Senior FAA officials accused of telling workers 'job security' at risk if GOP wins

Senior FAA officials accused of telling workers 'job security' at risk if GOP wins

Two federal agency supervisors allegedly warned employees earlier this year that a Republican takeover in Washington could threaten their jobs -- comments that some workers apparently took as guidance on "how to vote" and that one group claims may have violated federal law.

Nonprofit watchdog Cause of Action wrote a letter Wednesday asking the Department of Transportation's inspector general to launch a probe into the incident, involving senior officials with the Federal Aviation Administration. The incident occurred in May during a meeting at the FAA's Seattle office, according to the letter.

The Cause of Action letter requesting an IG investigation expressed concern that the comments may have violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from partisan political activity.

An FAA spokesman said in a statement Wednesday that the agency would cooperate with any review.

"The FAA takes Hatch Act violation allegations very seriously and will cooperate fully with any review of the allegations," the spokesman said.

Dan Epstein, executive director of Cause of Action, called the alleged incident an "egregious abuse of power for political gain."


Read more: Senior FAA officials accused of telling workers 'job security' at risk if GOP wins | Fox News

The tentacles of the White House are far reaching.

Tentacles?

I suppose that's one way to respond to the truth. *shrug*
If there wasn't reason to suspect far reaching "tentacles", why go the Inspector General route? This situation could have been handled by DOJ, right? The same DOJ that refuses to prosecute friends of the administration?

You see, Jillian, intimidation is a strategy the White House is now using for their campaign. Just look at this same option they used with Gallup recently.
 
I think one of the suckiest things on earth is getting in trouble for tellin' the truth.
the problem is, they are NOT telling the truth.

They are expressing an opinion. Unless these people have a crystal ball, there is no way they can be telling the truth.
 
The size of the federal government needs to be reduced. That means federal government jobs must be cut. With all the duplicity we have in government today, I'm sure there are many "non-essential" personnel.

Let them join the private sector and actually have to compete for jobs.
 
I think one of the suckiest things on earth is getting in trouble for tellin' the truth.

No. The FAA is not a target of Government waste.

Oh? I was under the impression that Romney hasn't been very specific about what he'd cut or not cut. Did you get an advance notice of some sort?

We have 145,000 more government workers under this president. Let’s send them home and put you back to work.”

much of that increase has come in areas that Romney says he wants to bolster as president, such as defense (80,000 additional jobs), veterans affairs (38,000) and homeland security (20,000). Presumably he would think such increases are a good thing — not jobs he would want to eliminate.​

If he's hell bent on eliminating 145,000 Federal Jobs and it likely won't be in the areas that were increased since he likes those too, what will Mittens cut?
 
I think one of the suckiest things on earth is getting in trouble for tellin' the truth.

No. The FAA is not a target of Government waste.

Oh? I was under the impression that Romney hasn't been very specific about what he'd cut or not cut. Did you get an advance notice of some sort?

We have 145,000 more government workers under this president. Let’s send them home and put you back to work.”

much of that increase has come in areas that Romney says he wants to bolster as president, such as defense (80,000 additional jobs), veterans affairs (38,000) and homeland security (20,000). Presumably he would think such increases are a good thing — not jobs he would want to eliminate.​

If he's hell bent on eliminating 145,000 Federal Jobs and it likely won't be in the areas that were increased since he likes those too, what will Mittens cut?

Ryan has been explicit in his spending cuts of duplicative programs and poor performing programs that have been in existence for many years.
 
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We have a 16 Trillion dollar debt. Do you think this is a good number? Shouldn't we move these people off the government employment sheet and on the private sector job roll?
 
Why would anyone at the FAA think such crazy things about the Republicans, if they get more power??

At this point, a brief reminder of recent history is in order:

Republicans Hold FAA Authorization Vote Hostage To Extort Anti-Union Deal

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Republicans have backed Democrats into a corner: Surrender Tuesday or the FAA stays shut for the rest of the summer.

House members left town Monday evening after passing their default-dodging debt limit deal. And they did it with an impasse between the two sides of the Capitol over a temporary Federal Aviation Administration authorization bill unresolved.

The Senate is still in town, set to vote on the debt deal Tuesday. That means the only options left on the FAA are either for the standoff to last until Congress returns in September, or for the Senate to cave. And the Senate says it isn’t budging.

Earlier Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood traveled to New York’s LaGuardia airport to unleash a blistering critique of the congressional stalemate, and to implore Congress not to go on vacation before the funding dispute was resolved. LaHood says 4,000 FAA workers have been furloughed and 70,000 construction workers idled. The FAA also said some airport inspectors are being required to go to work — but can’t be paid until the funding issue is settled.

To recap, the GOP-controlled House two weeks ago passed a temporary authorization extension for the FAA. But the bill included a tweak taking a bite out of federal subsidies for just a small handful of regional airports. Senate Democrats refused to swallow the bill, instead insisting on a “clean” extension. The FAA, and nearly 4,000 furloughed workers, have been sitting in the crossfire ever since.

In the background of all this is a partisan dispute over federal union rules. A longer-term FAA authorization bill is currently stalled in House-Senate talks because GOP lawmakers want to repeal an Obama Administration rule making it easier for workers at airlines and rail companies to organize. Senate Democrats, led by Rockefeller, have accused Republicans of using the short-term FAA bill as leverage over the union issue.


Republicans Hold FAA Authorization Vote Hostage To Extort Anti-Union Deal | Crooks and Liars
 
Dan Epstein, executive director of Cause of Action, called the alleged incident an "egregious abuse of power for political gain."

Just another day in the Obama administration.
 

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