Quiet Rockland Thanks The U.S. House Of Representatives For Castigating The FAA Administrator, And Again Calls For Bobby Sturgell’s Accelerated Ouster
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2008
Contact:
Tom Sullivan, “Quiet Rockland”: 1-845-480-1088
John J. Tormey III, Esq.: 1-212-410-4142
jtormey@optonline.net
QUIET ROCKLAND THANKS THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR CHASTENING FAA ACTING ADMINISTRATOR “BOBBY” STURGELL, AND CALLS FOR STURGELL’S RAPID OUSTER
Rockland County, NY – July 30, 2008:
Quiet Rockland released this statement today through attorney John J. Tormey III, Esq.:
“No right-thinking individual or body in this country is willing to further tolerate the lawless contempt of Acting FAA Administrator ‘Bobby’ Sturgell –
not the United States Department of Transportation’s Inspector General (I.G.) Honorable Calvin L. Scovel III, 
not the House of Representatives, and not citizens like those of us comprising Quiet Rockland harmed by the fraud that is the FAA’s proposed NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign. We stand together as one and reject the rogue, hapless FAA.I.G. Scovel, a former Marine officer, judge, and prosecutor,
made two essential and needed recommendations in the wake of rampant FAA threats against aviation-inspector whistle-blowers: (A) cycle-out FAA inspector supervisors to ensure they remain objective and arms-length from airlines and end any “cozy relationship” between them; and (B) establish an independent body to field and process concerns raised by FAA employees. Yet in an astounding display of chutzpah and sheer lack of reality-testing, Sturgell,
by any account Scovel’s acute intellectual inferior, adopted the tired litigation-defense tactic of “stall, hinder, and delay” while mumbling in his best trailer-park drawl: 
“We may move forward with some version of what the inspector general is recommending at the end of the day”. [Emphasis supplied]. See:http://www.atca.org/singlenews.asp?item_ID=5586
Realizing that failed Administrator ‘Bobby’ Sturgell doesn’t get it, and never will, Congress sprang into action. On July 23, 2008, Wall Street Journal’s Christopher Conkey and others reported that the House passed legislation, H.R.6439, by 392-0 vote,
compelling Sturgell and FAA to do the very things that Sturgell and FAA sought to resist and stall in doing.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/23/AR2008072303494.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/22/AR2008072202496.html
Quiet Rockland has three immediate responses:
(1) Congratulations, and thank you, to all 392 members of Congress who gave purposefully-indolent yahoo “Bobby” Sturgell and his dysfunctional FAA their much-deserved facial-massage come-uppance;
(2) it shouldn’t take an act of Congress to force misfeasors like Sturgell and his FAA to do the correct thing; and (3) Who in the blazes does failed legacy-case “Bobby” Sturgell think he is, whilst in flagrant disregard of all of our safety he defies the recommendations of Honorable Calvin Scovel and the will of the American people?
Quiet Rockland further respectfully requests that all members of Congress and all other relevant branches of government and law enforcement, move swiftly and in concert to permanently excise “Bobby” Sturgell from his current temporary post of Acting FAA Administrator.
Quiet Rockland further respectfully requests that all members of Congress and all other relevant branches of government and law enforcement, move swiftly and in concert to permanently excise “Bobby” Sturgell from his current temporary post of Acting FAA Administrator.
Sturgell and his FAA are wretched demonstrable failures. Quiet Rockland further respectfully implores Congress to approve no temporary or other FAA Reauthorization or funding of any kind,
unless and until:(a) “Bobby” Sturgell is removed from office for good;
(b) All FAA spends on NY/NJ/PHL Airspace Redesign litigation permanently cease;(c) FAA permanently withdraws the Airspace Redesign; and
(d) All air traffic controllers are treated fairly and with decency.
As belied by Bobby Sturgell’s recent silence and passivity at key aviation events – e.g.:
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=5c4c8537-226b-4163-9455-a4f606180121
and while Sturgell has already told senior aviation personnel he has quit and identified his interim successor as FAA’s Ruth Leverenz,
this was still a purposeful “delayed steal” on his part - in that Sturgell also indicated he may not leave until as late as November 2008. That’s not soon enough. Congress must act NOW to throw “Bobby” Sturgell out of office
before his incompetent and callous disregard for the law brings down a jumbo-jet
and hurts or kills innocent Americans.#
House Passes FAA Safety Legislation
By CHRISTOPHER CONKEY
July 23, 2008 3:25 a.m.; Page A4
WASHINGTON -- The House passed legislation that would overhaul the Federal Aviation Administration’s approach to airline safety, following disclosures of lax oversight by agency inspectors.
The bill would force the FAA to adopt two safety recommendations it has resisted in recent weeks: periodically rotating supervisory inspectors to ensure they don’t get cozy with airlines, and establishing an independent group to examine safety concerns raised by FAA employees.
The two proposals have been a source of conflict between the FAA and the Department of Transportation’s inspector general, Calvin Scovel, who suggested the reforms and has already persuaded FAA officials to make several other changes.
Action now moves to the Senate, where similar provisions have been introduced. Meanwhile, Mr. Scovel will continue to press Acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell to adopt the recommendations while the Senate deliberates.
The debate follows disclosures that FAA managers last year allowed Southwest Airlines Co. to fly 46 planes that were overdue for mandatory inspections. Investigations revealed the agency failed to respond to maintenance inspectors who raised complaints about the Southwest incident.
Rep. James Oberstar (D., Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee and co-sponsor of the bill that cleared the chamber, described the legislation as a first step “in reversing the complacency over safety regulation that has set in at the highest levels of the” FAA. Mr. Oberstar said he expects other legislation to emerge after investigations under way by Congress, the FAA and the inspector general conclude.
An FAA representative couldn’t be reached for comment. The agency has previously adopted one of the House bill’s provisions: requiring a two-year “cooling-off” period for FAA inspectors who leave to take jobs with airlines they used to oversee.
Write to Christopher Conkey at:
christopher.conkey@wsj.com
