Marti Walker

Love Field has been here all my life, and I am a 79 yr old Dallasite.

As a child, my family spent Sunday afternoons there watching the planes land and take off. It was one of the highlights of a better time in Dallas, when life was simpler, and politics more honest.

Well, times change, and here we are, living with Federal interference in areas they do not belong. The Wright Amendment is a law that should never have been passed. Was this the beginning of the political pay offs of today?

When I grew up, monopolies were being broken in order for competition to keep prices at $$ the public could afford.

At DFW, American Airlines has had such power that other airlines struggled to compete (Delta for one). The public has been cheated with the extremely high fares AA has charged to many cities. AA has taken advantage of all citizens and insulted many others.

I for one will take Greyhound bus before I will ever fly American Airlines again .. another story.

Southwest Airlines came on the scene and proved air service could be successfully done at fair prices, with safety and respect for their customers, their employees and always a fair profit for themselves and their stock holders.

Other cities, many smaller than Dallas, have profited and grown with 2 and sometimes 3 Air Fields. I have never seen stories in the papers about any stockholder complaints from any of them.

I remember the unfair yielding of power by Braniff Airlines, and where are they today? American Airlines has cheated the public, their employees (in persuading them to take lower wages) while offering Monumental Bonuses to CEO's who were failing in their abilities to show a profit in their management. They have been tyrants in yielding their power and in my estimation deserve NO consideration in the decision over abolishing the Wright Amendment or above the 3 gates being offered to them.

Why should Southwest be penalized for being successful when American has not?

Let AA have DFW, there are many who hate going to DFW. Love Field serves us just fine in convenience as well as price. As for DFW, I am sure they will survive as always, maybe not quite a fast as they have in the past, and today business is struggling for everyone.

I have been reading DallasArena.com for 2 years now, and even though I am on vacation visiting my family in Germany, I never miss what is going on in my home town.

I am tired of political payoffs like American Airlines Center and tax cuts given to businesses and placed on homeowners, and on citizens needing to rent automobiles while theirs are in the shop, etc.

I could write more about my outrage over the "business concessions given businesses, Perot's, tax deals, etc, and I am ready for the times to turn back to the people who support the cities, state, and country, the citizens.

Sharon, I will bend your ear no longer, but thank you for being there and a venue for people like me

Marti Walker