Recently it was reported the Trump administration is planning to privatize the air traffic control system. This will be a combination of taxpayer funds with private investment to overhaul the air system. Of course the administration wants us to believe it’s a great deal. It’s not.
First off, air traffic controllers are employed by the government and do an excellent job of keeping the millions of planes in our airspace safe. Their goal is safety. The goal of corporations is profits. So how will the corporations achieve profits? They will cut the wages of air traffic controllers, extend their work hours making it unsafe, cut corners and squeeze as much profit as possible out of the traveling public, which we already see with airline fees and charges.
Furthermore, turning over the system to a for-profit corporation means the taxpayers will pay at least two if not three times. Once to help build the new system and again to pay the increased fees, which the corporation will certainly expect once the system is built, and quite possibly again if the corporation gets tax-exempt status for its “investment.”
If the system needs to be upgraded to make it better, then do so. But in the long run, keep it public because our safety is at stake. It’s time the people of this nation have their safety come before profits.
This is another Trump scam; taxpayers pay, corporations win.
Diana Butsch
West Falls
http://buffalonews.com/2017/06/09/letter-u-s-should-not-privatize-air-traffic-control-system/