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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Tim Johnson's Take on Airline Bailout Impact |
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by Walter Matherly
(No verified email address) |
27 Sep 2001
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The $15 billion Airline Bailout just passed by Congress won't give prompt help to the 130,000 airline employees laid off by companies though help may be considered in coming weeks according to Tim Johnson at a press conference held at Champaign's Willard Airport Thursday afternoon. |
At a press conference held this afternoon at Champaign's Willard Airport Fifteenth District Representative Tim Johnson urged the local and regional populace to continue using commercial airlines and to "fly from point A to point B." He insisted flying on commercial carriers was safe and will get much safer with planned expenditures, much of it funded from the bailout package, for enhanced security checking, impregnable pilot cabins, additional "air marshals" and small arms to be carried by pilots. No health insurance, retraining or other cushions for the 130,000 employees laid off by the industry is included in the package. This shortcoming was classed a "collateral problem" to be taken up by the Transportation in coming weeks.
When asked if he in the Fifteenth District had reiterated President Bush's urging to law enforcement officers not to retaliate against Muslims or people of Arabic descent Johnson laughed sarcastically and assured the questioner such an announcement was not necessary, and followed the comment with an invitation to listeners to take his current comment as such a plea if they wish.
The rest of Johnson's press interview, supported by short endorsements by six managers of local airline service companies, was devoted to assuring the public that the airlines were quite safe, and that continued sales and profitability were essential to economic recovery from the terrorist attack of September eleventh. He called attention to a group of students, the UI volleyball team, waiting in a check-in line. |
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http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=67865&group=webcast
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