Health Care Reform

Lots of news in Washington today. Looks like a bipartisan group of senators on the Finance Committee are moving toward a deal on health care legislation. It also looks like House Democratic leaders have a deal with Blue Dog Democrats.

So, perhaps we may get somewhere on health care. I must admit, I don’t really understand health policy. I worked on it during the four years in the mid-80’s when I worked for Sen. Joe Biden but always struggled with it. I don’t know what the answer is, but I am pleased that members of different ideologies are working together on this.

That’s the way it should be, our system works best when this happens. That’s what the Founders intended. I commend all the members of both parties who are working so hard on this.

I also commend members of both parties who are working on FAA Reauthorization. Some of the best members of both houses of Congress are working on the FAA bill and I am confident we will have a result….eventually. And as I said in a recent blog post on the National Journal, an FAA Bill would be an economic stimulus bill.

One final note: I see that Sen. Chuck Schumer wants to outlaw texting while driving. I agree. You shouldn’t text while you drive. That’s what red lights are for!

Filed under: Airports, Government policy, politics

Who Wants to Invest in Infrastructure?

The National Governors Association (NGA) is meeting in Washington right now.  When I was in state government in Virginia, I was very involved in these meetings and I know the three-day NGA Washington meeting is among the most substantive and important on the calendar here in D.C. 

The meeting comes just days after the President signed the stimulus bill.  On Saturday, the governors held a debate on infrastructure investment, sponsored by the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.  I had dinner the night before with former Virginia Gov. Gerald Baliles, my former boss who is the Director of the Miller Center and who persuaded Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell to hold the debate.  Rendell is chair of the NGA.  That event, part of the Miller Center’s debate series, will air on PBS sometime in the next few weeks.  There is a lot of talk at the governors’ meeting about investment in infrastructure. 

As I was preparing earlier this week for a presentation to the board of directors of Jacksonville Airport Authority, I thought a lot about the NGA and the infrastructure debate. I thought about the work I have done on this topic over the years, including one high level commission in 1992 that recommended more than $10 billion in new infrastructure spending annually (over and above what was already authorized) — and was criticized for being TOO TIMID!  Times have changed. 

Aviation is the transportation mode that is best able to generate its own investment, whether from the ticket tax, from the passenger facility charge (PFC), from airport bonds, or from airport revenues.  Yet, incredibly, our users, as represented by the airlines oppose generating resources for investment.  To me, this is incredible!   I have never met a passenger who feels we have more infrastructure than we need, but airlines have largely succeeded in pushing the passenger out of the way in this debate. 

Airports do not need new general tax dollars to invest in our nation’s economic future.  (Though the general fund should support more of the FAA’s operating budget than it does now, but that is the subject for a future piece).  Airports are ready to go.  Congress, by allowing more bond financing in the stimulus bill, has already made a start, and can go even further by raising the limit on the PFC user fee (local money that is project based and does not support a bureaucracy). 

I was on a flight last week and was told I could have a blanket — for $7!!  It came with ear plugs and eye shades and a drawstring bag with the airlines’ logo on it.  And the airlines don’t want Congress to add $2.50 to the PFC limit to build runways, taxiways, terminals and other important infrastructure.  Is there a group of passengers out there who really believe we have all the infrastructure we need and has been pushing for that $7 blanket bag?  I doubt it.

Filed under: Airlines, Airports, Government policy, politics

An Au Revoir, A Farewell and a Good Riddance

Au revoir to Charlie Isdell who was airport director in Philadelphia. Charlie did an excellent job in a very tough place and was well-regarded. He earned the plaudits sent his way by the mayor of Philadelphia.

Charlie Isdell

I spoke to Charlie last week and he wants to become a teacher. He will spend the next few months on his student teaching before pursuing his new career. As someone who wants to teach later in life myself, I will probably be back in touch with him down the road a bit. Good luck to you Charlie.

Farewell to Larry Nagin who died this past week. I knew him as general counsel at United. He worked for a number of other great names in aviation such as Flying Tiger. He was also counsel to the airports in Los Angeles during the turbulent 70’s. We could use his perspective right now. RIP.

And good riddance to fomer Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. I was overseas when news of his arrest broke and it is hard the describe the embarrassment that comes with that.

I once worked for someone I think was among the best governors the country ever had and got to know and observe many of the nations governors during the golden period of governors in the 80’s including then-Illinois Governor Jim Thompson. A guy like Blaegojevich doesn’t belong in the same room with any of them.

I also follow Illinois politics closely as I once lived there, got married there, and all my in-laws live there. I have been around such people as former Senator Chuck Percy, former Congresman Bob Michel and his successor current Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The late Senator Paul Simon is one of my real political heroes and someone who helped me directly when I came to Washington.

I love history and have read of such giants as Senators Paul Douglas and Everett Dirksen. And, of course, the greatest of all, Abraham Lincoln.

Illinois has some problems to work out, but this guy obviously has no respect for his office, his state or the people he represents. The “press conference” he gave after his conviction was disgusting. Good riddance . . . and get a haircut!

Filed under: Airlines, Airports, politics

Inauguration of Barack Obama

Early this morning, January 20, my wife and I left for the Alexandria waterfront to catch a boat ride to Washington for the inauguration. The bridges from Virginia, where I live, to D.C. were closed to personal vehicles and the Metro was packed. So the boat seemed a good idea.

We had to go through security and the ability of the water taxi company

Then Senator Joe Biden with ACI-NA President Greg Principato a few years back when Greg worked on the Biden staff.

to provide the service had to be approved by the Coast Guard. In fact our boat was the only one out there except for a single Coast Guard craft.

After we cut through the ice and arrived, we walked toward the Capitol, using the 3rd Street Tunnel as a pedestrian walkway to get to our destination. Along the way, on New Jersey Avenue, we even passed right by Mariah Carey.

We had been invited to a party at 101 Constitution Avenue, which is the building closest

to the Capitol. We spent a little time up on the roof along with a couple of teams of reporters (one of which was interviewing Al Sharpton). While up there we ran into an old colleague of mine from Senator Biden’s staff in the 1980’s. We enjoyed reminiscing about our time with the new Vice President. The view up there was just beautiful.

The party, hosted by Van Scoyoc Associates, was large and enthusiastic. I also saw Jeff Fegan, who runs DFW airport, and Bradley Rubinstein, who works for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Obama's Inauguration viwed from 101 Constitution Ave.

I thought President Obama’s speech was easily the best of the four inaugural speeches I have heard in person, and among the best ever delivered. He talked about universal truths and high ideals while also talking frankly about the challenges we face (I was happy he mentioned energy about which I’ve written much in this space) and the fact that we all have a stake and a role in the outcome. It was awfully good.

Afterwards we went to the office of the Air Transport Association to watch the parade. ATA’s offices are right on the parade route and we had a great view. It was great of ATA to invite us.

A number of key aviation figures were

President Obama's limo passing by the ATA's offices during the parade.

there including, of course, Jim May and his staff. I saw Pat Forrey, who runs the National Air Traffic Control Association, talking to a candidate for the FAA’ top post. I also saw Mark Dunkerley and his lovely wife, he is the CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, who I’ve known for a long time. Former FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, now CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, was there and we shared stories of trying to get around Washington with 2 million of our closest friends.

The ATA party was a great event and evidence that, while we do not always agree, there is a great deal of good will in this industry.

We have much to do in 2009 to help ensure a strong future for the aviation industry.

The new president has called all Americans to try to work through our differences and find a way forward to a brighter future. He was talking to those of us in the aviation business too.

Filed under: Airlines, Airports, Government policy, Regulators, Travels, politics

A few random thoughts for the New Year

Former U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell died on New Year’s Day at the age of 90. He is best known for devising what is now called the Pell Grant program that has enabled so many students to attend college. What I remember him for though is that he always voted for cloture, no matter what the issue. When I worked on the Hill, a number of senators did this. It was rare that the Senate would not invoke cloture, and when cloture was not invoked it was a big issue. These days, even routine business is subject to cloture votes and cloture often fails. Cloture votes are often cast along party lines.

This is one case where it really WAS better in the old days.

I spent a lot of time watching bowl games. During the coverage of the Orange Bowl, they said that one of the teams traveled to the first Orange Bowl by steamship. How times have changed!  When I watch a bowl I think about the airport in the bowl city and imagine the concourse full of fans wearing their team’s colors as I wrote about in an earlier posting. Steamship travel had some romance to it, but this is a case when it really IS better today than the old days.

By the way, I oppose a college playoff; I think they should scrap the BCS and go back to the old bowl system. They can add a game the week after between the two top teams. That would give you a New Year’s Day (and New Year’s Eve, if needed) full of top match ups. This way USC, Texas and other top teams who feel left out can make their case to play in the final game, all on the same day. This is the idea being promoted by broadcaster Todd Blackledge, and I like it!

Filed under: Airports, football, politics

Committing to a New Energy Policy

It looks like 2008 will end with our country in a recession and, surprisingly given how things looked in the summer, with our country further away than ever to coming to grips with the need for a real energy policy.

While in New Jersey visiting family earlier this week, I purchased gas (full serve too — remember this was in Jersey) for $1.39 a gallon. 

As my father reminded me, this is good news for many folks struggling in the recession to make ends meet and who had trouble affording gas to go to work or to job interviews. And he is undoubtedly right.

But surely, in this country in which anything is possible, we can figure out a way to harness the commitment to a new energy policy that was present when gas was $147 a barrel (more than $4 a gallon), while ensuring that people who need help getting by can receive it.

I saw this morning that oil is around $37 a barrel, making good on a prediction this past fall by analyst Peter Beutel that oil would go at least this low. His prediction came in the form of a warning:  that oil would go to 37 and maybe lower, that we as a country would lose our will on energy policy and do nothing, and that the next time we have a spike it will go twice or three times as high as in the summer and we’d be in real trouble.

The aviation community came together as one in the summer on this issue and few industries are as impacted by energy spikes as we are. We need to maintain our focus and encourage our new president to maintain his, as he promised he would in his 60 Minutes interview.

Filed under: Airlines, Airports, Government policy, Regulators, Travels, politics