Air Traffic Control: Obama administration prioritized skin color over competence
Michael Pearson, a former air traffic controller, told Newsmax that the FAA’s workforce crisis began in 2011. Pearson argued that the Obama administration favored color over competency. Approximately 3000 qualified applicants were overlooked in favor of choosing demographic features. The qualified applicants had met their requirements to do the job, including passing aptitude tests, holding the appropriate degrees, and skills specific training obtained without cost to the taxpayers.
From Newsmax:
Former air traffic controller Michael Pearson told Newsmax on Thursday the FAA’s workforce crisis traces back to 2011, when he asserted the administration “chose color over competency” by discarding a pool of roughly 3,000 qualified applicants and introducing a controversial biographical assessment.
According to Pearson, those applicants had already passed aptitude tests, held relevant college degrees, and completed controller training programs at no taxpayer cost.
“They were ready to enter the system,” Pearson said during an appearance on “The Record With Greta Van Susteren.” “Instead, the administration made applicants take a biographical assessment, basically to determine what race they were, before being allowed to move forward.”
Pearson said the hiring pause and new screening practices remained in place for several years, leaving the FAA with a critical shortage that persists today.
“It takes three to five years to train a controller. That period of not hiring anybody was devastating,” Pearson said, adding that controllers are now reporting fatigue and six-day work weeks.
Pearson argued that the staffing gap, not technology, is the FAA’s greatest operational challenge. “It doesn’t matter how modern the system is if you don’t have enough controllers to run it,” he said.
Additional Reading:
Morley III, J. (2025, November 13). Fmr air traffic controller to Newsmax: Obama admin chose color over competency. Newsmax. Link.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Government Incompetence
No surprise to me, we’ve all seen the wonderful results of what DEI does in so many cases and IMHO it’s institutionalized racism, reverse discrimination.
Absolutely correct! In my little bubble in this world, I am seeing it more than any reasonable person would expect. Still a serving member of the NG. I see it a lot there. I’m a contractor for the govt. still seeing it all over the place there. I see it within the company that I work for. What blows my mind is the amount of competent people that get fired because they catch all of the blame for the incompetent boss that they have that is also a DEI hire. I am starting to see these people “move along”, but only after we lose several knowledgeable and competent people and the most important aspect, the company loses $millions. Funny how that is what becomes the final discriminator, ain’t’ it?
My bubble too. Contractor for SF Tier 1. We have people here regularly using the whole race card deck to cover their incompetence. The government is so scared to fire them that they can fuck up anything and get away with it, and laugh the whole time. Like a clown on fire some days, sad but funny.
We need more blind lesbian dwarves working the control towers. Diversity is our strength.
Fucking Obama…
All the roads of destruction lead back to that piece of shit. The guy is a god damn Manchurian Candidate come to life except he wasn’t sent/trained by the commies. No, it was globalists. The only thing standing in their way is The United States.
Not just B. Hussein 0bama, IMO it started back with LBJ and the shit he inflicted upon us beginning with his “War on Poverty” which has since given us generations dependent on welfare. Not that B. Hussein 0bama is innocent, he’s just as guilty as “Blowjob Willie” and others as well.
Pearson is a lying piece of shit.
Just a Facebook meme brainrotted rando air traffic controller that is channeling right wing propaganda as though it was personal experience.
The DEI initiatives at the FAA did not compromise safety. We have the incident rates to show that it didn’t.
https://www.everythingpolicy.org/policy-briefs/diversity-and-air-traffic-control
You just swooped in with some BS! While I am proud that you finally cite your BS, citing it with a left wing rag, doesn’t convince me.
There are some democrat policies that I can get behind and agree with. Very few, but some. You on the other hand, disagree with anything the republicans say or do and agree with EVERYTHING that left says and does. Funny thing is that it has even been things that the democrats preach for, or against, but as soon as the republicans agree, your side flips and goes the other way!
Here is the other thing that YOUR side does,,, they tell us (American citizens) don’t believe what you see! Don’t believe what you hear. Don’t believe what you experience! We (the left, to include the media) will tell you what to believe.
You should really try to do better!
Oh, and one more thing, I didn’t use vulgarities at all above. See, you don’t have to!! I’m not above it, and from time to time I do, but not every time I’m on here.
Again, try to do better!
An example of a Democrat policy that I can agree with; the new paternity/maternity leave in Minnesota. Some companies an afford it but smaller companies are going to feel some serious pain with it. There needs to be more work to help small business owners, but I can get behind the policy if they create some safety measures for the “little man”.
Trump’s got them defending Epstein now.
Exactly. That’s the craziness that I’m talking about, up above ⬆️
Birds of a feather… released by the court handling Virginia Guiffre’s lawsuit last year; why ain’t the media running off at the mouth about it, I wonder?
Gee whiz kids, almost everyone of the names on that list are D-rats and/or progs. Many are infected with TDS and are rabid Trump haters. I note Trump is not.
However, a more comprehensive assessment using a wider range of safety metrics would be beneficial. The long-term impacts and any unintended consequences remain subjects for continued investigation.am I missing something Lars or am I reading this wrong…..this is the last paragraph in that writing
Update…
For the love of humanity, will somebody PLEASE shoot that damned thing before it mates and lays eggs!!!
You forgot to blame Trump. No antifa meeting today? Oh, I forgot. They’re not an organization.
Dismissed.
The circle jerk is canceled for today cuz his Antifa buddies returned to Portland to commit more riots against “the Man.”
“Circle jerk” = Dutch rudder club
Not for nothing, but my money is on “The Man”:
https://youtu.be/93SaOnrsRkM?si=WpFcQ9mP7_v99OqN
I guess AI is good for something. 🤣
Orange Man BAAAAAAAADDDD!
You are the lying piece of shit here. Go away, you REMF fraud.
Yeah, right…
The Obama and Biden administration policies forced the FAA to favor politics over public safety, insulting the rule of law and the Constitution’s equal protection guarantee.
Because of them, the shortage of air traffic controllers has resulted in reduced staffing nationwide. Only 7% of all FAA facilities that require ATCs meet target staffing levels.
To suggest “We have the I didn’t rates to show that it didn’t” is absolute bullshit and you know it.
Do better…and don’t post links to articles that can’t even substantiate the research with proof sources and actual results.
We all heard Obama overemphasize diversity every time he opened his mouth. His greatest concern with NASA was bringing in more Muslims. Seems like an effective approach to increasing efficiency. Remind me again, what was he? That’s right kids, a fraud!
Wow, I bet that if Idiocy was an Olympic Sport, you’d be a perennial Gold Medalist in that event!! 😀😀😀😀
Actually, the link you provided shows an increase in near-misses after the DEI initiatives took effect. In any case, if DEI is as beneficial as we are told shouldn’t the near-misses and ground mishaps have decreased significantly?
PS
But thanks for the link, anyway. It’s interesting.
You’re a domestic terrorist. Fuck off, Antifa boy.
Welcome back my Conservative friend Commissar with your Socialist Shtick act. To bad you weren’t around back in the early 50’s and do your thing in the New York State Catskill Hotels…
Forgive me if I don’t believe you. I talk to people within the agency.
Only problem is the data you cite doesn’t show what you claim. after the DEI hires were rated there’s a fairly steady increase in near misses and ground mishaps as well as runway incursions. I’ve seen this personally with two incompetent female controllers. One literally walked out of the cab while working local stating, “I can’t do this anymore.”
There is not a single thing that Zero has touched that didn’t turn to shit.. the seagull can squawk all he wants, but he can never refute that fact.
That “fundamental transformation” of America he wanted.
B. Hussein 0bama is one who tried to burn the USA up as best he could so that he could rule over the ashes.
This is my shocked face. Obama set race relations back decades. Martin Luther King would’ve slapped him silly.
Exactly. And to show big a hypocrite he is, after calling on all the homies to vote for a incompetent whore (Kamala) because she is “black” (or something), he stays silent on Winsome-Sears. What a transparent douche.
IMHO he sold his soul to politics decades ago.
Martin Luther King was a Republican.
He didn’t stay silent. He actively campaigned for the white candidate. Obama panders to whatever group will give him the desired result. He’s never been in the same room as integrity.
Yep.
I find this unpossible to believe.
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