:: blame the extended gestation.... ::

:: Friday, December 26, 2003 ::

Shouldn't the military own their own planes?

Pentagon’s War Needs Are a Lifeline for Airlines:

"The Pentagon spent more than $1.2 billion this year to fly troops and supplies to Iraq on commercial aircraft, giving airlines a financial lifeline as they struggled with the weak economy, the emergence of SARS and travelers' reluctance to fly because of the war in Iraq.

According to a military report that outlined the use of passenger and cargo airlines in the Iraq conflict, the government paid $636.2 million to 10 airlines that flew troops overseas during a 131-day emergency mobilization from February through June. It also paid $574 million to 14 cargo carriers to deliver equipment to Iraq and neighboring countries in that period."

Honestly I don't have a problem with the pentagon running things like this. But people please, I can't imagine this being the most cost effective way to do things... and we don't have national health care... so either the pentagon needs to get their act together or else the federal government needs to be ready to fork over money for humans and not just war.

Ironicly enough the airlines appreciate publicly subsidizing private profits but please cut the warmongering... its bad for business:

"executives at several airlines, who would speak only if they were not named, said that while they valued the Pentagon's business, the industry as a whole would have fared much better without the disruption the war caused to the business climate and to the psyche of passengers."

:: Jim Nichols 12/26/2003 01:31:00 AM [+] ::
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