How do you get action from the government?

[cashflyer]

I don't know if this is parf material or not, but it probably will be.

The company I manage is in aviation - regulated by the FAA.
There are certain resources that the FAA is mandated and required to provide since they are taxpayer funded. For example, checkrides for pilots and inspections of aircraft being used for charter.

Our company representatives met with FAA representatives at the South Carolina office yesterday and were flatly denied the resources. Specifically, our company needs to upgrade its Charter certificate. The upgrade will mean adding another aircraft and adding 10 new jobs.

The FAA manager, preaching the word "sequester", told me that they would not provide the services and would not even entertain our request. Maybe you should call a politician and complain that they have cut our budget too much, he said.

Any of you who have worked in management or small businesses know, opportunities don't just wait for you.


Do any of you have recommendations as how to get the Agency to act, as they are chartered to do?



Yeah... I've already taken the manager's advice.

The United States House of Representatives · House.gov
U.S. Senate

[Dan J]

I have no experience however
I would contact the Representative from your district And your Senators and the local media
and make a total pain in the a$s of myself. Their job is to create jobs

[Por_sha911]

Tell the official that if he wants to play hardball you will also call the local news station and tell them you've got a story and be sure to tell them who turned you down and why.

[porsche4life]

Exactly.... Make his life hell in every way possible, he gives you the cert to go away.

[Zeke]

I don't agree with the advice so far. Clearly the FAA guy has an agenda. Exploit it. How? As I watch this thread some things will come up. Frankly I'm of the school that you buy the guy a blow job and record it. If he helps you because he got his BJ, fine. If he doesn't, send the vid to the FAA brass.

[porsche4life]

Until he turns it around on you and gets you charges with bribery and or blackmail...

[Bowling]

Is your company subsidized by the Federal Government? Do you have contracts with the Feds? Are any of your employees compensated in part by the Feds? If no, then blow your local media up, contact all your professional affiliations and spread the message. Contact your local and State Representatives. Do not take any ***** regarding your business. Or what Zeke said.

[SteamWolf]

Throw a shoe at them?

But in all seriousness, start with your local congress person. New jobs in the area is something they will alway stick their neck out for.

[HHI944]

Not a lawyer and didn't sleep in a Holiday Inn, but your company legal counsel should consider filing a Writ of Mandamus in Federal Court.

[Crowbob]

Getting some action out of the government is easy. Just stop paying your taxes.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

Until he turns it around on you and gets you charges with bribery and or blackmail...

You're kidding, right? This is how the president of Italy went down. I don't remember anyone being charged with bribery.

[SteamWolf]

You don't want to be a whistleblower in the USA against the government, that's for sure.

[Rick Lee]

You need to contact the House committee that handles the FAA. That's probably transportation (Bill Shuster, R-PA is the chair) and then a subcommittee on aviation, usually chaired by a freshman, but in this case it's Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ). That's who handles FAA's budget. Any staffer from that committee or subcommittee who places a call to anyone in the FAA gets their calls returned.

[T77911S]

when i saw the the title i thought "a hostage" always gets govt attention. maybe not the kind you want.

i work for the FAA but as a electronics tech. i can tell ya our side of the sequester crap.

we were told we could not oder parts to fix anything. if the radar or anILS goes down, it goes down. this was all to draw attention to the cut backs. of course for us, that has ended. but as he is probably trying to do is to get you to complain up the line to try to bring the sequester to an end.

[cashflyer]

this was all to draw attention to the cut backs. ... he is probably trying to get you to complain up the line

That crossed my mind - that he is using us as a pawn. He has nothing to lose if we complain, and nothing to lose if we go out of business waiting on them to act.

You need to contact the House committee that handles the FAA. That's probably transportation (Bill Shuster, R-PA is the chair) and then a subcommittee on aviation

I faxed everyone on the subcommittee, and followed that with a written letter.

Is your company subsidized by the Federal Government?

We have no ties to the Federal government - other than needing their approval. And paying taxes.

consider filing a Writ of Mandamus in Federal Court

That provided some interesting reading, and I want to explore this more.

I have an acquaintance who works in the Department of State.... It turns out he is speaking to some senators next week about some tangentially related aviation issues and has agreed to make mention that obstructionist actions within the FAA could affect other projects that are of importance to the Department of State.

Maybe that will get noticed?

[GH85Carrera]

Trying to get a Federal employee to do something he does not want to do is just about impossible.

We had the Department of Defense send us a nasty letter demanding payment AND interest for just under $800. When we call them they will not tell us why they think we owe them money. After several WEEKS of delay we received one letter that had a different amounts and a 4 days later we received yet another letter with another amount. They can't even come up with a consistent amount that we supposedly owe them.

We finally found out they had paid some other company in Georgia with a similar name to our company. In the end we never owed them ANY money (big surprise) and they are now threating to call the Treasury department on us. Trying to get them to answer the phone is difficult, getting them to return a call is impossible.

Good luck with your battle.

[Shuie]

You could always do the old hidden camera trick thing with them and then sell the video to the news.

[charlesbahn]

Agree with contact your congressman and senators both state and fed, a well written description of how this problem affects you, your company, employees, customers -- all their constituents.

This results in an official inquiry which must be responded to within a short period of time.

It will get their attention.

[T77911S]

if he is flat refusing to do what you say he is SUPPOSE to do that is one thing.
sounds more like he should be agreeing to help, but you are on a list so long due to lack of man power from being sequstered that it might as well be no, but at least you would be on a list.

[wdfifteen]

The only time I get their attention is when I don't pay my taxes.