>> IT'S HARD TO THINK OF A
TOUGHER OR MORE IMPORTANT JOB
THAN BEING A AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLER.
GO AHEAD AND TRY, IT WILL TAKE
YOU A WHILE.
EVERY DAY MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION
AMERICANS FLY IN OR OUT OF U.S.
AIRPORTS, ALONG WITH MANY
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CARGO.
AT ANY ONE TIME THERE ARE 5,000
AIRCRAFT ABOVE THE UNITED
STATES.
ON 9/11, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
GUIDED EVERY ONE OF THEM TO A
SAFE LANDING IN A LITTLE OVER AN
HOUR.
GO AHEAD AND TRY THAT.
IT'S A JOB WHERE A SMALL MISTAKE
COULD LEAD INSTANTLY TO THE
DEATHS OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE HIRING
STANDARDS FOR AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS WERE LONG AMONG THE
MOST SELECTIVE OF ALL FEDERAL
JOBS.
APPLICANTS TYPICALLY NEEDED TO
COMPLETE MILITARY SERVICE OR
PASS THE FAA'S COLLEGIATE
TRAINING INITIATIVE PROGRAM.
AFTER THAT THEY SAT FOR A
SPECIALLY-DESIGNED EXAM THAT
TESTED FOR MATH ABILITY AND
COMPLEX PROBLEM-SOLVING.
ONLY THOSE WITH THE HIGHEST
SCORES MADE THE CUT.
THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO
CHOOSE THE BEST.
FOR DECADES IT WORKED.
THEN DURING THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION, ACTIVIST
BUREAUCRATS DECIDED THAT THE
POOL OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
WASN'T DIVERSE ENOUGH.
THEY NEVER EXPLAINED WHY
DIVERSITY OUGHT TO MATTER IN AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROL, OR WHY IT WAS
MORE THAN TRADITIONAL GOALS LIKE
COMPETENCE AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
THE FAA WITHOUT A VOTE, JUST
SCRAPPED THE OLD HIRING SYSTEM
AND REPLACED IT WITH A DIVERSITY
FRIENDLY VERSION.
MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA THIS
HAPPENED.
THE FAA REQUIRES APPLICANTS TO
FILL OUT A BIOGRAPHICAL
QUESTIONNAIRE BEFORE ANOTHER
SCREENING.
THOSE THAT ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
IN A WAY THAT DIVERSITY MONITORS
DON'T LIKE WILL NOT GO FURTHER,
BECAUSE THE BIOGRAPHICAL
QUESTIONNAIRE IS ALL IMPORTANT.
WE GOT A COPY OF THE
QUESTIONNAIRE, HOW IT'S SCORED.
IT'S SHOCKING.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE QUESTION ASKED
TEST-TAKERS TO NAME THEIR WORST
THE PROTESTER ANSWER FOR THAT IS
SCIENCE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU CAN'T DO
SCIENCE, THE FAA IS SPECIALLY
EAGER TO HIRE YOU AS AN AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROLLER.
YOU GET 10 POINTS FOR BEING BAD
AT SCIENCE, ACCORDING TO THE
SCORING SHEET.
ANOTHER QUESTION ASKED ABOUT
WORK HISTORY.
ACCORDING TO THE FAA, THE BEST
ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS YOU
HAVEN'T WORKED AT ALL IN THE
PAST THREE YEARS.
YOU GET 10 POINTS FOR NOT
WORKING.
APPARENTLY UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE
MAKE THE BEST AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS.
THIS IS DEMENTED, BY THE WAY,
BUT IT'S REAL.
SO DO APPLICANTS WHO PLAYED A
LOT OF SPORTS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY'RE REWARDED TOO.
BY CONTRAST APPLICANTS WHO SAY
THEY KNOW A GREAT DEAL ABOUT AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROL GET ONLY FIVE
POINTS.
TRAINED PILOTS GET TWO POINTS.
ONCE AGAIN, APPLICANTS WHO
HAVEN'T WORKED AT ALL, WHO HAVE
BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR THE PAST
THREE YEARS, GET 10 POINTS.
PILOTS TWO POINTS.
THIS IS INSANE.
IT'S DANGEROUS.
IT'S ALSO INDEFENSIBLE.
WE ASKED THE FAA'S TOP SPOKESMAN
WHY APPLICANTS FOR AN AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROL JOB WOULD GET
MORE POINTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL
SPORTS THAN FLYING PLANES OR
KNOWING A LOT ABOUT AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL.
HIS RESPONSE, QUOTE, I'M TRYING
TO FIND THAT OUT AS WELL.
WELL, NOT TRYING VERY HARD IT
TURNS OUT.
WE STILL HAVEN'T HEARD BACK WITH
A REAL EXPLANATION, AND OF
COURSE WE WON'T BECAUSE THERE
ISN'T ONE, OTHER THAN SHUT UP,
DIVERSITY.
WE WON'T SHUT UP.
THIS IS TOO PAR.
LIVES ARE AT STAKE.
JOINING IS MICHAEL PEARSON, A
LAWYER REPRESENTING A MAN SUING
THE FAA FOR ITS UPDATED HIRING
PRACTICES.
MR. PEARSON, THANK YOU FOR
COMING ON.
>> THANK YOU, TUCKER.
GOOD TO BE HERE.
>> WHY WOULD THE FAA AWARD EXTRA
POINTS FOR INCOMPETENCE?
SCIENCE, FOR EXAMPLE?
>> WELL, THE BIOGRAPHICAL
ASSESSMENT WAS MADE TO SCREEN
OUT PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE.
IT WASN'T MEANT IN ANY FORM OR
FUNCTION, THAT I CAN FIND -- AND
I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR
ALMOST FOUR YEARS NOW, INCLUDING
LOOKING OVER MANY DOCUMENTS WE
HAD TO FIGHT THE FAA FOR SEVERAL
YEARS THAT THEY KEPT HIDDEN --
TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
THE TEST WAS BASICALLY MEANT TO
SCREEN OUT PEOPLE WITH AVIATION
EXPERIENCE.
THERE'S EVEN WORSE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS ON THE TEST, BUT YOU DID
A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF PORTRAYING
SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS ON THE TEST.
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
JUST TO RESTATE FOR OUR
AUDIENCE, SO NUMB TO THIS KIND
OF THINKING THAT IT MAY NOT
PENETRATE.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HIRING A
SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS, WITH A LINCHPIN OF
PUBLIC SAFETY AND
TRANSPORTATION.
WHY WOULD THE FAA WANT PEOPLE
WITH LESS RELEVANT SKILLS IN AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROL FOR AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS?
>> BECAUSE A GROUP WITHIN THE
FAA, INCLUDING THE HUMAN
RESOURCES FUNCTION WITHIN THE
FAA, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL
BLACK COALITION OF FEDERAL
AVIATION EMPLOYEES, DETERMINED
THAT THE WORKFORCE WAS TOO
WHITE.
THEY HAD A CONCERTED EFFORT
THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION, THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION, TO CHANGE THAT.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THEY'RE
SACRIFICING, AND HAVE SACRIFICED
SAFETY AT THE 589ER OF POLITICAL
CORRECTNESS.
IT OFFENDS THE PUBLIC CONSCIOUS,
BUT ALSO FEDERAL LAW.
WE'RE EXPOSING THAT.
>> WHY WOULD THIS GO ON FOR
YEARS WITHOUT ANYBODY IN ELECTED
OFFICE SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT IT?
JUST ONCE AGAIN -- I'M HARD TO
SHOCK, BECAUSE I DO THIS STUFF
FOR A LIVING -- WE ARE LOWERING
THE STANDARDS, AND INTENTIONALLY
HIRING PEOPLE LESS COMPETENT FOR
ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL JOBS IN
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?
WHY WOULD NO ONE IN CONGRESS DO
ANYTHING TO STOP IT?
>> WELL, OUR LAW FIRM, ALONG
WITH MOUNTAIN STATE'S LEGAL
FOUNDATION, FILED THE INITIAL
LAWSUIT.
THEN THE GROUP OF SCHOOLS GOT
TOGETHER, OVER 30 COLLEGIATE
TRAINING INSTITUTIONAL SCHOOLS
GOT TOGETHER AND WENT TO
CONGRESS.
THERE HAVE BEEN MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS THAT HAVE HELD HEARINGS
ON THIS.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE UNION
CONTROLS A LARGE PACT THAT FUNDS
POLITICIANS, AND NOTHING WILL
GET PAST WITHOUT THE BLESSING OF
THE CONTROLLERS UNION.
THEIR POSITION RADICALLY CHANGED
WHEN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
CAME IN.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT LIGHTLY.
I WAS AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER
AT FOUR OF THE BUSIEST
FACILITIES IN THE COUNTRY FOR
ALMOST 27 YEARS, ALONG WITH
BEING AN ATTORNEY AND PROFESSOR.
WHEN I SAY THESE THINGS, IT'S
NOT ONLY BASED ON EXPERIENCE,
BUT DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE AND
PROOF I HAVE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY EVERYONE
FLIES, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, WHO FLY QUITE OFTEN.
I THINK THE ONES THAT HEARD THE
STORY WERE OFFENDED BY IT,
BECAUSE IT'S IN THEIR BACKYARD.
IT'S A SAFETY INTEREST FOR THEM.
THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE,
QUITE FRANKLY, BECAUSE, AGAIN,
IT'S THE SAFETY OF THE NATIONAL
AIRSPACE AT RISK HERE.
I CAN TELL YOU FROM TRAINING
WELL OVER A HUNDRED, PROBABLY
300 CONTROLLERS IN MY LIFETIME
AS AN FAA CONTROLLER, THAT THERE
IS A DIFFERENCE.
THIS IS AIKEN TO THE VETERANS
ADMINISTRATION HIRING DOCTORS
AND TRYING TO TELL THE PUBLIC
THAT THE BEST PHYSICIAN IS ONE
THAT NEVER WENT TO MEDICAL
SCHOOL AND THAT THE VA CAN TRAIN
THEM BETTER.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S OCCURRED
HERE.
TO BE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD, THE
MAINSTREAM MEDIA HAS NOT COVERED
THIS, AND HAS COVERED UP THIS
ISSUE, AND HAS NOT REVEALED
WHAT'S GOING ON.
IT'S A SHAME.
IT'S NOT ONLY SHAMEFUL, IT AGAIN
SACRIFICES PUBLIC SAFETY.
>> IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING,
PEOPLE IN THE FAA WE SPOKE TO,
WERE SUCH COWARDLY WORMS, I
DON'T SAY THAT LIGHTLY, BUT THEY
WON'T COME ON AND DEFEND THIS.
A RHETORICAL QUESTION, DID THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION EVER SHOW
WITH DATA THAT SOMEHOW INCREASED
DIVERSITY?
THE RANKS OF AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROLLERS WOULD MAKE THE
PUBLIC SAFER?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THERE'S DATA THAT SHOWS IT'S A
PUBLIC FARCE, INCORRECT.
THERE'S NO DATA TO SUPPORT THAT.
THIS IS SOCIAL ENGINEERING AT
ITS FINEST AT THE SACRIFICE
AGAIN OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
>> IT'S TOTALLY DEMENTED.
WE'LL RIDE THIS UNTIL IT'S MADE