Get In Line

LA WATCHDOG - As a result of the long TSA lines at airports across the country, Delta Airlines issued the following statement. 

“Due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta.” 

This announcement has been a long time in coming. However, the suspension should be permanent. Then our elected officials will have a better understanding of what ordinary Americans must endure when travelling. This policy should apply to all airlines. 

It seems that the Senate has received the memo that Americans are not happy campers. On March 19th, the Senate approved by unanimous consent a proposal to end the special treatment members of Congress get at airports that allows them to speed through or skip the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) screening checkpoints. Now it is up to the House. 

Another perquisite that our representatives in Washington enjoy are nonstop flights from DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport) to LAX even though DCA is a landlocked regional airport that is experiencing significant safety issues because of too much traffic. But it is not a problem for our elected elite who have mandated cross country flights from DCA, putting their convenience ahead of public safety. 

Rather than using DCA, which is four miles from Capitol Hill, Adam Schiff, Alex Padilla, and the rest of our California representatives should use IAD (Dulles International Airport) which is less congested and better equipped to manage cross country flights. Unfortunately, IAD is 25 miles from their Congressional offices. But given their exalted status, their time is more precious than ours, even though the approval ratings of Congress are in the toilet. 

Our elected elite need to live by the same rules that apply to rest of us, whether it be lines at airports or healthcare or retirement plans. This also applies to the political nabobs who occupy City Hall, especially now that they have failed to address the City’s Structural Deficit, provide for open and transparent labor negotiations, and repair and maintain our streets, sidewalks, and parks.

(Jack Humphreville writes the LA Watchdog column for CityWatch, where he covers city finances, utilities, and accountability at City Hall. He is President of the DWP Advocacy Committee, serves as the Budget and DWP representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, and is a longtime Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. With a sharp focus on fiscal responsibility and transparency, Jack brings an informed and independent voice to Los Angeles civic affairs. He can be reached at [email protected].)