US Budget problems … long lines predicted as sequester bites

by MilesFromBlighty 6 Comments

I remember several years ago (read the 1990’s) when there some other US Government problem and I waited three and a half hours at the Thomas Bradley terminal in LA for US Immigration. I have hated that immigration experience ever since.

Well there is a news report in the Washington Examiner this morning and that it might be back – starting 1 March 2013.

In addition the report suggests

– Three (plus) hour lines at US Immigration
– Long TSA Security Lines at US airports
– Delays to take-offs as Air Traffic Control is hit.

I have a number of flights booked next week – to and from China and the US. I hope that the parties in Government in the US get their act together. I shall start my research for plan ‘B’s!

Comments

  2. Hmm…I have 3 international trips in May from a US base. If e queues are bad then i might round the world and just stay away. Time for that global entry application, perhaps.

  3. @Zz – I think probably delay for a few months whilst it gets sorted out. I have to check alternative flights as well

    @Levy – I hope by May you would be OK – I cannot believe either side will let it go one for long

  4. What you’re referring to in the 90s was a government shutdown because the budget was not passed. All but essential services were shut down. This sequester is a series of automatic budget cuts that only amount to $85B of an almost $3T budget. However, there’s two things people seem to forget: this was the President’s proposal last year to get Congress to raise the debt ceiling and more importantly it’s cutting the amount of GROWTH in the budget. It doesn’t actually cut any old funding.

    How much staff reduction would it take to increase the wait times at immigration 2-3x? There aren’t enough cuts in the budget to force that to happen. The people quoted in this report don’t want the funding cut. Unfortunately, the current policymakers in this country resort to fear-mongering instead of trying to make their case in a reasoned way. The bottom line is a lot of people around the world have had to do more with less in this economy and many of us believe it’s time our government starts tightening its belt too.

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