A really important question

This is from a post over on Democratic Underground:

Why is nobody stating the obvious when it comes to sleeping air traffic controllers?

Here's how it gets started:

Namely that this sudden "crisis" is a direct outgrowth of Reagan's union busting measures thirty years ago.

The main issues surrounding the PATCO strike of '81 concerned hours worked, staffing and safety. Pay wasn't a priority issue. Yet despite all of this, Reagan played the cowboy at high noon, and shot PATCO down. Since then, air traffic controllers have been less experienced, been forced to work longer hours, with fewer staff on board any given shift, and yes, do so with less pay. These issues have now come to the fore, with staff falling asleep on duty and other such issues. Frankly, I find it a bit of a miracle that that is all we've suffered, some snoozing air traffic controllers and not a larger, deadlier tragedy.

The entire post is not much longer. Do click through and read it all - and maybe some of the comments as well.

I well remember that strike and Reagan's actions; the whole situation seemed very ominous to me at the time. We are reaping the consequences, I do believe.
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