Reinke Faces Life

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=2213818

Birth photo ban irks western Md. mom-to-be
December 27, 2010 – 4:26pm

*** begin quote ***

Rachel Seeger, a spokeswoman for the U.S. office of Civil Rights, said birth photography by a family member or friend doesn’t violate privacy laws, but that some hospitals prohibit the practice out of a fear of lawsuits.

*** end quote ***

The hospital cites “privacy”, but do you really think it’s that?

Maybe I’m a cynic, but I suspect the lawyers are behind this policy.

Given Big Medicine’s incestuous relationship with Big Gooferment, I assume that there is nothing “We, The Sheeple” can do about it.

Interesting that all the hospitals in the area have the same policy. Isn’t that collusion? Don’t we have anti-trust laws?

Nah, not when the “King” grants absolution.

# # # # #

Claim low price

Close up

Tale of the tape

SOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo!

Don’t believe the signs. I told the cashier, but she didn’t care.

The line at the (misnomer) “service counter” was ten long. My time was worth more than 30 cents. (But I’m annoyed!)

Let’s see if Stop ‘n’ Shope reads my blog!

#####

Flight from hell as US passengers wait seven hours on ground | Irish News | IrishCentral.

Even if the TSA wasn’t enough to put you off. The way that “Big Airlines” treat their Customers is appalling.

# # # # # posted 2010-12-26 12:42

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Woman-arrested-at-ABIA-after-refusing-enhanced-pat-down-112354199.html

by JIM BERGAMO / KVUE News
Posted on December 22, 2010 at 9:38 PM
Updated yesterday at 9:39 AM

*** begin quote ***

Early Wednesday morning, a computer glitch shut down a security checkpoint for a couple of hours at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The line snaked out the door as many travelers waited for more than an hour and some missed their flights. One of the first people in line after that shutdown never made it through. She was arrested and banned from the airport.

Claire Hirschkind, 56, who says she is a rape victim and who has a pacemaker-type device implanted in her chest, says her constitutional rights were violated. She says she never broke any laws. But the Transportation Security Administration disagrees.

*** and ***

When Hirschkind refused, she says that “the police actually pushed me to the floor, (and) handcuffed me. I was crying by then. They drug me 25 yards across the floor in front of the whole security.”

An ABIA spokesman says it is TSA policy that anyone activating a security alarm has two options. One is to opt out and not fly, and the other option is to subject themselves to an enhanced pat down. Hirschkind refused both and was arrested.

*** end quote ***

Just saw this one.

Just wave goodbye to your Fourth Amendment rights.

“… to be secure in your person …”

Unbelievable.

Wish I could get on that jury!

Stand up, “We, The Sheeple”!

# # # # #

It’s a real statement about American exceptionalism and toughness!

# # # # # posted 2010-12-26 11:19

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/20/nothing-neutral-about-this-unholy-scheme/

PRUDEN: Nothing neutral about this unholy scheme
By Wesley Pruden-The Washington Times6:06 p.m., Monday, December 20, 2010

OPINION/ANALYSIS:

*** begin quote ***

The new “net-neutrality” regulations here, which will have the force of law though Congress need have nothing to do with writing them, will be considered for a vote by the FCC on Tuesday. The rules being considered for the Tuesday vote are technical and complicated, and the timing of the vote clearly was arranged for Christmas week, when most people are delighted not to have to think about Washington and the trouble it makes for the rest of us.

*** and ***

One of those liberal Democrats is Al Franken, proving that even a blind pig can find an occasional acorn. He’s unhappy mostly that the FCC is moving toward approving a merger of Comcast, the ubiquitous cable provider, and NBC-Universal and enabling big corporations to pay extra for Internet “toll lanes,” which would speed transmission of messages with a higher priority over the rest of us.

*** and ***

Even now some of the busybody countries at the United Nations are working on setting up “a working group” to “harmonize” global efforts to regulate the Internet. Alas, this is scariest of all. “Harmony” suggests everyone singing together to a tune written to U.N. satisfaction. Nothing is broken about the Internet that needs fixing, which is why certain cunning saboteurs are so eager to “fix” it.

*** end quote ***

Amazing how the bureaucrats pick this time of year to do their mischief!

As a little L libertarian, I don’t see ANY need for the FCC.

For example, how’s that junk phone rule working out for you. I still get them. Don’t you? I’ve complained. Hasn’t worked out to well for me.

For example, junk faxes. Should have been an easy one. My docs turn OFF their fax machines at night to prevent getting them. I find that annoying when I want to communicate with them. (“Federal Law” prevents them from doing email! But that’s another topic.)

SO when all the other bureaucrats are home on their Winter Solstice vacation (Their WHOLE lives are vacations!), these bureaucrats are using the holiday inattention of “We, The Sheeple” to steal “OUR” internet.

Argh!

Pitchforks and torches! Pitchfork and torches time.

# # # # #

http://slatest.slate.com/id/2277740/

Wall Street on Track for Second-Most Profitable Year Ever

*** begin quote ***

Exciting news from Wall Street! Thanks to low-interest rates and an influx of capital from the Fed’s emergency lending program and the Troubled Asset Relief Program, Bloomberg reports that 2010 is on track to be the second most-profitable year in Wall Street history. “Even if this quarter only matches the third, [Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley’s] revenue will top that of any year except 2009,” reporter Michael Moore writes. A third of the banks’ revenue comes from trading and investment banking, which were still flush with government money during the first quarter of 2010.

*** end quote ***

So, they make out and the taxpayers get screwed?

What’s wrong with this picture?

New rule: “Publicize the losses and privatize the profits.”

We need a game changer. And, what was wrong with electing Ron Paul?

# # # # #

Hey, I have a lot of time on my hands. So here’s some sports rules that I don’t like.

① Offsides in soccer and hockey. Never understood it.

② “Overtime” in football. The College rule is dumb and the Pro rule is that the coin flip determines the outcome. I like either “no ties” (first to the tie score wins; credit to the GSN show “catch21”) or “king me” (second to the tie score wins; forces the leader to play; not stall)

③ Sports with no “mercy rule”. (Even pro games that are 37-0 are boring.)

④ Sports with teams that play the mythical “Home for the Blind” to pad their records.

⑤ Division 1 NCAA Basketball “leagues”. (I like the idea that there are different tiers with the bottom of an upper tier gets demoted and replaced with top of the lower tier.)

⑥ NCAA rules on “eligibility”. “Schools”, (Most are really Gooferment subdivisions), can “graduate” “student-athletes” who can’t read or stars leave without graduating. If I were “king” and heaven help the politicians if I was, “Doctor Guillotine, the King has summoned you.”, I’d have “exit exams”, just like they have “entrance exams”. “Student athletes”, who fail the exit exam or just leave, cost the “school” a scholarship for 8 years. (Think that will get their attention?)

⑦ NCAA needs better treatment of “student athletes” when the coach leaves or is dismissed. Signees, freshmen, and sophomores should be given “immediate clearance” to play elsewhere.

⑧ Sportsmanship in all sports. It’s sports; not warfare. Coach’s antics are unacceptable. Athlete’s might get a warning. I like soccer’s red and yellow cards. Maybe the football players need to play without equipment; like rugby. Maybe we need rules that really penalize “unsportsmanlike conduct”! What message are we sending to society or children? And, perhaps, we should have a mandatory “sit out” anytime there is a hint of a concussion. For example, if the ref has to stop play for any injury, then that player is “administratively unavailable” a quarter (i.e., elapsed time of 15 minutes; the equivalent of a “time out” in the hockey penalty box). Multiple “unavailables” lead to some number of game exclusions as directed by a doctor of unimpeachable credentials dedicated to protecting the player. College and pro.

⑨ Refs and umps need a feedback mechanism. They’re not “gods”; they make mistakes. But, they are also not the “devil incarnate” and deserve respect.

⑩ And, don’t get me started on “instant replay” rules.

# # # # #

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=8503

Ted Turner and the tilt toward coercive population-control plans
RSS Facebook December 07, 2010

*** begin quote ***

Media mogul Ted Turner has encouraged world leaders to adopt an international norm restricting families to just one child. He claims this step is necessary to global survival.

*** end quote ***

Sure glad we have Ted to tell us what to do. And what exactly were his qualifications to run the world?

#####

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090216110722AAM5UEA

Since GE took TARP money, shouldn’t “President” Obama limit multi-million dollar salaries for NBC reporters?

*** begin quote ***

GE Capital received billions in taxpayer funds from TARP-1. GE Capital provides 55% of GE’s revenue. NBC is a subsidiary of GE. houldn’t Obama limit Brian Williams and Chris Matthews $10 mil and $5 mil annual salaries to 500k like the infamous “CEO’s”? Doesn’t it make sense now how MSNBC spends the whole day touting Obama and his agenda. Shouldnt they disclose their conflict of interest during every news story?

*** end quote ***

No wonder that NBC and ALL its outlets were in love with BHO44!

Its a national disgrace!

# # # # #

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2010/11/tax-cuts-for-rich-or-food-for-poor.html

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tax cuts for the rich or food for the poor

*** begin quote ***

Washington debates tax cuts for people making more than $250,000 a year, while far too many struggle at the other end of the economic spectrum. Can you say skewed priorities?

*** end quote ***

OK, I’ll try one more time.

You, and your thugs in Gooferment, have no right to steal wealth from honest hard working people.

The 250k nonsense ignores the fact that most small businesses file their taxes as an individual. So, in the frenzy of jealousy to “tax the rich”, you manage to screw most of the small businesses in the USA. Who do you think does most of the hiring?

When you have a “minimum wage”, you interfere with the right of people to freely contract. Minimum prices for wages ensure unemployment!

Please recognize that your “Big Gooferment” whine really hurts the little people. The rich have choices; the poor don’t. For example, the Maryland “millionaire’s tax”, John Kerry on where to dock that boat, doctors that limit their practices, the owner of the Buffalo Sabres moves to Florida, and on and on and on!

Oh and by the way, corporations DON’T pay taxes; only real people do. So guess who can’t avoid paying those “corporate taxes” with a large part of their income? Yup, the poor!

Argh! It seems so OBVIOUS.

# – # – #

And, the false choice in the title is absurd. It’s not like an either or.

# # # # #

TVR (Long Island, NY) supplies TV service at RWJU Hospital and SPU Hospital in New Brunswick NJ. The costs are absurd.

• At $5/day, that’s $150/month for a very limited service from Direct TV that has tremendous weather issues. I have cable service at two residential locations for $40/month. How is that comparable?

• They also rent phone services at $4/day or $120/month. I also have two residential services at 30$/month and cell phones at comparable rates.

• When they fail to collect the fee in person, their collection process charges an exorbitant “handling fee” of $2 on $4.50 “rental”.

I feel they are ripping off people that are a captive audience.

# # # # #

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/11/18/211250/US-May-Disable-All-Car-Phones-Says-Trans-Secretary

US May Disable All Car Phones, Says Trans. Secretary

from Slashdot by timothy

*** begin quote ***

gambit3 writes “The US government may require cars to include scrambling tech that would disable mobile-phone use by drivers, and perhaps passengers. ‘I think it will be done,’ US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said on Wednesday morning. ‘I think the technology is there and I think you’re going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones.’ LaHood is on a self-described ‘rampage’ against distracted driving, and if making it impossible to use a mobile phone while in a car can save lives, he’s all for it.”

*** end quote ***

Guess he hasn’t heard about radios and ipods and police cruisers.

Why do we put up with this nonsense?

# # # # #

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704170404575624831742191288.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

News Alert from The Wall Street Journal

*** begin quote ***

Federal authorities are preparing insider-trading charges that could ensnare consultants, investment bankers, hedge-fund and mutual-fund traders and analysts across the nation.

The criminal and civil probes, which authorities say could eclipse the impact on the financial industry of any previous such investigation, are examining whether multiple insider-trading rings reaped illegal profits totaling tens of millions of dollars.

One focus of the criminal investigation is examining whether nonpublic information was passed along by independent analysts and consultants who work for companies that provide “expert network” services to hedge funds and mutual funds.

*** end quote ***

Conspicuously absent from the list are the politicians and bureaucrats!

I’m sure that no politicians were ever included in these ill gotten gains.

I’m sure that these “bad eggs” only contributed to the evil Republicans!

And all the politicians and bureaucrats are as “pure as the driven snow”. Like the now retired Dodd, Barney Frank, and Obama himself.

Argh!

It all just stinks.

# # # # # posted 2010-11-20 07:03

http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/smash-the-union-thug-ocracy/

SMASH THE UNION THUG-OCRACY
By Dick Morris And Eileen McGann
11.8.2010

*** begin quote ***

One of the first orders of business to come up in the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives will be the demand for bailouts of states where expenditures have been especially profligate – California, New York, Michigan, Illinois, and Connecticut. Throughout 2009 and 2010, these states governments have stayed above water by repeated infusions of federal cash. These one-shot stimulus payments must be repeated each year. They are all non-recurring expenditures requiring separate annual appropriations.
The Republican House must say no and hold the line, stopping this raid on the federal Treasury. The cry in the caucus must ring loud: “No More Bailouts!”
But, as the Republicans demand fiscal discipline and refuse to make the citizens of the other, more responsible states subsidize the wayward finances of California and New York, we need to focus on the union power that has forced states, localities, and school boards to raise taxes, borrow money, and – ultimately – to depend on federal bailouts.

These unions have forced contracts on their states, localities, and school boards which provide for ever higher wages, benefits, and pensions. Even now, teachers are on strike in a suburb of Pittsburgh because they feel a 4.5% annual wage increase is inadequate!

*** end quote ***

This should be interesting.

One thing in a “corporate bankruptcy” is that past contracts are broken. Everyone gets a haircut. Pensions get dumped on the Federal Gooferment at a greatly reduced level; ask the Delta pilots about that.

It will be interesting.

# # # # #

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2010/11/sad-but-not-surprising.html

Friday, November 05, 2010
Sad, but not surprising UPDATED

*** begin quote ***

MSNBC has suspended host Keith Olbermann indefinitely because he apparently made political donations to three Democratic candidates.

*** end quote ***

And where do the traditional broadcast anchors contribute? You don’t think that ANY of them give money to conservatives or R’s, do you?

The “liberal” media bias is just dishonest. The slants are one thing; the out-and-out hostility to viewpoints not approved by the vast left-wing conspiracy are unacceptable. The folks are voting with their eyeballs.

At one time, “liberal” was a label one could be proud of. A champion of the people. “Classical liberals” opposed the King and force. Modern day little L libertarians trace their roots to these great thinkers.

Now, both “conservatives” and “liberal” joust to be the one in control of the “guns of Gooferment” to tell people how to run their lives. I, no more, want orders from conservatives than I do the liberals.

Let’s cut Gooferment spending 10% across the board. Let’s sell 50 or 100 year bonds to retire the Gooferment debt. Let’s demand that the crooks in DC only spend what is taken in in taxes.

Let’s end the Warfare / Welfare state. And, return to peace.

Isn’t that something that “liberals” and “conservative” can agree on?

# # # # #

>In regard to unemployment, if you need to rely on that to survive

Agreed. Unfortunately, they pitched it as “insurance” and it ain’t. Unemployment is not an uninsurable risk. It’s not random. (Learnt that in the MC eckynomics class; I am after all a fat old white guy injineer with a low index.)

>So let’s agree to disagree.

Agreeably.

>government stands to make a profit. As they have on the bailout money.

So, they stole 10K$ from my wife’s retirement fund to enrich the unions, Wall Street, and the big banks. Then they sell the proceeds of that theft, make a profit, and me as the victim are supposed to be happy about that? If they had been forced to go thru bankruptcy, she would have gotten some money back. Estimates were 25¢ on the dollar. So we got screwed; I’m not happy. It was only a small percentage of her retirement and our portfolio. But it was the principle. By allowing anyone to avoid bankruptcy, the Gooferment took the pressure off the various managements to find a solution. By allowing Leman Brothers to fail but bailing out others, they created a mess. Goldman Sachs was picking winners and losers. Lehman was the biggest GS competitor. Timmy and others were all ex-GS people. It was a raid on the public treasury.

>I know you’ll never agree with me, but that’s my humble opinion.

You’re right about that. I’ve worked on Wall Street and I KNOW how the sleeze think.

>I believe most of today’s unemployment is due to skills gap.
> There are a lot of jobs out there, but individuals don’t fit the profile.

Might be. I think that the unemployment is due to the uncertainty that the Gooferment has introduced.

>I fear those jobs will not be coming back.

Well you could get them back if there were tariffs. But then, like Smoot Hawley, will create a worse Depression. We have to reinvent America. I think we have a natural global advantage in the production of food. So instead of paying farmers not to grow, we need to incentivize the food production process.

>This due to improper planning and reliance on another stipend from uncle
> sam, social security.

Another welfare program designed to transfer control to Washington DC. And, racist, xfer $ from poor minority men to rich white women. And, another mislabeled program; how can you “insure” old age?

>Why is Obamacare socialism when Medicare is a sacred cow?

Both are “socialism”!

>I think the free market is a viable option, with premiums being tax deductable.

I think we should just leave everyone alone to chose what they want and STOP using the guns of Gooferment to “social engineer”?

>Unfortunately, I do agree the Bush tax cuts must be repealed for the more wealthly americans.

Sorry, but when you take the money away from the rich, who will save and invest?

>Its an effective way to deal with the deficit. (Which Bush did wonders to increase.)

Nah, the Lafer curve, and the fact that you’re not dealing with idiots, will frustrate you. Lowering taxes will generate more revenue as it frees up people locked in by taxes. And, rich people aren’t stupid. How many docs will choose leisure over treating folks when their income is going to exceed 250K. And don’t forget it’s 250k$ on small business, so you’re paying on gross not net of expenses. It’s stupid. So like Maryland found out when they levied a “millionaire’s tax” over ½million, about ½ of their millionaires disappeared. Moved or feathered back their taxable income.

> legacy costs, defense and servicing debt.

I like the idea of a 10% across the board cut every year. But, no one is allowed to impact the citizens. Should drive the bureaucrats nuts!

>All of business is not hurting, this could be a record year on wall

>street. Bonuses are back up and greed is back in vogue.

You know that looting the public treasury is very profitable.

>Additionally, whether Republican or Democratic, I support my government.

That’s where we disagree. I’m a little L libertarian like Jefferson. It’s NOT my government. If we were having a beer, I could go into great detail about why it ain’t. :-)

> I disagree with some legislation, but I know it is a basic

>part of what makes this country great.

No, what makes this country great is liberty. And, then people make the most of it. Then, everything flowed from their “greed”.

# # # # # posted 2010-11-06 20:39

>In regard to unemployment, if you need to rely on that to survive

Agreed. Unfortunately, they pitched it as “insurance” and it ain’t. Unemployment is not an uninsurable risk. It’s not random. (Learnt that in the MC eckynomics class; I am after all a fat old white guy injineer with a low index.)

>So let’s agree to disagree.

Agreeably.

>government stands to make a profit. As they have on the bailout money.

So, they stole 10K$ from my wife’s retirement fund to enrich the unions, Wall Street, and the big banks. Then they sell the proceeds of that theft, make a profit, and me as the victim are supposed to be happy about that? If they had been forced to go thru bankruptcy, she would have gotten some money back. Estimates were 25¢ on the dollar. So we got screwed; I’m not happy. It was only a small percentage of her retirement and our portfolio. But it was the principle. By allowing anyone to avoid bankruptcy, the Gooferment took the pressure off the various managements to find a solution. By allowing Leman Brothers to fail but bailing out others, they created a mess. Goldman Sachs was picking winners and losers. Lehman was the biggest GS competitor. Timmy and others were all ex-GS people. It was a raid on the public treasury.

>I know you’ll never agree with me, but that’s my humble opinion.

You’re right about that. I’ve worked on Wall Street and I KNOW how the sleeze think.

>I believe most of today’s unemployment is due to skills gap.

> There are a lot of jobs out there, but individuals don’t fit the profile.

Might be. I think that the unemployment is due to the uncertainty that the Gooferment has introduced.

>I fear those jobs will not be coming back.

Well you could get them back if there were tariffs. But then, like Smoot Hawley, will create a worse Depression. We have to reinvent America. I think we have a natural global advantage in the production of food. So instead of paying farmers not to grow, we need to incentivize the food production process.

>This due to improper planning and reliance on another stipend from uncle
> sam, social security.

Another welfare program designed to transfer control to Washington DC. And, racist, xfer $ from poor minority men to rich white women. And, another mislabeled program; how can you “insure” old age?

>Why is Obamacare socialism when Medicare is a sacred cow?

Both are “socialism”!

>I think the free market is a viable option, with premiums being tax deductable.

I think we should just leave everyone alone to chose what they want and STOP using the guns of Gooferment to “social engineer”?

>Unfortunately, I do agree the Bush tax cuts must be repealed for the more wealthly americans.

Sorry, but when you take the money away from the rich, who will save and invest?

>Its an effective way to deal with the deficit. (Which Bush did wonders to increase.)

Nah, the Lafer curve, and the fact that you’re not dealing with idiots, will frustrate you. Lowering taxes will generate more revenue as it frees up people locked in by taxes. And, rich people aren’t stupid. How many docs will choose leisure over treating folks when their income is going to exceed 250K. And don’t forget it’s 250k$ on small business, so you’re paying on gross not net of expenses. It’s stupid. So like Maryland found out when they levied a “millionaire’s tax” over ½million, about ½ of their millionaires disappeared. Moved or feathered back their taxable income.

> legacy costs, defense and servicing debt.

I like the idea of a 10% across the board cut every year. But, no one is allowed to impact the citizens. Should drive the bureaucrats nuts!

>All of business is not hurting, this could be a record year on wall

>street. Bonuses are back up and greed is back in vogue.

You know that looting the public treasury is very profitable.

>Additionally, whether Republican or Democratic, I support my government.

That’s where we disagree. I’m a little L libertarian like Jefferson. It’s NOT my government. If we were having a beer, I could go into great detail about why it ain’t. :-)

> I disagree with some legislation, but I know it is a basic

>part of what makes this country great.

No, what makes this country great is liberty. And, then people make the most of it. Then, everything flowed from their “greed”.

# # # # # posted 2010-11-06 20:39

The big question is are Americans “We, The People” or “We, the sheeple”. I haven’t flown since this nonsense started and don’t plan to. I’d suggest that each of us has to decide when enough is enough. As a little L libertarian, I object to the Gooferment infringing upon our rights to supposedly “make us safe”.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. — Ben Franklin

If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. — Samuel Adams

Why aren’t we all screaming and boycotting the airlines?

*** begin quote ***

Kathryn Muratore
[address deleted]

October 25, 2010

US Airways
ATTN: Customer Relations
4000 E Sky Harbor Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85034

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing regarding my plans for Christmas travel with my family from Washington, DC to [a town in] CA. I purchased my tickets on your airline – via orbitz.com – about a month ago. However, I just learned that BWI has backscatter scanners as primary screening for all passengers, so I am changing my plans. I was not alerted of this gross invasion of privacy when I purchased my tickets and, having flown out of BWI in June without going through a scanner, so I had no knowledge of this requirement at the time of purchase. I am requesting that you do one of two things in order to keep this customer happy:

1. Refund the entire amount of my ticket so that I can use the money to make alternative arrangements. My ticket # is 03777558XXXXXX and I paid $651.80.

2. Or, cover my expenses to fly to BWI from another airport without the scanners installed so that I can make the flight that I’ve already paid for. For example, I can rent a car one-way (est. $100), drive to Norfolk, VA and catch flight 4084 to Philadelphia at around 1:30 pm, then connect from PHL to BWI on flight 3407. Orbitz has this flight listed at $141. I won’t charge you for the time and inconvenience – just the car, gas, and flight.

My husband will be on the flight from BWI to [a CA airport] on ticket # 03777558XXXXXX and I will be traveling with my baby daughter. Because of his work schedule, he can not commit to any of the alternative travel arrangements that I am considering. This is why, if I don’t get a refund, I want to be on the same flight from BWI to [a CA airport] with him.

I made the same trip in June – from BWI to [a CA airport] – for the funeral of my husband’s maternal grandmother. We hope to see his paternal grandmother this Christmas and for many years to come. Unfortunately, unless the airline industry starts protecting their customer’s human rights, this will be the last time I will fly to California.

I am deeply concerned about the non-choice of a backscatter scan or an enhanced pat-down for my daughter and myself. I dare say that US Air’s complicity in the TSA policy is anti-American, since it violates our Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure, without a warrant and without probable cause. I’m sure that, by buying a ticket from your company, I did not become a suspect in a crime. If I did, then you would also be involved in the conspiracy and would presumably be getting an enhanced pat-down with every ticket sold!

I’ve never been frisked in my life. I don’t intend to be frisked now and I don’t want my daughter to be frisked before her 2nd birthday. And I certainly won’t show a stranger parts of me that I intentionally keep covered with clothing around all other strangers. If US Air doesn’t have the guts to stand up for their customers’ rights, then you don’t deserve any business.

The short-term goal of this letter is to fix the problem of my upcoming holiday travel. But, in the long term, US Air must stand up for what is right. For that reason, I will be making this letter public, and, your response or lack of a response will be public as well. I will state the obvious intention here – to humiliate the travel industry into doing what it ought to have done already: tell the TSA that you know how to protect your customers best and to take their mitts off of us!

Sincerely,
Kathryn Muratore

*** end quote ***

# # # # #