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Another Perspective
Important to Decide
A flying lesson for the Supercommittee.
Years ago, when I was a boy, there was a small airfield on the west side of town where you could take flying lessons for about 7-dollars an hour. There were Piper Cubs and Aroncas and a lot of us youngsters paid the small sums to learn to fly, courtesy of paper routes and lawn mowings
Near one end of the field stretched a high-voltage power line that presented something of a challenge. My instructor noted this and said early on, “You can fly over them, or under ‘em on taking off.”
And he added: “But, it’s important to decide.” He meant on the take-off roll, determine which it would be and don’t wait until airborne to choose over or under.
It wouldn’t make a lot of difference. My Father intervened, saying when he discovered my aerial endeavors, “Gosh, son, I really wish you wouldn’t do this. If anything happened to you, I’d be alone and don’t think I could stand it.” My Mother had just died. He was grieving, as was I, and he was truly concerned. I made the right choice, promising to give up the flying lessons.
But the adjuration, “It’s important to decide,” has remained with me. When faced with a choice it is important to make a decision, and the sooner the better.
I wish the caution for the Super Committee now facing the choices involved in the great national debt: to increase taxes and cut spending, or some ineffable combination thereof. But, I say to the Senators and Representatives: It’s important to decide. You guys can fly over, or under, but decide, secure in the knowledge that you can’t have it both ways.
We all face these choices. Some inconsequential, some vital. Nowhere are these choices more vital than here in Washington, and nowhere are they more likely to be ignored. The recent past is prologue to what we face today — trillions in debt — with the prospect of much, much more to come.
So, take a tip from that old flight instructor, surveying the power line at the end of the runway. Over, or under.
It’s important to decide.
About the Author
Reid Collins is a former CBS and CNN news correspondent.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (18) | Leave a comment
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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 11.9.11 @ 7:14AM
Since the decision is being made inside the beltway there is no reason to decide one way or the other and that's purposeful.
Washington is at its best when it's shimmying and shallowing and moving the cards back and forth in the ultimate game of 3 card Monte.
In short, you are quite the optimist to believe anyone inside the beltway desires to come to any decision that would help the public in any way.
It's better to keep the public dangling on the end of a rope.
Moe Blotz| 11.9.11 @ 7:39AM
Aye, in the absence of leadership that is what you get. Now we have the "super committee" superbly discussing super ways to screw the populace. Thirty years ago we had a president who knew what was necessary to get America back to work and made decisions to that end. Publicity is the purpose of the super committee so that we peons think our rulers are actually working on substance. To the super committee I would use the words of the Mackenzie brothers,"Take off,eh!"
DTOM| 11.9.11 @ 8:49AM
Bill;
Where have you ever seen anyone actually play 3-card Monte? The only place I ever saw it was on the streets of mid-town Manhattan, ya know, New Yawk City, where they're smarter than all of us fly-over country rubes.
And any legislator who voted for this non-Constitutional, meeting-in-the-closet, so-called "Super-Committee" violated their oath of office and should be primaried, if Republican, or just plain defeated if Democrat.
Moe Blotz| 11.9.11 @ 9:15AM
Three card monte may still be floating around the back parking areas of truck stops around the country. When I was on the road I saw a few suckers fall for the line, "Hey man, follow me, this guy back here is crazy and you can win some money."
PCC| 11.9.11 @ 10:21AM
As a smart-assed yuppie, I bet on three-card monte on Boston Common in the early 80's. Of course, I was taken to the cleaners, for ten bucks, as I recall. A valuable lesson.
emo| 11.9.11 @ 7:30AM
Looks like for the first time since 1990. some in the GOP are about to fall for the old "Raise taxes now in exchange for spending cuts later" gag. They should meet the same fate as GHW Bush if they do.
John Navratil| 11.9.11 @ 8:57AM
emo,
Exactly! That was the moment I recovered from being a Republican.
Brubaker| 11.9.11 @ 2:05PM
And now you're . . . a Democrat?
How's that working out?
Stefan Kristen| 11.9.11 @ 9:14AM
When flying tactical jets, the decision to eject is made before you get in and go flying. On too many accident investigations the cause of death is, "ejection sequence interrupted by ground impact." Too many pilots spend too much time trying to salvage a doomed aircraft. We are beyond the point where drastic measures should have been taken to minimize the burden that taxes and regulation have on our economy. Shrink the government. Let individual ingenuity and determination thrive. Jettison the drag caused by unaccountable bureaucrats and politicians.
PCC| 11.9.11 @ 10:25AM
Stephan,
Nice simile. Or is it a metaphor? Either way, well said.
Ken (Old Texican)| 11.9.11 @ 10:32AM
Reid,
now I know why you worked for CBS and CNN!
Thjat was the dumbest article...based upon the dumbest preconception I have ever read.
Hey, dumbarse.....did it ever occur to you to fly out of a different airfield?
I've been a pilot for 40 years, but then, I have testicles...and smart enough to stay away from power-lines.
Brubaker| 11.9.11 @ 2:07PM
Ken, I love your comments, but I think you missed the point on this one.
Ken (Old Texican)| 11.9.11 @ 10:50AM
Reid, PS: I learned to fly in a Taylorcraft BC12D.
Owned it for three years and put four hundred hours on it.
Heck, I could land that sucker on a driveway......wimp.
GriffMN| 11.9.11 @ 11:18AM
Another pice of advise I heard from an old USAF flight instructor: We'll do it your way, and if we live through it, we'll try it my way.
Ed| 11.9.11 @ 11:42AM
Aviators have a saying;
"There are bold pilots. There are old pilots. But there are no old, bold pilots."
fmm| 11.9.11 @ 12:03PM
Those establishing the super committee have already followed your advice since if the committee can not agree on a plan, fallback decisions on funding reductions (military for example) and tax increases have already been made. These shenanigans make 3 card monty look like a childs game.
Pat| 11.9.11 @ 12:37PM
Bi-partisanship, back in the day, was hailed as a very good thing, a political process which made all Americans tingle in anticipation and resonate with good fellowship, and good womanship, throughout our land. Today, not so much - our abiding faith in Republicans and Democrats working together for the good of the nation has gone the way of 8 track players and DeSoto convertibles sporting those enormous fins. To most of us, bi-partisanship appears more like the cops, judges and gangsters forming a bi-partisan committee back in Al Capone’s Chicago, whatever deal emerges won’t benefit the average guy on the street – and we can take that to the bank. But if you enjoy slapstick comedy, even a little old fashioned burlesque, the Super Committee bears close watching.
Already, Sen. Chuck Schumer has ordered the New York Times to reserve a page, maybe two pages, so he can speak his mind to the public. Schumer, being a New York VIP, easily had his way with the Times and they dutifully published his turgid explanation of how the Republicans on the Super Committee were at fault for lack of actual progress and, without a doubt, constituted a continuing plague on the glorious track record of bi-partisanship. Somehow, Schumer hinted, the Republicans on the Committee have hoodwinked those simple but honest Democrats by changing the accounting rules mid-stream and not honestly admitting that the Democrat’s approach actually cuts spending and reduces our national debt.
Only Enron’s former accountants and auditors appear able to understand the Super Committee’s accounting concepts - to everyone else, it appears no spending has actually been reduced, or can legally be reduced and our government will, in fact, spend even more in the next fiscal year than was spent in prior years - and all with the bi-partisan goal of cutting spending. But bi-partisanship still survives except today that hackneyed term means the Republicans and Democrats work closely together for the sole benefit of their respective politicians.
Ken (Old Texican)| 11.9.11 @ 10:30PM
Pat,
keep your day job. That was a dumb post.