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Administration Charges Ahead With
Foreign Ownership

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta, who has resigned his position after five and a half years, stated yesterday that the Bush administration plans to move ahead this summer with its proposal to ease restrictions on foreign investment in U.S. airlines despite strong congressional opposition.  The issue is similar to this year's controversy over the Dubai ports plan, which was initially approved by the Administration but later scrapped after an uproar in Congress. 

Although we achieved overwhelming House rejection of the airline foreign ownership plan a couple weeks ago, the issue will probably remain unresolved in Congress until the end of the year -- the time it will take lawmakers in both chambers to pass a final transportation spending bill.  Mineta said the Transportation Department hopes to finalize the foreign investment rule by the end of August, which would exploit the expected congressional lag time for addressing the matter and meet the timeline for European review.  

It's important now that we place public pressure on the White House.  Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, call and e-mail the White House and Transportation Department to express your outrage and be sure to let your Senators and Representatives know how angry you are about the Administration's actions to ignore democracy. We will continue communications and additional direction for action on this issue next week.

Tips on Writing a Letter to the Editor

One of the best ways to get the public engaged in our issues and to educate Congress about the concerns of their constituents is to write letters to the editor of Local paper. Below are a few tips for writing these letters.

• Reference a Recent Article: If possible, it is best to include a reference to recent article that appeared in the newspaper you've selected and then write your letter as a response, building on what was printed or pointing out how your viewpoint isn't included. This greatly increases the likelihood that your letter will be printed.
• Include Your Contact Information: Most newspapers will only print a letter to the editor after calling the author to verify his or her identity and address. Newspapers will not give out that information and will usually only print your name and city should your letter be published.
• Be Clear and Concise: Keep your letters brief and to the point. Newspaper editors often edit for length, so try to keep your letter to less than 200 words. The shorter it is, the more likely it will be printed.
• State Your Point Early: Be sure to state your main point in the subject line and in the first sentence of the letter.
• Keep to One Topic: Keep your letters focused on one subject. Use AFA communications as a basis for your message.