More Targeted Sequester Pain

You know how our D.C. politicians are always talking about "targeted" cuts, or "targeted" tax increases, well the president and his cabinet have taken targeting a step further in that they now create "targeted pain."

The FAA has now announced that they will pull air traffic controllers from some small airports, including a few in Texas.  And that the FAA will also furlough some air traffic controllers.  Now that is my friends is "targeted pain" that will be sure to make local newspapers and create a sense of impending doom upon the newspaper reading public.  "Oh my God, somebody is going to get killed landing at an airport without air traffic controllers," will be the battle cry of the media.  And if someone does die in a plane crash at one of these airports, no matter what the cause, you will see the main stream media blaming sequester.

But, let's take a look at the real story.  The FAA budget for FY 2013 is a little over $15 billion.  In that $15 billion are the following lines:

Facilities and Equipment:         $2.9 billion
Research and Development     $ .2 billion
Grants                                    $ 2.4 billion
Total of money not used for air traffic controllers or staff saleries:  $5.5 billion

Now, if they really, really wanted to, the FAA could slash that 2% from one of these line items and no one would notice.  Of course that is the point:  NO ONE WOULD NOTICE.

Mr. President, you should be impeached if a plane crashes at one of these airports and it is blamed on the lack of air traffic controllers YOUR cabinet laid off, or furloughed.