Minneapolis Bound Plane Miss the Runway by 120 Miles

A San Diego to Minneapolis bound jet miss the runway by oh I don’t know by 120 miles. A Northwest Airlines flight 188 got off track  in Eau Claire Wisconsin with a military jet escort  sent back to Minneapolis and Federal Aviation Administration Police waiting the Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport.

The pilots said the were engaged in spirited conversation about airline policy and miss the twin cities. In addition when landing FAA Police had guns drawn. The flight crew told passenger to sit down. Then the flight crew  left the plane to be  interviewed by the FAA.

FAA officials has military jets on standby after the Flight 188 didn’t respond to FAA commands and out or radio communications for more that 75 minutes.

“When you hear that fighter jets were ready to scramble, that just gets you really mad,” said passenger Scott Kennedy.

Some passengers thought the flight seem to drag on and on and the pilots updates were not given, and the flight attendant “unusual comment”  make some sense. When a passenger asked a flight attendant a when will the plane land and the attendant answered ten minutes later,”‘I have no idea when we’re going to get to the terminal,’” he said.

The flight crew announced they were landing soon but nothing happened    said Anne Kroshus of Woodbury. “It was bizarre,” she said. “It certainly didn’t feel like we were circling.”

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Chicago Loses the Olympics and Rio de Janerio Wins

A heartbreaking loss for the President, Mrs. Obama, Chicago Mayor Richard M Daley; City of Chicago, The state of Illinois, and United States loses the 2010 Olympic Games on Friday, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The President spoke on Friday morning  to members of the International Olympic Committee to make his appeal for Chicago as the for the 2010 Olympics.  The President and Mrs. Obama spoke glowingly of Chicago. But it wasn’t enough. Chicago was eliminated during the 1st round.

Chicago received only 18 votes.Tokyo,Japan placed third was also eliminated.  Rio de Janerio received the most votes with 26.   Madrid, Spain, second,  Rio first. The next round Madrid which was second eliminated and  Rio was declared the Winner.

Conservatives, as well some liberals  in Chicago was opposed to the Olympics,  for the poor thousand of low income apartments could have disappear as housing activists say Chicago has housing deficit. Conservatives  fiscal democrats and independents in Illinois say,the Olympics would bankrupt the city which is a half of a billion dollars in debt. The debt would add to it.

Nationally, Republicans blasted the President trip as a boondoggle, RNC Chair Michael Steel,  came out swinging especially with news of the September unemployment rate inched up to 9.8% which equals 260,000 people fired or layoff. The jobless numbers is a 26 year high.

“As President Obama travels to Copenhagen to bring the Summer Olympics to his hometown seven years from now, Americans back home are increasingly concerned they won’t have a job seven months from now as they see more and more of their neighbors and friends lose jobs today,” Steele said.

Political Scientist and historian Larry Sabato of the University of Virgina says the defeat at the Olympics is a small setback  for the president. It’s a classic political hullabaloo that will fade quickly,” he said. “I think it actually points up a problem the Republicans are having, which is focusing the unhappiness and disagreement they have with Obama. In politics you have to be able to complain about the right things.”

Reuters

Government to Federal Workers Stay Away from “Fun Cities”

In the bad economy people tend not to take a vacation. But now the government agencies have learned their lessons from the various private companies and Social Security conference  at the Arizona Biltmore  in Phoenix area.

Department of Agriculture  suggested to it staffers hold its meeting in places like Denver, Milwaukee or St. Louis. Meanwhile,the FBI has turned down a travel planner from the New York New York Hotel and Casino to plan their event there.

The Department of Justice has sent a memo that conference not to be held at “decided conference[s] are not to be held in cities that are vacation destinations/spa/resort/gambling,” according to a May email from an FBI employee. The memo obtain by the US Travel Association and sent to the Wall Street Journal. The top cities on the list to avoid Las Vegas and Orlando.

Confirmed by the Department of Justice spokesperson “We do have guidance that says avoid locations and accommodations that give the appearance of being lavish or are resort destinations.”

Those in the travel industry has suggested the government is engaging in a blacklist scheme against travel dependent states like Nevada and Florida. These locales have thousands upon thousands hotel rooms and conference spaces offering the best deals in the country.

“We get the sense that these agencies are worried about scrutiny, and in order to avoid criticism from the media they are essentially willing to spend more money and do things that they think will prevent them media scrutiny,” said Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Travel Association. “In the quest to demonize travel, we’re killing jobs.”

At the beginning of the Year, President Obama chastised major banks that take bailout money and have planned conferences in places like Las Vegas. That help kill off nearly 20% tourism to Las Vegas. Casino industries contacted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-Nevada) of the loss of business ; Reid contacted the White House about this  But White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel told Reid  the government is focused on cost  and efficiencies not resort locations.

So Obama has all but killed business travel industry especially in to Las Vegas and Florida, theses places who ironically voted  Obama for President. Whats worse SEIU  of Nevada which heavily encourage it’s members who works in many of Las Vegas Hotels and resorts to vote for the President, He  slaps their collective faces of the workers. Real good Mr. President, real good. I wonder how many workers in the tourism industry lost their jobs  due to the president’s wisdom and media haranguing.

The Good news the next four years shall be great for bargains , for service not so much. Good Luck, You need it.

Wall Street Journal

Tragedy in D.C: Nine people died in Metro Subway Disaster

Nine people died and more than 80 people are injured when two subway trains collided in on Washington’s Northeast side Monday.  The incident  took place on Metro’s  Red Line  on the Fort Totten stop. One train had stopped at a signal, while a second train didn’t stop smash in the stopped train killed the train operator in the second train and eight others. The Red Line was heading from Maryland to Union Station during evening rush hour.

The accident left subway piled up on each other. Rescue workers used heavy equipment to get people out from wreckage.

Today National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating the cause of the accident.  Speculation centers around the computer system. The thinking is that the train  safety program did not  stop the second train which collided into the first train killing 9 and injuring eighty, even though the driver applied the emergency brake.

The Train operator has been identified as Jeanice Mc Millian 42  of Springfield,VA has been Metro since 2007.

Debbie Hersman, investiator with the NTSB says she not sure if the emergency brake was activated, however the button was pushed.

NTSB officials reconmended that Metro replace the aging series1000 trains which would not able withstood a crash.  The warning was not heeded, which  the NTSB was “Uncceptable”.

Today, Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation the transit agency for the DC said all trains are running but they are operated  manually. In addition service on the Metro’s Red Line have been curtailed. Three Red Line stops were closed until further notice: Brookland-CUA, Fort Totten and Tacoma Metro stations. However, Yellow and Green Line  Fort Totten service remains and Metro is providing shuttle service in place of  line trains running on the Red Line.

Meanwhile Maryland Area Rail Commuter Service  announced better known as MARC  stopped its Brunswick Line  service which tracks are near the Metro Train Red Line.

Washington Times

Yahoo News

WMATA(Metro)

FAA is licensing Aircaft Mechanics That Can’t read English

From WFFA’s “News 8″ in an investigation piece that blows your mind and making sure your life and health insurance premiums are paid up. The Federal Aviation Administration  is licensing airline mechanics who don’t (or can’t) read English. Companies are hiring the mechanics knowing full well of this and hiring them well below the salary of the aircraft mechanics. And possibly endangering the flying public. Sound familiar (can you say illegals!)

In addition,  The FAA repair facility in San Antonio would issue the FAA mechanics exams in Spanish. While the English mechanics must not only read English but to write in English in the Repair log books. The FAA has overlooks ( basically turn a blind eye to passenger safety.) whats going on.

This cracks me up! I used to read job classifieds that required a command of the English language. College Professors said that much to me. And yet from warehousing jobs to high tech employment,  transportation careers to science job positions are throwing away common sense for cheap and easy profits to our potential peril. This is utter madness.

Hey folks raise your hand if you love this. Huh? Huh?  I didn’t think so.

H/T: Drudge Report

Whose’s Bright Idea is This: Air Force One Photo Op Scare

Someone allowed in the White House to  do a photo op in New York City with  Air Force One and this created a scare in Battery Park City and Tri-Be-Ca sections of Manhattan on Monday.  Air Force One was flying low followed by two Air Force fighter jets causes panic. People evacuated many of city’s high rises fearing another September 11 style attack.  911 calls to emergency services in forming them of the event.

When it revealed that it was a Photo Op, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was not amused.I’m annoyed – furious is a better word – that I wasn’t told,” the mayor said. “If I had known about it, I would have called them right away and asked them not to.”

The White House claimed it was updating the photograph collection of Air Force One.

There are plenty of fall guys in this both of White House and Mayor Boomberg  staffs. Marc Mugnos a New York City Hall deputy took the responsibility for not notify the Mayor of the Photo op. While  at the White House Louis Caldera head the White House office of Military Affairs was chewed out by President Barack Obama. Caldera took responsibility for aerial photo mission and said,”I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.”

The main reason for the flyby was for souvenirs made available  that White House give out. Air Force One take pics over Golden Gate Bridge and Mt Rushmore.

New York Deputy Police commissioner Paul Brown was told  and ordered too keep quiet.

Caldera says the federal government has clearance  to do the mission.

New York Daily News

Las Vegas economy struggles with due to declining tourists numbers: Down 12% from January 2008

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal, tourism is down by 11.9 Percent. 340  convention cancellations  since January have compounded the bad economy  from the housing bust; and the Mayor Oscar Goldman is not happy about President Obama remarks about companies taking TARP monies not to go to Las Vegas. Job layoff across the country have impacted the economy. Not Good, not good at all.

What happens in Vegas is not happening at all.