The History of Singapores Economic Development

In the 1960s, the city-state of Singapore was an undeveloped country with a GDP per capita of less than U.S. $320. Today, it is one of the worlds fastest-growing economies. Its GDP per capita has risen to an incredible U.S. $60,000, making it one of the strongest economies in the world. For a small country with few natural resources, Singapores economic ascension is nothing short of remarkable. By embracing globalization, free-market capitalism, education, and pragmatic policies, the country has been able to overcome its geographic disadvantages and become a leader in global commerce. Independence For over 100 years, Singapore was under British control. But when the British failed to protect the colony from the Japanese during World War II, it sparked a strong anti-colonial and nationalist sentiment that subsequently led to Singapores independence. On August 31, 1963, Singapore seceded from the British crown and merged with Malaysia to form the Federation of Malaysia. The two years Singapore spent as part of Malaysia were filled with social strife, as the two sides struggled to assimilate with one another ethnically. Street riots and violence became very common. The Chinese in Singapore outnumbered the Malay three-to-one. The Malay politicians in Kuala Lumpur feared their heritage and political ideologies were being threatened by the growing Chinese population throughout the island and peninsula. Therefore, as a way of ensuring a Malay majority within Malaysia proper and to limit the influence of communism, the Malaysian parliament voted to expel Singapore from Malaysia. Singapore gained formal independence on August 9, 1965, with Yusof bin Ishak serving as its first president and the highly influential Lee Kuan Yew as its prime minister. After independence, Singapore continued to experience problems. Much of the city-states three million people were unemployed. More than two-thirds of its population was living in slums and squatter settlements on the citys fringe. The territory was sandwiched between two large and unfriendly states in Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore lacked natural resources, sanitation, proper infrastructure, and adequate water supply. In order to stimulate development, Lee sought international assistance, but his pleas went unanswered, leaving Singapore to fend for itself. Globalization During colonial times, Singapores economy was centered on entrepà ´t trade. But this economic activity offered little prospect for job expansion in the post-colonial period. The withdrawal of the British further aggravated the unemployment situation. The most feasible solution to Singapores economic and unemployment woes was to embark on a comprehensive program of industrialization, with a focus on labor-intensive industries. Unfortunately, Singapore had no industrial tradition. The majority of its working population was in trade and services. Therefore, they had no expertise or easily adaptable skills. Moreover, without a hinterland and neighbors who would trade with it, Singapore was forced to look for opportunities well beyond its borders to spearhead its industrial development. Pressured to find work for their people, the leaders of Singapore began to experiment with globalization. Influenced by Israels ability to leap over its Arab neighbors (who boycotted Israel) and trade with Europe and America, Lee and his colleagues knew they had to connect with the developed world and convince multinational corporations to manufacture in Singapore. In order to attract investors, Singapore had to create an environment that was safe, corruption-free, and low in taxation. To make this feasible, the citizens of the country had to suspend a large measure of their freedom in place of a more autocratic government. Anyone caught conducting narcotic trade or intensive corruption would be met with the death penalty. Lees People Action Party (PAP) repressed all independent labor unions and consolidated what remained into a single umbrella group called the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), which the party directly controlled. Individuals who threatened national, political, or corporate unity were quickly jailed without much due process. The countrys draconian, but business-friendly laws became very appealing to international investors. In contrast to its neighbors, where political and economic climates were unpredictable, Singapore was very stable. Moreover, with its advantageous location and established port system, Singapore was an i deal place to manufacture goods. By 1972, just seven years after independence, one-quarter of Singapores manufacturing firms were either foreign-owned or joint-venture companies, and both the United States and Japan were major investors. As a result of Singapores steady climate, favorable investment conditions and the rapid expansion of the world economy from 1965 to 1972, the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) experienced annual double-digit growth. As foreign investment money poured in, Singapore began focusing on developing its human resources in addition to its infrastructure. The country set up many technical schools and paid international corporations to train their unskilled workers in information technology, petrochemicals, and electronics. For those who could not get industrial jobs, the government enrolled them in labor-intensive un-tradable services, such as tourism and transportation. The strategy of having multinationals educate their workforce paid great dividends for the country. In the 1970s, Singapore was primarily exporting textiles, garments, and basic electronics. By the 1990s, they were engaging in wafer fabrication, logistics, biotech research, pharmaceuticals, integrated circuit design, and aerospace engineering. A Modern Economy Today, Singapore is a modern, industrialized society and entrepà ´t trade continues to play a central role in its economy. The Port of Singapore is now the worlds busiest transshipment port, surpassing Hong Kong and Rotterdam. In terms of total cargo tonnage handled, it has become the worlds second busiest, behind only the Port of Shanghai. Singapores tourism industry is also thriving, attracting over 10 million visitors annually. The city-state now has a zoo, a night safari, and a nature reserve. The country recently opened two of the worlds most expensive integrated casino resorts in the Marina Bay Sands and the Resorts World Sentosa. The countrys medical tourism and culinary tourism industries have also become quite successful, thanks to Singapores cultural heritage and advanced medical technology. Banking has grown significantly in recent years and many assets formerly held in Switzerland have been moved to Singapore due to new taxes imposed by the Swiss. The biotech industry is burgeoning, with drug makers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Merck Co. all establishing plants here, and oil refining continues to play a huge role in the economy. Despite its small size, Singapore is now the 15th largest trading partner of the United States. The country has established strong trade agreements with several countries in South America, Europe, and Asia as well. There are currently over 3,000 multinational corporations operating in the country, accounting for more than two-thirds of its manufacturing output and direct export sales. With a total land area of just 433 square miles and a small labor force of 3 million people, Singapore is able to produce a GDP that exceeds $300 billion dollars annually, higher than three-quarters of the world. Life expectancy is 83.75 years, the third highest in the world. Singapore is considered to be one of the best places to live on Earth if you dont mind the strict rules. Singapores model of sacrificing freedom for business is highly controversial and heavily debated. Regardless of philosophy, though, its effectiveness is undeniable.

Essay on The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children

Traditional research to ascertain the effects of living with domestic violence on children conducted psychological test to measure children’s competency and development. Development psychologists experimented on children in laboratory settings, if the level of competency demonstrated by a child was below average for their age and stage of development, witnessing domestic violence was deemed to be the cause. To know whether a child has been harmed by their experiences we need to how ‘normal’ children function and develop (Archard 197). But there is no universally agreed timeless norm of children’s health and development. Some psychologists believe domestic violence effects the way that children think and can cause ‘pre-mature’†¦show more content†¦Children also develop psychological coping mechanisms such as; blocking out the violence or on the contrary, monitoring it closely as a means of feeling in control; children may also talk ab out their experiences to a person, pet or object (McGee 2000). Very young children can only show their distress through their health and behaviour, for example: Sleep disturbances, eating problems, unnatural quietness and clinginess. Professionals disregard some of the complex and diverse coping mechanisms children possess by labelling them as psychosomatic disorders, personality defects or the beginnings of an addiction to violence. Based on studies of child development in what Jaffe et al (1990) call ‘normal’ families, a range of adjustment difficulties can be identified. Difficulties include: increased anxiety, psychosomatic illness including headaches, abdominal complaints, asthma, ulcers, stuttering, depression, sadness, withdrawal, fear, a reduction in understanding social situations including thoughts and feelings of other people (Saunders 1995:10). Behaviours such as: excessive cruelty to animals, teenage boys beating their girlfriends, disobedience, destructiveness, aggression, nervous demeanour and children running away from home. This research was produced within the rigid ethnocentric framework of children’s cognitive developmentShow MoreRelatedThe Impact of Domestic Violence on Children661 Words   |  3 PagesQuestion 1 There are many consequences of not taking a strong stance against domestic abuse and the later impact on the children in the situation. Even if the children are not involved in the actual abuse, they are still negatively impacted by the presence of domestic violence in their households (Osofsky 1990). 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Substance misuse, domestic violence and mental illness can result in parent’s fi nding it difficult to organize their lives to meet both their personal needs and theirRead MoreEffects of Domestic Violence on Children1124 Words   |  5 PagesThe biggest victims of domestic violence are the littlest. The home is a suppose to be a safe and secure environment for children with loving parents and free from violence. Children need a secure environment where they can come home to when the outside world is unsafe. However, every year there are millions of children who’s homes are not a safe haven. Millions of children are exposed to a parent being violently assaulted. Domestic violence is a prevalent social issue in America today. First, whoRead MoreEssay on The Gravity of Domestic Violence in America1423 Words   |  6 Pages the gravity of domestic violence in America has been disregarded and glossed over; perhaps it is because 60 percent of all domestic violence takes place at home. Domestic violence is defined as, the situation in which an intimate partner or someone you live with attacks you and tries to hurt you, often including physical assault, sexual assault, and bullying. â€Å"Every year, more than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes.† (safehorizon.org) Domestic violence at home is alteringRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Victims And Varies1700 Words   |  7 PagesDefinition, strengths and limitations, and occurrence Domestic violence as a form of trauma can have an impact on victims and varies in the form in which it occurs. Domestic violence can occur directly to an individual or family or indirectly as exposure to domestic violence. The Department of Justice defines domestic violence as â€Å"a pattern of abusive behavior in a relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner†. According to CrossRead MoreDevelopmental Trajectory And Impact On Hispanic Women851 Words   |  4 PagesDevelopmental trajectory and impact Hispanic women who are able to escape their perpetrator may be faced with barriers that impact their ability to rise above a lower socioeconomic status. Community resources may provide some aid but are not suffice to sustain a family with a single parent. Hispanic women who are entrapped in an abusive relationship may feel financially obligated to remain with their perpetrator. Some barriers identified by Shah and Shah (2010) include low educational attainmentRead MoreThe Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Essay examples1577 Words   |  7 PagesExposure to domestic violence can impact the behavioral, social-emotional, and cognitive development of children. Children who are exposed to domestic violence tend to exhibit more aggressive behaviors with their peers, show signs of depression, and have a difficult time forming relationships (Brown Bzostek, 2003). Cognitively, studies have shown that children exposed to domestic violence may have difficulties learning and concent rating in school, have difficulties with conflict resolution skillsRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children915 Words   |  4 Pagessignificant impacts not only on the victims, but also on the society. Though, some abuses have minor impacts, but most of the abuses have long-term affect and some of them of the affects of abuse stay for decades. In an article, â€Å"The Hidden Consequence Of Domestic Violence Linger For Decades†, from Think Progress, the author Tara Culp-Ressler wrote, â€Å"You’re at a higher risk for some of the largest health problems that our country is facing today† which informs that the victims of domestic violence are at

Romeo and Juliette Essay Example For Students

Romeo and  Juliette Essay As an entry to grade 10, we will be expected to write a comparative essay between three different versions of Romeo and Juliet’s balcony scene, from the three different film versions.  In Franco Zeffirellis version of Romeo and Juliette, the balcony scene is set in a medieval environment. The old looking costumes and buildings indicate this. Different from all the other scenes, the director of this film has chosen to build up the tense feeling between the two amorous young adults by first making Romeo unseen and unheard to his loving Juliette who is positioned high up on the balcony. In the West side story the balcony scene is completely different from both of the other film. It is in this version set in a modern time. Surrounded by staircases and brick walls the two loving ones meet sing. Unlike the two other scenes, this version does not reflect that the two â€Å"sides† have a wealthy past, due to that they meet not in a castle or in a mansion but in a alley. This gives a good understanding to their love. In the way that money doesn’t matter, and that they will meet anywhere at any time in order to see each other. My understanding in why they were singing is simple enough to show their feeling for each other in a better way. West side story is also a musical, causing music and singing to be a part of their way of telling each other about their feeling. Music is in this content very successful due to that music can very easily set a mode. Intense music creates a tense feeling and soft music creates a happy feeling. This gives the director of the film the opportunity to more widely express the feelings of the characters. The balcony scene from the last Romeo and Juliette comes from the movie â€Å"Romeo and  Juliette (1996)† is very confusing due to a number of different reasons. One reason being, that even though it is a modern setting, medieval costumes such as chain mails are used. Another reason to why the setting is unclear is due to the location of the scene. The scene takes place in a modern day world but in a medieval castle with outfits that would suit the medieval era. We can easily see that by looking at Juliette‘ s hair in Franco Zeffirellis version (which has been let out) and also by looking at the golden fabric dress that she is wearing (she is casually dressed) that maybe she is ready to go to bed. A golden fabric dress would today be something that would be worn for a ball, but her use of it shows us that she comes from a wealthy family with more than enough money. Her atmosphere and beauty clearly reflects the feminine role that she has in this important scene. Her clothes melt in with the environment surrounding them. It is first now that Romeo’s costume is properly seen; long sleeved with padded shoulders and dark colours show us his masculine role in the scene. He doesn’t quite belong in this setting and this is clearly shown when the two are standing next to each other. Her costume melts in with the warm colours, that make up the surroundings and his cold coloured clothes gives the obvious feeling of him being an intruder and that he is trespassing. In the Westside story on the other hand, Juliette is shown to us as a young independent woman who wants nothing else than to be able to do whatever she wants. Her feminine role is extremely well shown to us as an audience by her fine beauty, her white dress which gives us the feeling of her being an angel and also her voice which when she sings gives us the feeling that she really is an angle. Her outfit clearly shows us that unlike Juliette in Franco Zeffirellis version, she is not wealthy and does not wear a golden dress to bed. Romeo is in this version a tall brown- haired guy. He has a deep and steady voice, which almost sounds mechanical. His voice along with his body structure reflects the masculine role that he is playing. In the dark environment that this scene is set in, Romeo is a bright light in the dark night sky as he trespasses onto enemies ground in his bright yellow jacket. I think the director has chosen this outfit for him to clearly show that he doesn’t belo ng there and simply to show contrast between the two loved ones. .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 , .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .postImageUrl , .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 , .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740:hover , .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740:visited , .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740:active { border:0!important; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740:active , .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740 .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub35defe4f05afb1e3141150ba62c0740:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay On Separate PeaceIn the last Romeo and Juliette made year 1996, Juliette is well ornate with a long white dress. In almost all the versions white dresses have been an ordinary way of looking at Juliette. In this scene Juliette is shown to us as a young woman who is determined to get and do what she wants. In her soliloquy in the beginning of the scene she explains how her name is the only thing that keeps her and Romeo apart, and that if she only could she would drop that name in order to be with him. As this scene is played out in a modern day era, the physicality between Romeo and Juliette is much more intense then in both the other plays. This is something that is n’t built as the play goes on. Already from the start they are very keen about touching each other’s bodies. This adds to the feeling of love and as a part of the audience I must say that it was much more exciting watching this scene due to all the above mentioned. In the first scene that we watched the few rays of light that reaches Juliette in the dark night, reflects on her eyes giving them each a small white spot. It brings a look to her face of an abandon puppy that wants a family or a friend. She is lonely. In other words an unhappy look and it is clearly known to us, as an audience, that the only thing she wants at that moment, is to be with her soul mate Romeo. In all the versions, this happens in each and every one. The use of light in characters eyes is a common way of expressing a certain mood and is a widely used method throughout movie- makers. In the first scene the close space between the two creates a feeling of helplessness as Romeo can see and hear his dear Juliette but he dares not speak to her. The tense feeling continues to build as Romeo comes closer and closer to his dear Juliette. This moment is very ironic in all the versions, the beautiful loving feeling combined with the fact that this girl who Romeo loves, the one he is about to speak to, will later become the reason for both of their deaths. The couple is drawn closer and closer to each other as the scene and the intense feeling builds rapidly. In Franco Zeffirellis version and Romeo and Juliette made year 1996, when he finally does open his mouth to speak, Juliette is awfully surprised and appears scared as she realizes that he has been listening to her love speech to him. Romeo quickly lets her know that he shares all the same feeling of love for her as well. In the version made 1996 it is at this moment when Romeo starts speaking that they both fall into the water (pool). The light that the pool creates

Problems In Air Traffic Control And Proposed Solut Essay Example For Students

Problems In Air Traffic Control And Proposed Solut Essay ionsProblems in Air Traffic Control and Proposed SolutionsIn northern California this summer, the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) unintentionally performed its first operational test of free flight;aviation without direct air traffic control. This was an unintentionalexperiment because it was a result of a total shut-down of the Oakland Air RouteTraffic Control Center (ARTCC). Although Oakland is only the 16th busiest ARTCC, its responsible forthe largest block of airspace of any ATC facility; 18 million square miles. Oakland directs all upper-level flight from San Luis Obispo, California to theCalifornia/Oregon boarder, including most Pacific oceanic routes. The failurehappened at 7:13 a.m. local time during the morning departure push. Controllers estimated there were 60-80 aircraft under their control when thepower died. All radar screens went dark and all radios went silent. It took 45minutes to restore radios and bring up a backup radar system. It was more thanan hour before the main radar presentations came on line. One controller described the sudden quiet in the control suite as theloudest silence Ive ever heard (UPI , 1995). He went on to say there waspanic on everybodys face as they realized they had been rendered deaf, dumb,and blind by this catastrophic equipment failure. It took a few minutes forcontrollers to realize the shut-down had affected the entire facility. There wasno book procedure to cover this emergency scenario, so most controllersimprovised. Controllers in adjourning Los Angeles, Salt Lake, and Seattle ARTCCs andvarious Terminal Radar Approach Controls (TRACON; the level of radar coveragebelow upper-level ARTCC radar) were asked to take control over all airspacewithin their radar coverage, and divert aircraft under their control inbound toNorthern California. Control towers in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose,Sacramento, and other airports in the area were instructed to hold all IFRdepartures on the ground. The most difficult problem was getting notification tothe airborne flight crews. In one case, controller Mike Seko said, We had Napatower telling high altitude aircraft Oakland Center had lost everything, and toswitch to emergency frequencies (Seko, UPI, 1995). But most airborne aircrafton Oakland Center frequencies were in a state of lost-comm unless they figuredout what happened on the ground and switched to another ARTCC or TRACON. Flight crews did their own improvising. Some pilots squawked VFR andcontinued the flight on their own. Others continued on their previously issuedclearance, while others climbed into or descended out of Class A airspacewithout a clearance. Later analysis tells us one of the biggest problems was nobody believeda prolonged outage like this could occur. Both controllers and supervisorsworked on the assumption their radar and radios would come back any moment now. The same thought process prevailed at Bay (Oakland) TRACON where operations wereparalyzed by the Centers blackout. Its impossible to say how many separation losses occurred during thehour-long episode. Some near mid-air reports were filed, but the vast majorityof separation-loss situations will probably go unreported. After power wasrestored, and the primary radar system was returned to operation, extensive airtraffic delays, diversions, and flight cancellations persisted for many hours atBay area airports, especially departures from San Francisco International. We may never know the full aftermath of this incident. Changes will bemade as to how power is fed to ATC facilities, and how maintenance is performed. Contingency plans will be rewritten and controllers will be trained how toimplement them. Meanwhile, controllers nation wide are brushing up on their non-radar and lost-comm procedures. After an extensive investigation, its now clear why the failureoccurred. One of three power sources was down for maintenance testing. Thesecond power source failed unexpectedly. When technicians tried to bring thethird power source on-line, a faulty circuit board failed in a critical powerpanel, preventing power from being restored. Oakland Center was completely dead. This was the story of one air traffic control facilitys system failure. Dont think this was an isolated incident though. A partial list of this yearsATC radar failures:Chicago Center lost their primary radar system when the 1970s technology IBM9020E host computer went down for 29 hours. ASR-9 radar failure at Miami TRACON possibly due to a lighting strike. Miamiswitched to a back-up ASR-9 system at Fort Lauderdale. The Fort Lauderdalesystem then failed just as technicians at Miami brought their radar on-line. Miami failed again forcing controllers to revert to non-radar procedures. Fort Worth Centers host computer lost power while technicians were replacingsome related processing equipment. Back-up radar was on-line for almost threehours. All departures experienced a 60-90 minute delays. Pittsburgh TRACON briefly lost communication and radar with 38 flights in theair. Radar contact was lost for 5-8 minutes. Everyone from vacationing families to the director of the FederalAviation Administration recognizes the national air traffic control system is indesperate need of reform. Host computer systems are 20 years old, power suppliesare at times unreliable, and facilities are under-manned with over-workedcontrollers. Moral is low at facilities because of these problems. The mainproblem that currently plagues the system though is whos going to take chargeof the situation and with what reform plan. The controllers union has theirreform plan as does the FAA and the law makers in Washington. These groups fightamongst themselves to promote their reconstruction plan, but meanwhile nothingsaccomplished and the skies stay unsafe. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) is the unionthat replaced the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO). NATCA, representingthe controller work force, supports a plan to structure theair traffic control branch of the FAA. NATCA endorses the government corporationconcept for air traffic control because, it goes furthest towards correctingthe FAAs personnel, procurement, and budgetary problems (NATCA policystatement, 1995). The union goes on to say theyll back any legislative measurethat addresses at a minimum, the following personnel, procurement, and budgetaryconcerns:Provides for protection of retirement, benefits, and job security consistentwith applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Need for long-term leadership at the FAA. Provide the FAA with the ability to hire personnel when needed and allowindividuals to transfer to where theyre needed most, regardless of artificialhiring/managing caps. Provide the FAA with the ability to attract and retain high caliberindividuals. Allow the FAA and its recognized unions, the ability to seek a morestreamlined and factual classification system. Provides a flexible procurement system that mitigates the effects theappropriations process has on large contracts, allows for more off-the-shelfpurchasing, and reforms the contracting appeals process. Provides some relief from the Budget Enforcement Act. Allows for increased (but reasonable) user and internal union input. NATCA actively lobbies their concerns how ATC reform should occur. JamesPoole is the Vice President of NATCAs Great Lakes Region. In September of thisyear, he testified before the House Committee on Transportation andInfrastructures Aviation Subcommittee. He presented an air traffic controlsystem that was in a state of distress . He went on to say the numerousequipment outages nationwide is an indicator the system is moving towardsfailure. Although he gave credit to FAA Administrator David Hinson for somereform actions (such as canceling the failed Advanced Automation System), hedebated the administrators claim the ATC system was 99.4% reliable. Poole said,they (the FAA) are striving to maintain user confidence in the system but theirstrategy tends to trivialize very serious system deficiencies. (UPI, 1995)Again, Poole offered NATCAs recommendation to Congress and the FAA on how toassist the crumbling air traffic control system:Reform the procurement policies so new technology enters the system while itsnew technology. Provide better funding mechanisms for the FAAAuthorize and fund hiring an additional 1,500 controllers. Implement a vehicle to attract high caliber controllers at the busiestfacilities. Many NATCA controllers believe they are able to survive each days shiftin spite of their equipment, not because of it. Its a known fact the technologycontained in a laptop computer outperforms the capacity of the IBM 9020E thatsupports all FAA radar facilities. NATCA goes on to the claim the digitalclarity of a cellular phone is light-years ahead of the antiquated radios nowusedto communicate. John Carr is an air traffic controller at Chicago OHareTRACON and is that facilitys representative for NATCA. His analogy follows;Our nation has entered the on-ramp of the information superhighway. The FAAcant even get their Pinto out of the driveway. (AP, 1995)In 1989, the Chicago System Safety and Efficiency Review recommendedthat a new TRACON be built. A new TRACON and tower at OHare were built and areset for commissioning in late 1996. The price for the TRACON building alone was$100 million dollars. The equipment will cost $200 million dollars. NATCAproposes though, its just radios and rada r. The union reiterates the FAA hasonce again chosen to ignore their most valuable resource; the working airtraffic controller. Carr said the transition plan to the new TRACON calls for 77controllers working six-day workweeks in order to man both facilities. This isrequired so theres orderly training, testing, and transition. According to Carr,there are only 67 controllers, and seven of those are leaving. The staffing forthe new TRACON will be 21 controllers per shift. Using the FAAs own StaffingStandard Plan, OHare TRACON should have 30 controllers per shift. Carr says,this is woefully inadequate and we believe it does a disservice to the user. Basics On Keats EssayA loss of timely and accurate weather reporting would be devastating tothe aviation industry. There have been too numerous aviation accidents caused byunreported or undetected weather conditions. Controllers and pilots alike agreethat SOS represents a serious degradation of service to the aviation community. They call for an immediate return to manned observation stations untilimprovements are made to the automated style of weather reporting. How could the FAA and other national agencies miss these systemdeficiencies? Even with all the criticism coming from every corners of theaviation environment, contractors continue to install and commission SOS. Unbelievable. The reform of the nations air traffic control system is not just oneplan laid out by one person or group. On Capitol Hill,where the final formulawill be decided on, there are several bills before various House and Senatecommittees. Some call for an air traffic control structure thats totallyseparate from the federal government, another calls for the government to run aquasi-independent ATC system, plan. Whatever the outcome is, the desire isbasically the same; eliminate the government procurement nightmare and allowmoney to flow into the equipment buyers hands. A bill to separate the Federal Aviation Administration from theDepartment of Transportationhas already won support from the HouseTransportation subcommittee. In a rare showing of bipartisan politics, thesubcommittee unanimously passed the measure and sent it up to the full committee. The legislation would make the FAA an independent agency, free to set up itsown rules for personnel moves and procurement. The organization would be exemptfrom federal budget restraints, and have total authority to spend its portionof the Aviation Trust Fund as it saw fit. Representative James Oberstar, authorof the bill said, Today is the day when we begin to unscramble the egg that wasscrambled in 1966 when nearly a dozen federal agencies were combined into theDOT. It worked for some agencies, but not for the FAA. (AP, 1995) The bill hasalmost total backing from the aviation community, but is opposed by the Clintonadministration. As discussed earlier, the Clinton Administration is fully behindthe formation of the United States Air Traffic Service corporation which wouldtotal privatize ATC services. . Another bill circulating is sponsored by Senator John McCain. His billwould make the FAA a quasi-independent agency financed largely through user fees. Obviously, this legislation has almost no support from those who would be forcedto finance the majority of the system; aircraft owners, pilots and the generalaviation community. They are afraid they would be obliged to provide the revenueto fund the reformed FAA. Fee structure would be based on aircraft performance. Commercial and business jets would be charged for ATC services based on theabove. Opponents to this measure ask, If we want a higher altitude, will thecontroller ask for a major credit card? (AP, 1995)FAA Administrator David Hinson has praised this bill saying it wouldgive the FAA greater flexibility in purchasing and managing personnel. TheMcCain bill is seen as a compromise to the administrations efforts, but stillrelies heavily on user fees. Representative Jim Lightfoot has proposed to reform the FAA from within. Along with Representative John Duncan (head of the House Aviation Subcommittee),their bill would give the FAA independent-agency status, removing it from theDepartment of Transportation. Lightfoot said, our legislation will streamlinethe FAA, reform the costly and often delayed rule-making process, and increaseaviation safety. The legislation is seen by some as an attempt to counter theUSATS proposal by President Clinton. It also appears many aircraft owners andpilots support this reform action. There is quite an array of legislation proposed to reform our nationsaging, outdated air traffic control system. One has to suppose each effort hasthe good of the consumer in mind as time ticks by without any changes. The following is an editorial that appeared in the September 4, 1995edition of the Federal Times. It was written by a controller at Denver Center:Last year, air travelers flew 520 billion miles within the U.S. airtraffic control system. This year that system seems to be falling apart. Eachtime an air traffic control centers radar shuts down, every traveler blinks andgulps. When air traffic controllers hand out scary literature in airports andair traffic control outages are separated by days instead of years, its timefor some serious attention to the system. That being the case, youd think wedhave invested time, talent cash in the best darn air traffic control system theworld had ever seen. Instead were limping along with computers whose vacuumtubes are the butt of jokes on late-night television shows. Too often, ourcontrollers are silenced and blinded by technical failures 11 since lastSeptember. Glitches force controllers to pass planes between centers viatelephone. Now even backup systems have started to fail. As it has tried toupdate its now 30-year-old machinery, the Federal Aviation Administration hasbecome a budget ary black hole. A May General Accounting Office review foundmodernization contract completion dates slipping and sliding as costs mount. Congress has wrung a pledge from FAA for an interim fix in 1997 at five of 20big centers, with the other 15 to be upgraded by 1998. Thats a small start, butlittle solace to fliers. Its time for legislators and aviation administratorsto call a halt to this Russian roulette in the skies. Quit waiting for accidentsand outcry to prod action. Get the equipment tested, functioning and in place. Staff towers and centers to match the growing number of planes. Breathe harddown the necks of the officials responsible until it gets done and done right. Get us the system we deserve and have paid for. Do it now.(World Wide Web, FAA Homepage, 1995)The Oakland Center nightmare could have caused the largest loss of lifefrom an aviation-related accident. There literally could have been bodies andairplane wreckage falling from the skies throughout Northern California. Butthankfully, it didnt happen. The day was saved by every controller workingwestern Americas airspace that day. The day was saved by pilots that followedpreviously assigned clearances, and those that were worthy enough aviators toweave their way through uncontrolled, but not uncrowded airspace. Everyones got an opinion. In this case, everyone knows the best way tofix the crumbling airways. NATCA wants the FAA structures as a corporation wouldbe. But the union goes on to say theyll support any legislation that meetstheir laundry list of concerns. The FAA wants to restructure the system fromwithin. The also support the notion of freeing their agency from the procurement,budgeting, and hiring stranglehold theyre under from the federal government. And then our nations lawmakers got involved. There are approximately fivevariations the basic reform bill making their way around Capitol Hill. Theres aplan to totally privatize the FAA, another to partly privatize it, another torework it from within, and a few other variations of those. Legislators havetheir own reasons to support certain bills; is our safety one of them?The Federal Times editorial sums up an everyday controllers concern. Hes the one working with that aged computer equipment, hes the one working theunnecessarily long shifts, hes the one scared every day his screen will go darkduring the morning rush hour. I would be inclined to listen very closely to hisconcerns and follow his recommendations towards a solution. The FAAs Quality statement declares the agency as an organization dedicated to eliminating barriers, improving communication, providingadditional opportunities for training, and constantly encouraging all personnelto seek ways to improve. The FAA is proud of its Quality activities becausethey foster such initiatives as continuous improvement of work processes,empowerment of employees, partnering of labor and management, and re-engineering. (World Wide Web FAA Home-page, 1995) These are very lofty goalsthat always require improvement. But will disaster strike before their processesgets us a new ATC system?