August 17, 2010

A heaping helping of inconsideration and disregard..

I know most of you out there don't like California and, in particular, the Lotus Land that is SoCal and Hollywood. But I am writing this not to evince a scintilla of sympathy from you all, but to provide you with a semi-first-hand account of how we proles (me, Left Coast Rebel, Lipton T. Bagg when he returns and other bloggers out here in the Southland) are dissed just like the rest of you folks in flyover country are.

Or should I say "No Flyover"?

It seems our beloved President Hatchet-Ass is traipsing across the county stumping for the Democrat coffers and attempting to be seen with those Democrat politicians who aren't scurrying like cockroaches when the light is turned on. Yesterday and today it's Los Angeles's turn on folks out here aren't the least bit excited about the effect this is having on the already-precarious traffic situation.

The massive traffic jam that resulted from President Obama's motorcade and speech Monday night in Hancock Park is prompting calls for an investigation from some residents, who say they were caught in traffic for hours.

Obama was only in L.A. for a few hours, but his presence caused numerous streets to be blocked off.

I am sure you know the back story; it's not like he's visiting us because we had a massive earthquake or are in the midst of the annual near-disaster firestorms we seem to rack up when the Santa Ana winds hit. No, he was out here to reach into the pockets of some bum-osculating Hollywood liberal types who wanted to pass along a chunk of the loot you fork over in movie theaters to the Democrats. Presumably, he and Pelosi and Reid realized that we proles have no money left.

But the butt-kissers who dropped in on a TV producer's house to rub shoulders with THE POSOTUS were tickled pink to fork over as much as $30 large per couple. Outside and abroad in SoCal the mood was not nearly so jovial.

Residents reported that commutes and errands that typically took minutes turned into hours-long ordeals. One particular complaint was that streets remained blocked for hours -- even when Obama was inside TV producer John Wells' Hancock Park home at a fund-raiser.

"What has occurred is way beyond reasonable and can only be described as negligent," L.A. resident Kevin McCarthy said in an e-mail to The Times. "If it isn't my story, currently evolving, of beginning my 1 mile journey home at 5pm and at 7:50pm now being 3 miles from home with no viable idea of how to get closer, it should be about the two sirens-wailing ambulances I have witnessed stuck in this unnecessary gridlock."

..and one also presumes that these limousine liberals were not inconvenienced as the made their way to Wells' house.

I appreciate POTUS, FLOTUS, and VPOTUS security and all that, but this is becoming a pattern of cavalier disregard for the teeming masses as we scurry hither and yon in an effort to earn our daily crust. Of course, you will remember how the FLOTUS flounced her ample posterior through the narrow streets of Marbella and had the beach in front of the house scoured of hoi polloi. But you may not have known that The Pantload's clueless sidekick, Plugs, caused a similar flap a little over one month ago when he clogged LAX and environs so he could make an appearance on the Jay Leno show (emphasis added).

Vice President Joe Biden held up airplane traffic for hours on Friday night at Los Angeles International Airport after an appearance on Jay Leno‘s ‘Tonight Show,’ leaving restless passengers fuming.

A spokesman for the vice president said he was unaware of the FAA temporary flight restriction that stopped flights coming in, and delayed those going out.

“I know we didn’t ask for anything,” Biden’s spokesman James Carney told TheWrap. “There was no sign of any stoppage. And there shouldn’t have been one.”

Oh, but there was. Passengers were stuck for anywhere from 45 minutes to four hours as a result (including this writer), leaving many of them fuming. In one LAX terminal, flights on Horizon, Alaska and Virgin Air had three-hour delays.

“I sincerely hope that the vice president was oblivious to the number of lives he inconvenienced by deciding to land at LAX and his attempted humor on the Tonight Show,” said Will Roos, the owner of an environmental company GreenUp who was on his way back from a business trip in Sun Valley.

He added: “Just on our small propeller plane it resulted in half the passengers missing their flight, everyone missing their checked luggage, and more than four hours of delay for those lucky enough to make it on the plane."

I find the VPOTUS's cluelessness -- while expected -- breathtaking.

Presidential and other dignitary visits cause the FAA to issue NOTAMS and VIP TFRs (Notice To Airmen and Temporary Flight Restrictions) which also wreak havoc. In addition to clogging up the streets, these visits restrict or eliminate air traffic around Air Force One or Air Force Two and this causes the delays and serious dents in commercial aviation endeavors.

You want a treat? Google "Obama + TFR" and see how many similar instances of Obama flying into Oahu, Chicago, Las Vegas, and other destinations causing massive jams and inconveniences.

But it seems that Obama is not as clueless as Biden is. He has issued threats to use Air Force One in his quest to saddle us all with health care:

"I've Got A Boeing, And I'm Not Afraid To Use It," President Says

ANN April 1st Special Edition: The FAA has imposed a nationwide TFR until further notice at the request of President Barack Obama. The President, embarking on a campaign to pump up poll numbers for the recently-passed health care legislation, said he might need to travel just about anywhere on a moment's notice.

"I am asking the FAA to restrict most flight activities until we get the numbers up on this health care bill," the President said in a news briefing. "We have polling organizations all over the country conducting spot checks on the law's popularity, and where we see a need to go make an appearance, we want to be able to do that," the President said.

(Of course, the date on that article was 1 April 2010 so..)

But it does get to the point where once, a while ago, one flight school got so infuriated at an Obama visit because his flight instructors were grounded, he billed the government for lost revenue:

Jim Gray has submitted a bill to the White House and the Democratic National Committee in the amount of $2565 dollars, representing the business which has been lost at his Oakland Flyers flight school during a campaign fund-raising visit by President Obama.

The visit Thursday night brought a TFR to the Bay area of California from 1700 till 1000 Friday, which meant Gray's fleet sat parked, students had to have their lessons canceled, and both the flight school and the instructors lost money.

Gray comments, "If it was for something related to global affairs, I'd have no problem with it. But if it's just for fund raising, kind of do it on somebody else's dime."

You know, maybe Mr Gray has got something there. If the DNC and/or Obama had to shell out for every person they inconvenienced, maybe they'd pick their arrival, duration, and departure times somewhat more considerately of the little guy.

..ain't holding my breath.

-30-

2 comments:

  1. Did Gray get paid?

    How would you find out?

    N.b. Sending the bill to the Government won't work -- the President himself and/or the Party structure is supposed to pay (albeit at ridiculously reduced rates). The tab should go to the DxCC.

    Regards,
    Ric

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ric,

    I don't think he did. He wanted to send a message to the government that they were impinging on his economic endeavors -- so what else is new? -- and make a statement.

    Sometimes it would be wonderful to really engage in a rash of financial civil disobedience like a tax revolt. But knowing my luck, I'd be the one selected form the masses and sent up the river to Leavenworth.

    Which is precisely what keeps we sheep in line.

    But your point about the Dems getting stuck with the bill is spot on.

    ReplyDelete