suffered from underfunding and outdated technology. A report released in 2023 by a panel of experts showed that the growing use of overtime at air traffic control facilities could be putting air safety at risk. The agency has fielded hundreds of complaints from air traffic workers describing dangerous conditions from staff shortages to dilapidated buildings.