Burnt Toast to Go with Your Joe (09/03/06)

Yummy burnt toast

• BURNT TOAST to the Federal Aviation Administration for making the stressful work of the nation’s air traffic controllers even more stressful and, in so doing, endangering those who take to the less than friendly skies. As reported in the Miami Herald, “air traffic controllers say new [FAA] work rules starting Sunday will compromise safety in the skies….[and] cost-cutting will make it even harder to keep up with burgeoning traffic.â€? Controllers also cite chronic staffing shortfalls as a concern. But, hey, at least passengers are being prevented from smuggling potentially dangerous beverages and toiletries onto airplanes. more…

• BURNT TOAST to the Internal Revenue Service for doling out “$318 million in improper refunds this year because a computer program that screens tax returns for fraud was not working.â€? An extra plate of burnt toast to Computer Sciences Corp., the contractor assigned the task of updating the program, for failing to do so by the deadline. more…

• BURNT TOAST to Vernon Robinson, who is running for Congress in a district in North Carolina in which he does not reside and, in the process, is slinging more mud than a New Orleans work crew. From his latest television ad: “‘You needed that job,’ an announcer says. ‘And you were the best qualified. But they gave it to an illegal alien — so they could pay him under the table. … These illegals pay no taxes, but take our jobs and our government handouts. Then spit in our face. And burn our flag. Well, Vernon Robinson has had enough!’â€? So have I, frankly, with yahoos who, in lieu of a substantive political campaign, offer smear tactics and vitriol. more…

• BURNT TOAST to Educational Testing Service, the company that administers Advanced Placement examinations, for somehow misplacing “score sheets for portions of at least 1,500 exams taken in Mayâ€? and for initially downplaying or miscalculating the actual number of missing sheets. As reported in the Washington Post, “students around the world have been struggling with how to handle the lost tests, with options including taking tests again or seeking a refund.â€? more…