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I may be wrong, but I do not see Fox giving his ok to this transfer.
I've been thinking about that. OTOH he may have to abstain. The decision has to go to the FAA not him. Don't know how often a transportation secretary would OK that level of a decision.
LOL, bad timing is an understatement but by the city. Firing Orr now looks like a move of vengeance and not a move based on the interests of the airport. Talk about shooting yourself in foot. If it was a misunderstanding, then the city should not have appointed a replacement.
Lets recap:
City commissions a taxpayer paid for consultant "study" with the objective of discrediting an airport authority. Surprise. Consultants said the authority was needed albeit with some changes to the state appointment plan. City then dismisses study and refuses to work with the state to implement recommended changes. (Based on recent letter to CO from Ruth Samuleson)
Foxx/City Council, fires the city appointed executive of the existing city airport authority after a very public dressing down. The executive's crime: He provided information about airport operations to the state.
City fires a very successful airport director. A director who has seen countless mergers of CLT's dominate airline Piedmont -> USAir -> America West (aka USAirways) -> and now American Airlines. During his tenure, CLT continued to win out over other hubs.
It's a very bad strategic move. They should have done nothing else and waited on the court as judges don't normally like these sort of things. Richard Vinroot, another CLT Mayor now entering the ring, brings a lot of credibility to the other side. Credibility which the city continues to demonstrate that it simply doesn't have.
I may be wrong, but I do not see Fox giving his ok to this transfer.
If there was a card to play here by the city, the city tossed it when they brought in the court. If the court rules in favor of the state then:
Why would Foxx want to attempt to circumvent a decision made not only by a state's government, but also try to overrule the courts? I'm not even sure he would have the authority.
LOL, bad timing is an understatement. Doing it now looks like a move of vengeance and not a move based on the interests of the airport. Talk about shooting yourself in foot.
Lets recap:
City commissions a taxpayer paid for consultant "study" with the objective of discrediting an airport authority. Surprise. Consultants said the authority was needed albeit with some changes to the state appointment plan. City then dismisses study and refuses to work with the state to implement recommended changes. (Based on recent letter to CO from Ruth Samuleson)
Foxx/City Council, fires the city appointed executive of the existing city airport authority after a very public dressing down. The executive's crime: He provided information about airport operations to the state.
City now fires long term and very successful airport director. A director who has seen countless mergers of CLT's dominate airline Piedmont -> USAir -> America West (aka USAirways) -> and now American Airlines. During his tenure, CLT continued to win out over other hubs.
Firing Orr now is a very bad strategic move. They should have done nothing else and waited on the court as judges don't normally like these sort of things. Richard Vinroot, another CLT Mayor now entering the ring, brings a lot of credibility to the other side. Credibility which the city continues to demonstrate that it simply doesn't have.
The city is governed by a council and the county is ran by a board of commissioners.
The exec the city fired was a weasel. He did not have the City's interests in what he did. The Orr situation is tricky because it was he that didn't wait. He can't be the head of the authority and be a city employee at the same time. I don't know if Vinroot was involved with writing of that letter or not.
I think it's pretty gutsy for the city manager to make this move but it certainly puts a stake in the ground as far as him not being tainted by years of dealing with this kind of crap and obviously he didn't act after the council took a vote. Orr picked which job he wanted and that's what he got.
A better way would have been ummm better. Relationships no matter what happens are going to be frosty. The old man should retire to make it smoother. Once the authority is in place (I mean if) Jerry can start his new job (versus resuming his old job that he left when he sent that letter) but when that happens CLT is going to rain down vengeance through MUMPO or whatever it's called now.
Concord is also complaining about losing control.
As far as Vinroot, well it appears he is not representing anyone. There is no other side. We'll see how that shakes out if the judge doesn't dissolve the restraining order by the time 10 days are up. I assume if it goes further than that with hearings that Charlotte will challenge Vinroot's standing and if they get their way Vinroot will be reduced to writing an amicus brief. But if that happens who will pay him? Will he work for free or expect to be reimbursed for the work he started before the entity existed or was Jerry paying him out of petty cash?
Orr is a refugee and had bad representation in this. One shouldn't hand one's own head over on a silver platter.
This is also a wakeup call to U.S. Air that the City is paying more attention to the chess board than Orr was. That could backfire of course if they want to weigh the what-ifs but I don't think they are staying a hub out of kindness. It'll remain a business decision.
If there was a card to play here by the city, the city tossed it when they brought in the court. If the court rules in favor of the state then:
The Obama Administration is currently involved in at least a 1/2 dozen messy controversies and constant battles with Congress. I'd be surprised Obama would let a brand new transportation secretary, one with no national political experience, circumvent not only a decision made by a state government, but one supported by the court as well. (and ironically supported by a study that Foxx commissioned at taxpayer expense)
It will never cross Obama's mind or his desk. If he was micro managing his cabinet Holder would be on vacation.
Foxx will know about it because it's a local issue and he's still plugged in. But again, why can't the head of the FAA handle this? Why does it need to go higher especially to POTUS?
OTOH why didn't the state line this up in advance? Or did they? Even with the cut in UI benefits they worked with the DOL to get it right (and still screwed it up). Could they have been so stupid as to not have the rubber stamp being cleaned for new ink on this?
....
OTOH why didn't the state line this up in advance?
State's don't normally manage state business based on the whims of a President's administration. The President's authority, via his cabinet, over the states is very limited.
Rumor is that Foxx is being groomed for Watts old job. If this is true, I'm betting you will never see him get mixed up in this now. There is nothing to be gained and everything to lose by getting involved in a state matter.
The exec the city fired was a weasel. He did not have the City's interests in what he did. .
But he had the interests of the airport at heart. This is the point of the people pushing for the authority. i.e. the city should lose the airport because it makes moves based on politics.
If the executive was a weasel and worthless at his job, then why didn't the city do something about it years ago? In firing him in the manner that he did the city did nothing for their credibility and gave more ammunition to their opponents. It seemed petty and again proves the city is clueless about how to run the airport properly.
As far as Vinroot, well it appears he is not representing anyone. There is no other side.
Indeed there is another side. Now that the state has passed the law, it's the NC Attorney General's office who will be fighting the city in court. This is because the city has filed a lawsuit against the State of NC. The paper says that Vinroot has been officially hired by state's new airport authority, which does exist until the state moves to dissolve it.
But he had the interests of the airport at heart. This is the point of the people pushing for the authority. i.e. the city should lose the airport because it makes moves based on politics.
If the executive was a weasel and worthless at his job, then why didn't the city do something about it years ago? In firing him in the manner that he did the city did nothing for their credibility and gave more ammunition to their opponents. It seemed petty and again proves the city is clueless about how to run the airport properly.
If you work for the city then you work for the city. He didn't work for the airport. My understanding is he did his job OK but then did a lot of "if it were up to me" side conversation that the city never knew of.
I'm not talking about Orr here and weasel is my word. The official word might be "chump".
This guy, Orr, and U.S. Airways got the ball rolling on this.
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