Author Topic: The; I’m going to give you a whole bunch of ludicrous assumptions, thread  (Read 638 times)

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Offline Texacon

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https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211657776


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bluevoter4life
As an air traffic controller, I wrote this and posted in on my FB page

We are in a job that not many people think about when they travel. This is what we deal with. Full Disclaimer: Other than the 10,000 I used below, all numbers are hypothetical for purposes of highlighting the point.


For those that don't quite understand the implications this (or any) shutdown this has on essential services, allow me to paint a picture for you (WARNING: Long Post)

I work for the FAA as an Air Traffic Controller. I am deemed "essential" during both times of shutdowns and national emergencies. Right now, I am currently working but not getting paid for my services. What does this mean for you, the American taxpayer?

First and foremost, it means I have to put everything on credit and work with my creditors to delay payment, etc. until the main characters of this badly-written tragedy realize they love each other and skip into the sunset holding hands singing Kumbya. That's just the personal consequences of a shutdown.

Second, I work in a critically understaffed profession. There are just over 10,000 Certified Professional Controllers (CPC) nationwide, plus several hundred more in various stages of training. To make the numbers nice and easy to work with, we'll round the overall controller ranks to 11,000.

Of these 11,000 controllers, roughly 1/3 of them are eligible to retire right now, so that means about 3,600 can walk out the door today. That would dwindle our numbers to to 7,400 NATIONWIDE.

Now, that's just among those that are already working in the FAA.

Let's look at the hiring practices of the Agency for a second. We'll assume that the FAA is authorized to hire 1,500 controllers this fiscal year. Already, they are unable to make up for the 3,600 that are eligible to retire. Keep in mind we have MANDATORY retirement when we hit age 56. Among those 1,500, we will assume that 50% will wash out of the Academy. That leaves 750. Among those that do make it, we will assume that 30% will fail training at their first facility. That leaves 525 controllers out of 1,500. That means 2/3 of those hired are already gone. This still puts us at a deficit of about 3,100 controllers. That is using current numbers. So while the FAA may have "met" their hiring goal on paper, the number of training failures quickly begins to mount and the true numbers become more bleak. The reality is this profession demands about 12,000-14,000 to operate effectively and efficiently.

When a shutdown occurs, many of those that are eligible to retire decide they are tired of the government using them as pawns in a sick game. They decide to pull the plug, and at a higher rate than just a "normal" retirement cycle. This doesn't include those who may not be eligible to retire, but are thinking about leaving the profession to secure a more stable job in the private sector. At the same time, the Academy is shut down and those that are trying to become controllers are literally sent home with the promise of "eventually" resuming their training. The FAA (i.e. the taxpayers) pays those expenses. If the shutdown goes on long-term, the FAA must start their training from the very beginning, which creates a backlog for additional classes and they end up in a perpetual cycle of chronic understaffing. In addition, the FAA (again, the taxpayers) must spend additional money to fly those students BACK to the Academy, plus per diem and housing expenses. In reality, shutdowns do nothing to save the government money and end up costing taxpayers MUCH more.

Understaffed facilities inevitably lead to delays. A supervisor is unable to split a busy sector because there is nobody available to assign it to. As a result, the lone controller becomes overwhelmed and is forced to reduce services until they can catch themselves up. A tower controller working an arrival push by himself because his relief called in sick that day and the next one won't be in for another hour, is forced to hold your flight outside the airspace until traffic is at such a level he can bring you in safely. Because your flight is circling outside Tower's airspace, the radar controller is forced to work that much harder, which mean's you friend's flight may be delayed, which can change the dynamic of the vacation you spent a year planning. Every last one of these events sets off a chain reaction elsewhere in the system. Oh, and did I mention that both of these controllers are being forced to work the maximum 10 hours a day, on their 6th day because the staffing shortages are leading to mandatory overtime? Oh, and their family vacations and much-deserved time-off has been cancelled because the staffing shortages have led to all Leave being denied, and perhaps most dangerously of all, the controllers are fatigued.

I am only speaking about the Agency I work for, but this can be used as a snapshot as to what is ocurring government-wide. Every shutdown has real effects on real people, both on the front-lines, and to many behind the scenes, including the flying public. Eventually, the uncertainty of our next paycheck and the will to simply survive off what little money a controller might have left will cloud their judgement and cripple their ability to perform their job safely. Shutdowns hurt EVERYONE and they must end NOW!


So this crisis is so horrible they’re actually having to make up stories to explain just how bad it is.

The first thing I take exception to is this person claiming they’re not getting paid. They’re all trying to push this like they’re working for FREE because they’re ‘essential’. If this person is not going to get back pay, my apologies. If this per WILL get back pay, you sir, are a ****ing liar. You’re not working for free, you’re working for a delayed paycheck.

It really pisses me off you’re throwing numbers around that have zero bearing on reality. Would you care to share with the DUmp peasants what you earn as an air traffic controller?  Of course you wouldn’t. How about how much the Trump tax cut saved you?


Quote
erronis
13. Normally I like fact-based posts with numbers. This one is depressing and extremely scary.
Good luck with your current job. I hope the next administration can get things right again - if we ever have another administration.


See. See what you’ve done?!  You TOLD them you were pulling numbers out of your ass, but you don’t realize just how stupid your audience is. I knew this would happen.


I’m sure this will grow.

KC
  Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day.  Set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life.

*Stolen

Offline 67 Rover

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The Air Force has plenty of ATC personnel to loan/replace the civilian counterparts.
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Offline Ralph Wiggum

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Never let a non crisis go to waste...cue these sob stories by the media/left.
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Offline jukin

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This great for the green environmentals.  Fewer airplane trips means that Mother Gaia will live longer.


Win for the communists. 
When you are the beneficiary of someone’s kindness and generosity, it produces a sense of gratitude and community.

When you are the beneficiary of a policy that steals from someone and gives it to you in return for your vote, it produces a sense of entitlement and dependency.

Offline Tess Anderson

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what I wonder about here is why the OP keeps whining on social media about how mean Trump is for holding up his pay - he registered D in both FL and CO, and he's a federal employee. He ought to cry and scold Nancy Pelosi and others in his precious Democrat  :wink: Party.

Offline Big Dog

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Privatize.
Government is the negation of liberty.
  -Ludwig von Mises

CAVE FVROREM PATIENTIS.

Offline franksolich

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apres moi, le deluge

Offline DUmpsterDiver

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>I am only speaking about the Agency I work for

You lying POS.   You are just another democrat POS trying to spread your jism.

ATC would never let a POS like you past the first security interview.  Loosen your butt plug.

Offline Mr Mannn

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Without 0bama to make things artificially worse, Democrats are helpless in a shut down that no one notices.