Senate says no to privatizing air traffic control WASHINGTON (AP) =97 The Senate defied the Bush administration on Thursday by= =20 voting to prohibit the government from transferring air traffic control to= =20 private companies. Despite a veto threat, the ban passed 56-41 as an=20 amendment to a spending plan for the Federal Aviation Administration. Air=20 traffic controllers supported the amendment, sponsored by Sen. Frank=20 Lautenberg, D-N.J. "One thing we learned from 9/11 is that the public does= =20 not want private contractors responsible for the safety and security of air= =20 travelers," Lautenberg said. Controllers' jobs were protected from=20 privatization in 2000 when President Clinton signed an executive order=20 calling air traffic service "an inherently governmental function." Last=20 year, President Bush amended that order by deleting those four words. The FAA notified the controllers that their jobs would be reclassified as=20 "commercial." Controllers said the change meant the government could hire a= =20 private company to take over air traffic control, though Bush=20 administration officials have insisted there are no plans to do that. All=20 commercial airports have government controllers, though many small, private= =20 airports use independent companies to run their air traffic control towers.= =20 Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said the FAA wants flexibility in=20 administering those "contract towers." The Lautenberg amendment exempts contract towers, but includes people who=20 maintain the air traffic control system and others who provide flight=20 information, such as weather forecasts, to pilots. The Office of Management= =20 and Budget said such restrictions are not necessary and would hinder the=20 FAA's ability to manage the air traffic control system. OMB spokesman Trent= =20 Duffy said the administration is reviewing the amendment. The House on=20 Wednesday approved a four-year, $58.9 billion plan for the FAA that=20 includes a ban on privatizing air traffic controllers and the people who=20 maintain the equipment, but not the support people who provide flight=20 information. The two versions must be reconciled before they go to the=20 president. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Mas Site: www.tntisland.com/tntrecords/mas2003/ Site of the Week: http://www.carib-link.net/naparima/naps.html TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************