06 December 2006

Odds And Ends...

Dana to Bone Over Retirees in Bid to Stay Afloat:
Tell me someone ELSE didn't see THIS coming about THREE years ago, please! The unions should have started bargaining back THEN, instead of watching the guys that put "their time in" get hosed in this manner. Dana has had ongoing problems for at least five years, and now, the "company" wants to do something about it. Personally, unless something drastic happens to halt this debasing practice, I can see Dana going "bye-bye" real soon. Of course, there *might* be another ;arger company that could ride to the rescue. And it's not about the quality of workmanship...that's not been the issue. It was about OUTSOURCING (cheap labor, cheap parts...you get the idea).
Once again, those CEOs will get the gold mine...and the (retired) workers will get...the SHAFT.

* * *
All Day Kindergarden Comes With A Price:
Da "Gov" wants to ramrod this down the peoples throats, and the cost to impliment this is a cool $250 MILLON DOLLARS (Dr. Evil imitation)... The "plan" is to make sure the MOST NEEDY people benefit from this. OK, so describe what constitutes the "most needy", because all I'm seeing is the MOST LAZY (as in please babysit my chillun whilest I take another hit)... IF these children managed to LEARN SOMETHING at home (other than cuss words, anti-everything else rhetoric, and finding the alpha male's illegal GUN in 'da house) maybe we wouldn't even be thinking of basically WASTING all this money...money that could BETTER be spent maintaining the schools we already have. But that means these "parents" would have to FOCUS on something (other than that next welfare check and nickel bag). We've got two choices like I've said before. Either YOU raise your children, or let the "state" raise them. I kind of lean toward the former myself.

* * *
Large Aircraft Coming Into FWIA:
The local news touted the arrival of 747s at the airport (Kittyhawk Air Cargo). One man even stated that it would be a "thrill" for aircraft buffs. I include myself among those, as I have always loved planes and flying, BUT....

Let me tell you a little story......
FWIA used to have a device known as a LOCALIZER....but it hasn't worked for over 5 years (obsolete-can't get parts or replacement). When it WAS working, planes overflew our houses at 1100+ feet (at about 4 miles out when taking off OR landing). Not any longer. Since 2002, these planes have gotten LOWER...a LOT lower. They come over low enough to illuminate my patio at night. Planes are coming over at about 700 feet (or lower). Now I don't worry (that) much about small civil aircraft...they can't do much damage, but when a HUGE honking DC10, MD11 or 747 buzzes my house SO damn low I can read the numbers UNAIDED on the fuselage...well, either that's TOO low, or I MUST be AT THE DAMN AIRPORT itself. Out on Ferguson Road, you CAN read the numbers, but the runway is only a few hundred feet away.


I've tried numerous times (and even met with the board) to get the FWIA to address this issue...nothing. I notified the FAA about the NOISE and SAFETY issues...again, nothing. All I get is the usual "everyone's in compliance" (however that is defined these days). Now I don't know about YOU, but should anything "happen" to one of these jumbo planes, the LAST thing I want to do is be dodging aircraft parts on my property (big ones at that)...! At 700 feet (or less) there is not a helluva lot of room to do anything but try and get out of the way should one of these planes declare an "emergency". We below will most likely receive NO warning at all if this were to occur (nice, huh?).


Interestingly, I had to nose around to find out the CARGO CARRIERS involved in a lot of these low altitude approaches....two in question are CENTURION and ARROW (and they ONLY have the large aircraft...no puddle-jumpers here). Interestingly enough, BOTH of these freight carriers fly to and from CENTRAL and SOUTH AMERICA via Miami (home of the drug lords). Maybe THAT's how a lot of that crap is getting here? Cheaper to "ship in bulk"? ((wink, wink...nudge, nudge...say no more))
On the TV news, NOTHING was mentoned about EITHER airline, and if you search the FWIA website...NOTHING is available for arrivals or departures FOR ANY cargo carrier....curiouser and curiouser. What if I want to ship a horse somewhere for no particular reason? Still, we ALL know what the major 20 year "plan" is for the FWIA...a new tower (already in place), a PARALLEL runway to the current one (2-3)...you didn't KNOW about that? Shame on you. I guess the subsequent REDUCTIONS in our PROPERTY values thanks to all this (future) air traffic has absolutely NO basis in the fact that THIS part of the city wil remain "distressed", then...will it? There is a HUGE mountain hiding under this "mole hill"...believe me, and no one wants to fess up, or even admit to certain practices. Once again, this entity (which our property taxes fund in no small way) runs slipshod over the taxpaying public, blighting parts of the city further, simply because they CAN.

Warm and Fuzzy time...anyone?

2 comments:

Jana said...

In response to your last 3 posts:

Isn't it wonderful how a nation that is supposed to be ruled by the majority is somehow now being forced to give up their rights as the majority so that minorities are not "offended" and/or "treated bad" and/or etc...?

Bob G. said...

I know...all this "touchy-feely" don't "offend" anyone crap is or he birds.
I recall a time when we ALL used to be BIGGER than all this stuff....we never gave it the time of day.

I think that document still says of the PEOPLE (not person), by the PEOPLE (not person) and for the PEOPLE (not person)...or persons...it's all for the greater good of the MAJORITY.

These few loons out there that make everyone else look over their (collective) shoulders ought to be horse-whipped (but the ASPCA wouldn't like us using horses to whip anyone...lol)!

And I like horses WAY too much to subject them to that.