Late May, 1999, Boeing lobbyist Guy Spearman went to the Capitol in Tallahassee and in the final hours of the legislative session, added a major provision to House Bill
775 -- a 50-page bill taking rights away from the people. There was no public hearing and they totally
by-passed the legislative committee process. The Florida legislature passed
HB 775, which states that if a plane crashes in Florida and if the plane is over 20 years old, there can be no lawsuits against the manufacturer. It also appears that if a Florida resident is in a plane crash anywhere, and the plane is over 20 years old, the manufacturers have no product
liability. This Boeing corporate welfare amendment will promote dangerous aging aircraft, and not promote safety!
NADA learned about the midnight madness late May, shortly after the legislature signed the bill. Within 36 hours, working with other consumer action groups, NADA participated in a press conference and
publicly asked Gov. Jeb Bush not to sign the bill. After the May 26th press conference, NADA family members went to Gov. Bush's office, and while the TV cameras were rolling Bush refused to meet with our family members whose loved ones had been killed in air crashes, and signed the bill that day.
The following comments are from the press conference on May 26, 1999, plus an Editorial Opinion from Tom O'Mara written after we learned that Bush had signed the bill. Tom has an excellent suggestion that company's who care about their employees should not have their conventions in
Florida.
The answer to aging aircraft is to ensure that we have the safest planes possible, and retire them! Even the
Boeing lobbyist Guy Spearman said, "The fact of the matter is we can't build those suckers to last forever and ever and ever." NADA fears that with no financial responsibility the industry will try unsuccessfully to fly them forever.
Another lobbyist J.M. "Mac" Stipanovich, said,
"I don't know what the poor people got, but the rich people are happy and I'm ready to go home."
For further insults to the flying public, Bush said he would ask the Florida legislature to "try" and repeal this provision next year. Please call Gov. Jeb Bush and tell him to repeal the aging aircraft protection act of HB 775 NOW! Call (850)
488-4441, or Email: fl_governor@eog.state.fl.us or
jeb@jeb.org Or write to Gov. Bush, The Capitol, Tallahassee FL 32399-0001, or call
850-922-4441.
Bush has refused to meet with family members. Perhaps your Letter to the Editor will get his attention!
