cpamomfromtexas
cpamomfromtexas's JournalWhat about a "monsanto tax" to encourage sustainable/organic farming/ranching of sorts?
Could a tax be placed on Monsanto/Dow/other industrial products/GMO Seeds that poison environment/people/animals to fund other programs encouraging sustainable living?
Could agriculture programs be tweaked to encourage chemical free farming/ranching?
For example: Instead of roundup for weeds, how about targeting moneys for goats (example kiko goats prefer foraging instead of commercial feed and will eat weeds on ranchland. They have also been used to eat undergrowth and reduce wildfires as well.)
Workable/unworkable?
Why is the DOJ attempting to scuttle a merger supported and engineered by UNIONS?
All reporting on this subject fails to mention the merger was engineered by unions to get rid of American's corrupt and useless management.
And this is on the heels of a historic fine by the government of over $50 million because of American's maintenance practices (a several year investigation started by pilots to document maintenance practices finally resulted in a DOT investigation where American was ultimately assessed over $200 million in fines which was eventually negotiated down).
And why would Obama's administration get in bed with Republican AG's on this? Is it because United (which merged with Continental) HQ is in Chicago?
Here's a link
http://www.dallasnews.com/business/20130813-justice-department-files-suit-to-block-us-airways-american-airlines-merger.ece
What if you found a Judge doing something immoral and possibly illegal?
And that Judge called herself/himself a Democrat?
What would you do?
Be specific please, creative options appreciated.
Edited for gender.
Lawyer question- need legal citation
Regarding evidence tampering.
What laws are broken and how is it enforced?
Cost-Cutting Cited in Loose Plane Seats
Source: NY Times
Last month, American Airlines grounded dozens of Boeing 757 airliners after passenger seats came loose on four flights. Just a few weeks earlier, another American plane, a Boeing 767, was grounded after a problem was reported with the installation of some seats, though in that case no seats actually came loose.
Enlarge This Image
WBZ-TV, via Associated Press
American Airlines hired outside contractors to install passenger seats with more leg room. The seats have come loose on several flights.
J Pat Carter/Associated Press
An American Airlines passenger in Miami tries to make arrangements after her flight was delayed.
Why the seat problems?
American, like other carriers, is in the midst of reconfiguring its coach section to give more leg room to some economy seats. To get the extra space, it is creating three rows instead of four. The airline then charges more for the seats, which it calls Main Cabin Extra.
But the airline, in trying to cut costs during bankruptcy, hired outside maintenance companies this summer for the first time to modify its cabins. And airline documents show that those workers did not understand how to properly install the seats.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/24/business/installation-problems-seen-in-american-airlines-loose-seats.html?ref=business
Krugman was right, the "free market" isn't really working for workers, now they have students doing faulty work for "free".
Guess it wasn't the "pilot's fault" like AMR's press releases wanted you to believe.
Thank you, Rep Grayson, for entering the fight, another fight you may want to weigh in on
Bravo, I applaud what you are doing. I can identify with your sandwich on Thanksgiving, my husband spends every major holiday eating out of vending machines---he's a pilot for American Airlines.
Here's a fight I'd love to see you take on...that is companies filing "BANKRUPTCIES OF CONVENIENCE". THAT IS JUST WHAT THE CEO OF AMERICAN AIRLINES DID, HE FILED FOR A "BANKRUPTCY OF CONVENIENCE"--and they have Bain Capital helping them do it.
All companies are watching what AMR is doing because they are coming for everyone else next. That is why I encourage all my pilot friends to keep voting no.
I will apologize in advance for the run on ideas, but want to give you the full flavor of what is going on.
The Book "Retirement Heist" was right. Many companies do it, specifically....American Airlines Bankruptcy was clearly OPTIONAL and is currently playing out (I see many similarities between American's incompetent but greedy management and that of Hostess Foods--they are quick to reward themselves and also quick to cut pay and benefits for employees- my husband and brother took approximately 40% cuts and are working for 1992 salaries (I checked the pay scales to be sure, not to mention if you see a pilot, they are not getting paid. For example: They do not get paid at sign in, or aircraft inspection, while waiting for maintenance to fix something, they are also not pay protected when a maintenance issue or weather issue mean the flights don't go at all).
Combined with the way they treat their employees, the main driver for AMR's bankruptcy was to keep profits earned on the almost fully funded pilot retirement fund AND to keep pilots from retiring since they are still working for 1992 wages AND THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF PILOTS ALREADY OCCURRING. But because of the bankruptcy process, they have no way to increase their earnings other than fly more up to the FAA mandated limit. Chinese Airlines are paying TWICE what American Airlines is paying. Call me crazy but isn't that a security risk, most of these guys are ex-military-do we really love cheap labor so much that this is preferable than paying fair wages, protection from disability (they can't fly if they get so much as a small cancerous mole, and if they ever do, they have to hire lawyers to help them get their licenses cleared to return to fly--and by the way, several pilots at American have recently been cleared, but as American is prone to do, has blocked them from returning to work as part of the hostage taking process during contract negotiations). In addition, the Railway Labor Act means they cannot strike unless released by the National Mediation Board because their contracts do not "expire" they just become amendable (Mr Hoglander of the NMB told the Allied Pilots that no major airline group would EVER be released to self help period-so you have the NMB rewarding management for dragging their feet in negotiations for over 6 years!) (I'd love to see the President can this guy and put someone in that will release them). There is also no true "Whistleblower Protection" in aviation, AMR's response if there is a problem is "grieve it" which takes years and is hidden from the public due to the cover of arbitration required under the RLA.
At any rate, I think I've given you some idea of the goings on.
So glad you're back!
http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/american-airlines-too-many-pilots-will-retire-if-they-can-take-their-pensions-as-a-lump-sum.html/
The Book "Retirement Heist" was right, American Airlines Bankruptcy was OPTIONAL
The Book "Retirement Heist" was right, American Airlines Bankruptcy was OPTIONAL
Combined with the way they treat their employees, the main driver for bankruptcy was to keep profits earned on the almost fully funded retirement and to keep pilots from retiring since they are still working for 1992 wages AND THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF PILOTS ALREADY OCCURRING. Chinese Airlines are paying TWICE what American Airlines is paying. THAT IS WHY THE CEO OF AMERICAN AIRLINES FILED FOR A "BANKRUPTCY OF CONVENIENCE".
(I would love to see Alan Grayson or Elizabeth Warren sponsor legislation to stop this practice).
All companies are watching what AMR is doing because they are coming for you next. That is why I encourage all my pilot friends to keep voting no and get ready to strike..
Mr Hoglander of the National Mediation Board told the Allied Pilots Association that no major airline group would be released to self help....period. (I'd love to see the President can this guy and put someone in that will release them).
http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/american-airlines-too-many-pilots-will-retire-if-they-can-take-their-pensions-as-a-lump-sum.html/
Conflicts of Interest with American Airlines subsidiary that manages retirement funds
Just wanted to post an article that someone outside the company wrote that points out the conflicts of interest that AMR has when it "manages" employees retirement funds, which they have attempted to foist onto the PBGC.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsiedle/2012/11/14/conflicts-abound-at-american-airlines-pension-and-401k-plans/
Dear AMR (parasite (I mean Parent Co) of American Airlines)) Unsecured Creditors Committee
Many have seen the information I've posted on here about the bankruptcy proceedings and the rape of the people that make the company fly. Here is a letter that cannot be improved on, it is a letter to the Unsecured Creditors Committee (UCC) in Bankruptcy from the rank and file:
Dear UCC:
You trusted them. You invested your money. You expected a return ON your capital.
They lied to you. They lost your money. You now want a return OF your capital.
Welcome to the party. They have been lying to us and picking our pockets for decades. There is nothing you can tell us about AMR corporate managers that we dont already know, because we have been in a defacto marriage with these people for decades and it is now time for a divorce.
As you know by now, we (the pilots) didnt sign off on the time honored tradition of letting the investors claw back their money out of our dignity and future earnings. 13.5% of an unknown quantity, with the possibility of the malignancy responsible for the bankruptcy at the helm, along with unreasonable concessions in all areas of our quality of life and job security was not enough to get us to look past where we are. We decided, by a wide margin and against the pressure-cooker tactics by our own union, to go against all conventional wisdom and fight. Our fight is against those that lost our money, destroyed our careers, and sullied the most storied name in commercial aviation; we have no quarrel with you.
We have no quarrel with you so long as you do not seek to enrich yourselves at our expense. We can be your biggest asset in returning a great investment to you, or we can be an insurmountable hurdle to you ever seeing another dime. The choice is exclusively yours.
Pilots of American Airlines (not AMR or OneWorld) want what you want. We want the airline that hired us the premier name in commercial aviation; the leader in innovation; the most feared competitor; the categorical best airline in the world; the most reliable airline; and the first choice of the premium passenger. We want to return to what we once were the New York Yankees of airlines. We want this airline to be the best return on investment for the capital markets. In short, we want to make a lot of money for you, us, and our shareholders by being the best.
AMR corporate managers do not see it that way. They are content, even proud, to offer a product that is just good enough, while running from the competition. Accountants do not lead, nor are they visionaries. Their myopic greed has resulted in two of our fleets being grounded for improper maintenance. One wonders what other surprises will float to the surface.
They have not had any plan, other than strip-mining their employees and cheapening their operation for almost two decades. And what has it gotten us? Dirty, broken airplanes and a surly labor force. In a capital intensive, customer service industry that is a death trap and thats where your money is.
Everyone knows the only solution is to merge with US Airways. That would put us back on top and offer the premium passenger the most comprehensive network for destinations. We know it. You know it. Wall Street knows it. AMR management knows it. The difference is AMR wants it to happen after bankruptcy so they can achieve a windfall payout a payout for doing nothing more than losing your money, our pension, our shareholders equity, and our collective reputations. If they were serious about restructuring and returning your capital, they would come to you with this plan. They have not because they are only serious about enriching themselves, as other airline executives have done.
Lets be frank in our discussion. You have allowed this because you want to see if you can take us down as an easy source of recapitalization. We saw this in the so-called Last-Best-Final-Offer and handily rejected it. That isnt going to change. We wont allow our union to attempt such a sell-job again. You are not going to get your money out of the pilots in that fashion. If you want your money back, work with us. Give us the tools to charge forward in the market and rebuild the best airline in the world and we will return your money beyond what you ever expected.
If you cant use the current management to strip us to the bone, what good are they? Why let them toy with your money? Why allow the very people that lied to you and destroyed your investment the ability to get paid for it?
End this destructive conflict and join with the pilots to rid the industry of this malignancy. Listen to what the US Airways executives have to say and how they want to run an airline. You will be stakeholders in the largest network on earth, with executives that want to make it the best, and employees that can deliver on that vision.
There will be four large airlines left: American, United, Delta, and Southwest. Give us a three year contract that uses the remaining three airlines as comparators with no erosion in scope-of-flying, no demeaning or petty sick leave clauses, and a stake in the new airline commensurate with our losses, and see what 14,000 highly motivated pilots can do for you.
We didnt break this airline and we didnt lose your money. We didnt incur a $162 million fine for shoddy maintenance, and we are not responsible for the fine that is coming for the substandard maintenance on our 757s. We hired on with the airline that was the gold standard of airline maintenance and dependability. We were once proud of what we called the ON-TIME MACHINE. In 2003, we gave AMR corporate managers everything they wanted and willingly worked with what we perceived as a new management team to forge a restructured American Airlines. All was working smoothly right up to the point where AMR executives rewarded themselves for our sacrifice, taking what little profit was gleaned in a decade of $10 billion in losses. By giving AMR executives what they wanted, they destroyed the airline. They now want you to trust them as we did a decade ago. Please learn from our lesson or be doomed to repeat our mistake. We wont repeat it.
We know that capital and labor rarely find common ground in modern America. Where it does, the results are inspiring (think Southwest). You can view us as your partner, or you can view us as your adversary. The choice is yours, but you also need to know we are not going to go along with the further destruction of our careers, regardless of what the courts say we must do. That avenue is closed to you.
Sometimes opportunity knocks and sometimes it kicks down the door. This is the latter. We can view each other as our most valuable assets or we can continue this futile exercise of trusting imbeciles to deliver on promises they have no intention of fulfilling. They are only in it for themselves and they should be thrown to the curb by all of us they have betrayed before they do it again.
We are neither your adversary nor your cash reserve. We are your most valuable asset. Forge on with that in mind and lets become Something Special in the Air once again.
//Name Withheld//
American Airlines pilot
New York, NY
My brother dated Ryan's wife when they were kids
He watched the convention just long enough to see a picture of her, then he wanted me to turn it off, as it absolutely nauseated him.
We teased him about her a bit, and my kids got a hoot out of it.
Still not sure how Democrats could raise a kid that would marry a Republican. Especially one that's such a liar.
I've already told my kids not to bring a Republican home. They agree.
Profile Information
Member since: Tue Nov 16, 2004, 11:00 AMNumber of posts: 1,245
