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Uploaded: Tuesday, February 26, 2013, 8:03 AM
Updated: Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 7:27 AM
Livermore Airport control tower faces closure if federal spending cuts go through on Friday
FAA administrator warns of 'drastic effects' on air travel
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 | With a possible federal budget sequestration looming on March 1, the Federal Aviation Administration could close the control tower at Livermore Airport and several other airports in the Bay Area.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said other local air traffic control towers that could be closed include the ones at airports in Napa, Santa Rosa, Concord, San Carlos and Salinas. In addition, flights into major airports like San Francisco's could face delays of up to 90 minutes.
LaHood and Huerta issued a letter to other aviation officials on Friday warning of the possible reductions as Congress decides whether to avoid the automatic spending cuts.
The sequestration is based on legislation last year that said if no compromise was reached by the congressional Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, then $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts will take place over the next decade.
The letter by LaHood and Huerta said those cuts would have a drastic effect on air travel, including the possible closing of more than 100
air traffic control towers nationally and elimination of overnight shifts at more than 60 others.
The proposed cuts could also mean one furlough day per pay period for the FAA's 47,000 employees, according to the officials.
The shutdowns would begin as soon as April, according to the letter, which said the reduction in air traffic controllers on staff would mean delays of up to 90 minutes during peak hours at airports in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and other major cities.
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, denounced Congressional Republicans for not yet agreeing to a solution to stave off these potential cuts.
"These political games being played by the House Majority in Washington are costing real people their jobs here at home and unnecessarily putting people's safety at risk," Thompson said in a statement.
He said both the Napa and Santa Rosa airports would be forced to furlough or lay off a number of employees if those air traffic control towers
close, even temporarily.
Thompson added that planes in both airports would be operating in uncontrolled airspace, while nearly all flights there currently are during
controlled air times.
"Instead of this manufactured crisis, we need a balanced, bold plan that creates jobs, cuts spending, reforms our tax code so that everyone
is paying their fair share and protects Social Security and Medicare. That's what I'm working for," he said.— Bay City News Service Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Give me a break, a resident of the Del Prado neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 9:05 am It's amazing that a budget cut of less than 3% is going to have such a profound impact on our lives. Obviously there is no waste in the federal government where they can make real cuts.
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Posted by shadowbozo, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 9:08 am
shadowbozo is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com What people don't realize is that the cuts are on future spending, not current levels. The DC crowd looks at not increasing spending as a cut.
Too bad the media won't report it this way.
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Posted by kbenson, a resident of the Pheasant Ridge neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 10:54 am That would be awesome! No more aircraft noise!
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Posted by Mr. Cranky, a resident of the Kottinger Ranch neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 12:53 pm Closing the tower wouldn't mean closing the airport - it just means it would be an "uncontrolled airport" like lots and lots of other airports throughout the world. The amount of traffic wouldn't change noticeably. Note that Livermore already closes at night, and planes still land and takeoff at night.
Having said that, this is such BS - scare tactics is all this is. The Livermore airport is important for many reasons and is one of the busiest in the country for general aviation. They're not going to close it.
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Posted by William Tell, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 4:26 pm What a bunch of BS - cut public safety, public parks, TSA etc - but God forbid we stop da welfare, food-stamp, Obama-phone, foreign aid to nations who hate us, gub'mint bureaucracy, Obama's golf trips, Moochelle's dresses, etc.
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Posted by local, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 4:38 pm Obama is just like all politicians. When you want more money you have police, fire, and teachers standing behind you and say they are all going to be laid off unless you give more money.
They only think about cutting the things that matter to everybody instead of what a company would do. A company would have to prioritize and cut the lowest priority items and/or the amount of support for a specific thing but they would never cut their own legs off. Just another example that the politicians do not care about us.
And Obama saying that the republicans refuse to tax the "wealthy". Hello? The republicans just passed a tax hike to the wealthy. Obama wants you to forget that it was just done. That line is getting REAL old. I am disappointed in the class warfare tactics of our president.
The sequester program cuts were agreed upon by the democrats also. Since the democrats have the majority, if the cuts go through, it is more the democrats fault than the republicans. Also, when you have a majority and need just a few more votes, you can usually do some minimal compromising to get something passed. The democrats, including the president, are not even trying to get something to pass.
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Posted by Dave, a resident of the Birdland neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 6:36 pm So many people are buying into Obama's scare tactics as he continues his political campaigning on the road rather than actually sitting down with both parties and working out a true, workable plan. It's worth noting that Obama was determined not to face another debt-limit increase before his re-election campaign. He scuttled a bipartisan agreement prior to the election and instead proposed a “sequester.” The sequester was initially proposed as a deal so bad that Republicans and Democrats would have to come up with something better. But as deadlines have passed, neither side has provided an alternative that is acceptable to the other. Obama can’t be bothered to actually spend a few hours working out a sensible sequester plan with the Republicans. Apparently it’s more important to keep on bashing the Republicans if the sequestration goes through as planned.
The Wall Street Journal itself weighed in in an editorial, referring to a recent White House event that Obama hosted, saying that “Americans can expect more such melodrama in the coming days.”
And they have been correct!
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Posted by Liberty Crusader, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 6:59 pm I'm tickled pink. When the sequester was agreed upon - Obama designed it so that you'd have to be stark raving mad to succumb to it - Boehner could barely contain himself while announcing that he got 98% of what he wanted from the negotiations with the Holy One, Barack Hussien Obama.
So now the sequester is going to happen. A few cutbacks here, some longer lines there, some govt worker and ship builder furloughs and lay-offs - just the kinds of things we need. You know, take more money out of people's hands so they have less to spend. Okay, the recovery might sputter for another few years, but if we do our best to convince the people that it's all the Holy One's fault, then maybe we'll have a chance in future elections. After all, we've gotta do something to turn the people against Democrats, even if it means a lot of families aren't going to get their foodstamps.
Maybe people will learn how to get a job. There's always something available. I haven't seen anyone on the street attempt to squeegy-wipe my windshield since the Bush administration. We'll be fine everyone. Not to worry!
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Posted by Real Anon, a resident of the Canyon Creek neighborhood, on Feb 26, 2013 at 11:35 pm As someone pointed out - scare tactics. Of all the controlled airports in the country they want to cut the staff from the second busiest GA (General Aviation) airfield in the country. There are literally 200 other airfields with less traffic that they could pick from, without touching any of the top 100 airports, yet they go up to number 2. That tells this crap is purely political. FAA union reps are probably slathering over the fat raises they will get in their next contract already. I tell you we need a guy like Reagan to fire them all again so they can finally learn the lesson they are public servants, not royalty, with their never-ending pensions and COLA BS.
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Posted by Arroyo, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2013 at 8:43 am What happened to old-time journalism? The current crop seems to have been reduced to reading press releases from the White House.
Can't these "journalists" see through this charade and stop simply reading the script they've been provided? The public seems to realize what the media seems to have a problem comprehending -- that this is yet another "catastrophe" created and overly dramatized by our commander-in-chief.
Bob Woodward recognized what is going on and had the audacity to call it correctly. I suspect he's no longer on the Obama Christmas Card list.
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Posted by Carlos, a resident of the Highland Oaks neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2013 at 9:17 am Could? Could? Heck, we could all be struck down by death rays from Mars...
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Posted by Livermore Lab, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2013 at 10:02 am Scary days at Livermore Lab. A lot of people are facing work furloughs. Military budget for non-military workers will be cut. That is not a Democrat scare tactic. Majority of DC voted for this sequester.
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Posted by Dude, a resident of the Bridle Creek neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2013 at 10:38 am The cuts do not effect current spending levels! The cuts of 3% are to future increases in spending. This article is written by a Liberal trying to scare the public. It's part of their playbook.
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Posted by Not Drinking the Koolaid, a resident of the Country Fair neighborhood, on Feb 28, 2013 at 2:15 pm The control tower will NOT close. Just another one of Obama's scare tactics!
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Posted by Larry, a resident of Livermore, on Feb 28, 2013 at 5:35 pm Let me see if I have this right, future spending will go up, but not as fast, slowing it down by 2.5 percent right. And that is going to cause all these disruptions. Are you serious, nothing is going to happen. It's all show to scare the people. Nothing more. Spending should be cut by 30 percent, starting with all the government employees pay.
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