Airlines should be fined per passenger
By now even people who don’t fly very often are well aware of how poorly airlines treat their passengers. Here is one way to hold them accountable: When it comes to avoidable delays, the airline would be held responsible by the FAA for paying each passenger on the affected flight $10 for every minute the flight arrives late. Airlines should not be penalized for weather delays or maintenance issues; one is an act of God and the other is focused on safety. Although an argument can be made for better preventive maintenance of aircraft.
But when the airline doesn’t properly schedule staff or the gate agents mishandle the boarding process or the caterer is slow in provisioning the plane, passengers should be compensated for their inconvenience. Hopefully, the penalties paid by airlines would be large enough that they would be incentivized to plan and execute better. As it stands now, they obviously don’t give a rat’s behind how chronic, avoidable delays adversity impact their customers.
FRANK MANFRE, GRAYSON
Health care responsibility should be state’s
If the Republicans preach for smaller government, then they should practice what they preach. The Republicans are stuck with the health care legislation because they are disloyal to their voters. Health care does not belong in the federal government. This responsibility should be shifted to the states. The federal government should reduce the federal income tax rate across the board by 5 percent or 10 percent, or whatever amount necessary, and instruct all the states to increase their state income tax by this amount. Each state should legislate its own health care laws according to its citizens’ wishes, and that will be the right thing to do.
HANNAH FEINREICH, ATLANTA
About the Author
