ScottSayres's Blog

by Scott Sayres.  

   The head of the Allied Pilots Association says the union needs to focus only on what it will cost to "man the cockpits" of American Airlines planes and be "tone deaf" to everything else impacting the airline industry.

  In a podcast provided by the APA, Capt. Lloyd Hill told the union's board of directors the financial woes plaguing American are a "business problem that requires a business fix."

  Hill seemed to be exhorting the union to stand its ground as contract talks with American drag into a second year. Rocketing fuel prices, bankruptcies and more than 22,000 industry layoffs in recent weeks sparked speculation union members might be more concerned with saving their jobs than extracting concessions from the airline.

  Hill rebuffed that idea, calling on the union to stay focused to regain pay and benefits it willingly surrendered in 2003 to help American stave off bankruptcy.

  That issue helped Hill oust former APA president Capt. Ralph Hunter last year in a tight election. Hill campaigned on a "get tough with management" platform, something he revisited in his remarks.

   Hill called the "shared sacrifice" effort led by American CEO Gerard Arpey to keep the airline solvent a campaign of "deception" and "subterfuge" with the real aim "cost cutting and pilot prosecution."

   "During this ruse," Hill said, "well-intentioned as some may have been, APA lost its focus, the cost of which has been astronomical."

   Hill labeled American's "share the pain" drive a "scam" designed to "deceptively extract from labor" concessions management never intended to return. He also accused management of "terrorizing union advocates."

   Hill revisited the issue of executive compensation. Managers at AMR, the parent company of American, including Arpey, received roughly $300 million in stock options over the last three years, though the value of those options was decidedly lower this year than in previous years.

  The compensation issue has been a hot button for pilots and flight attendants since 2005, but it failed to generate much empathy from passengers or turn public opinion in the unions' favor.  

   In April, the pilots tried a different message. The union placed newspaper ads and picketed AMR shareholders offices - - as well as those of major customers - - with signs claiming American's industry- worst on-time performance and the cancellation of thousands of flights because of problems with its aging MD-80 jets were due to AMR mismanagement.

   Hill might be using executive compensation to stoke the anger of union members, but apparently isn't ready to revive the issue publicly. Thursday, when Continental Airlines' CEO and president announced they would forgo salaries and incentive pay for the rest of the year, the APA wouldn't talk about it with FOX 4.

   While Hill's rhetoric could be just that, it seems to ignore some painful realities. Oil prices hit record highs Friday and financial analyst Jim Lacamp told FOX 4 American Airlines cannot continue to operate under current conditions.

   "Unless we see relief from energy prices soon I think American is going to have to seriously face bankruptcy," Lacamp says.

   The APA represents the 12,000 pilots who fly for American Airlines and is the largest pilots union in the world. It's on-going contract negotiations are now assisted by a Federal mediator.

   The APA, and Hill, will be in the backseat next week as the Association of Professional Flight Attendants opens talks with American on Tuesday. 

  Obviously, it's been a busy and somewhat interesting few days with our two resident airlines. AA says it will ground planes, layoff thousands and raise fees across the board. Southwest is profitable. Again.

  My question for all of you is... what do you think about the American Airlines charging $15 to check a bag? Even if you have just one oiece of luggage, you're going to be paying for it if you fly a discount fare or are not a gold or platinum frequent flyer.

  What's your take? Will that affect how/if you travel? Let me know!

Since I cover the airline industry for FOX 4, I've been a just a bit busy with the American Airlines mess this week. Thousands of passengers stuck or delayed because AA grounded all 300 of its MD-80 jets to be inspected by the FAA.

I've gotten lots of questions about why this happened, how it happened and what it really means. We've tried to answer as mnay as possible, but I know you probably have other questions or concerns.

So, I need your help. Please blog your questions - - whatever you want to know about the AA situation  - - and I'll either answer them here online or on air!

Once the Texas Primary was finished, I really didn't expect there to be mcuh "drama" left in the race for the Democratic nomination. I figured either Obama or Clinton would be on cruise control, looking for a VP for the ticket. After years of covering these presidential races it seemed like a safe assumption.

Whoops.

Not only is the race NOT decided, there's a good chance for a re-vote in two very important states and potential for a lawsuit in a third.

Normally, I'd say "Cool! Gives us something to look forward to besides the conventions."

But when I hear what some state Democratic Party officials are considering, I have a Gov. Spitzer reaction: "What are they thinking?"

First, Florida is considering a "re-vote" largely because of the controversey it itself created. And the solution? Hey, let's have everyone MAIL their votes in. Or walk-in.

Seriously.

Yeah, there's no potential for mail fraud or creating grounds for a lawsuit there.

Meanwhile, Michigan is inching closer to a deal with the Clinton and Obama camps for another primary some time in early June... though they're not saying HOW that process would work. Or how it would be conducted. Or if they can get legislature approval in time.

Both states were stripped of their delegates for moving their primaries up without the consent of the National Committee. In fact, Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan.

Both Florida and Michigan party officials say they're working on plans to make sure the states wouldn't have to pay. Seems logical since it's their fault they lost the delegates in the first place.

Then there is Texas. When TexDems announced they'd stopped counting the caucus sheets from the precinct conventions - - the second part of the Texas Two Step - - there were a lot of angry people who felt their time and votes had been wasted.

State party officials did a lousy job explaining why the caucus sheets aren't what is important... they just kept telling people "It's a three step process. It will work out in the end."

That isn't sitting well with the Clinton campaign which was already threatening a lawsuit BEFORE the Texas primary.

In a way, I'm willing to give TexDems a break. It's been years since the Texas Primary mattered.... even longer since the precinct conventions got any scrutiny. Heck, in one Dallas County precinct, there were 120 delegates. In the last presidential election it had two.

Florida and Michigan know better. Hanging chads anyone? Both states have created the potential for this process to drag on, perhaps even into the courts. And legal battles over who votes where isn't what a presidential race is supposed to be to me

Hi there.... we're doing the East Texas campaign route today following former President Bill Clinton as he stumps for his wife from Texarkana to Lufkin.

Right now, we're in Tyler at the Tyler Junior College where President Clinton was supposed to be on stage by now. As is fairly typical with these events - - and especially so with presidents - - we're WAY behind. In fact, I'd be surprised if he's here in the next hour.

We're in a very small auditorium.. about the size of a large meeting room... and the place is PACKED. Not just with college students either. There are a number of older, even quite elderly people, here. Many have been waiting in line since 930 this morning to get a chance to see President Clinton.

Many of those we've talked to are here, less because of Hillary, and more for the opportunity to see a former president. Like him or not, Bill Clinton can still draw, enthuse and captitvate people.

Photojournalist Jeremy Pollard and I have had several interesting conversations with people about why they're here, who they support etc. It's readily apparent why Clinton and Obama are hitting Texas so hard. They're getting equal support among people here (some have their favorites, but are either for one or the other) and even those here to see the President aren't ashamed to say they like Obama.

We'll try to update this in a bit, see if we can get an update on Clinton's arrival. We'll have coverage for you tonight on FOX 4 5,530 & 6.

Don't forget you can watch the Bill Clinton event from Tyler LIVE her on myfoxdfw.com!

apologies to "Stealers Wheel" for that, but hey, we're talking traffic.

People laugh at me when I say this, but traffic in the DFW area really is *not* that bad compared to other cities where I've lived. Seattle, Charlotte, heck, even Vegas, have much worse jams, drivers, congestions and traffic headaches.

So what are your most infamous bad traffic spots in DFW? Let me know and maybe we can get Chip to check them out!

Luna's is leaving downtown Dallas.

That might not be big deal to some, but to this East Coast kid who first pronounced "fajitas" as "fah-gee-tas," it's a big deal.

When I first came to Texas many, many years ago my only exposure to Mexican food was the goup in the SMU cafeteria.

When I told a Latina friend that "it wasn't bad," she about skewered me with a fork.

So, she and some other friends decided to expand my education. First stop was El Fenix and Luna's for REAL torts.

I realized how wrong I'd been.

Luna's has been part of the McKinney & Woodall Rodgers area for some 70 years. El Fenix, for 90. Hernandez's grocery in between. It used to be the Heart of Little Mexico.

Now, it's the outskirts of Victory Park.

Fernando Luna and the family are moving the operation to Harry Hines and Regal Row, where they'll have more space, a larger retail side and where Luna's will simply be more efficient. It's a great business move. They'll be open for business by August 22, and I'm sure I'll go often.

I'll just miss them in downtown, like I'm missing a part of my past.

So, I'm covering the 85-cent E85 gas story today  - - and yes, I know, the merits of ethanol are dubious to many - - but I was trying to think of the last time I remember gast at 85-cents a gallon?

Anybody remember? I mean, I can recall as a kid paying less than a buck, but was it really that long ago? Have we gotten that used to paying for gas over $2?

These aren't Fabio's romance novels any more.

Yeah, I know. Hearing the term "romance novel" conjours up visions of really bad, trashy novels, with flowing-haired hunks and damsels whose bodices always seemed to be ripped.

Well, this week Dallas is hosting the Romance Writers of America conference - - the largest book writing group in the world. Some 2,000 people are here  - - mostly author-wannabees.

And I can see why they want to be. 25% of ALL books are romance novels... 55% percent of all paperbacks. The market for them? $1.6 BILLION dollars. Heck, I'd want to be part of that as well.

A pleasant surprise for me was an unexpected visit from Nora Roberts, the all-time best-selling romance novelist. Even if you've never picked up a romance book, there's a good chance you've either heard of Nora Roberts (her books are everywhere and are nearly guaranteed best-sellers ala JK Rowling, Stephen King, Robert Parker, Scott Tudrow etc) or actually read some of her work (Mystery fan? She also writes under the name "JD Robb.")

Here's some of my conversation with the Queen of the Romance Novel, Nora Roberts:

Scott Sayres: Tell me a little bit about how romance writing has changed.

Nora Roberts: Oh, I've been doing it a long time and it's always changing and evolving because I think it reflects what readers want from society. It absorbs all the elements of fiction which is why there are so many rungs on the wheel.

When I first started out I started out in the category of sihlouette books and there were certainly more restrictions then. The heroine was usually young and virginal and in a traditional female occupation - - if she had one. The hero was generally a lot older and probably Greek (laughs) and the richest man in the world.

That certainly has changed and there's much more of a partnership and equality and she can be a CEO, she can be a truck driver, she can be a gym teacher. That doesn't matter. The story is what matters.

SS: You've talked a little bit about how the characters, certainly the protagonists have changed, and certianly for you, you've really expanded your characters. What do you like about putting them in different situations that you didn't get to do 10, 15, 20 years ago?

NR: When I first started you only had the female point of view. You never got inside the heroes head, you never got "What is he thinking?" "Why is he being such a jerk?" "Maybe if I understood him..." you know, that kind of thing.

That was really important. I started to sneak a little in and I didn't go to jail so I snuck a little more in. I like telling the story from both sides.

I've always liked writing about strong characters and strong female protagonists and I've always been able to do that. Or characters who find their strength during the course of the book. I think that's one of things that writing in romance and having my roots in romance has always given me the opportunity to do.

SS: Do you keep a tally of how many books you've written?

NR: Somebody does. somebody told me the other day and I've forgotten... I think it's 180 something like that.. That's a lot.(laughs). So, you know, I don't pay attention. It's the one I'm writing now that counts.

SS: How long does it take you normally to crank a book out?

NR: I don't crank them out. It takes me until it's finished every time. No set answer for that. For me, I'm very sort of... of course, I was educated by the nuns..."finish what you start." So I become very invested in the story and the characters so I have to follow it through to the end before I start another book.

That's just some of my conversation with Nora Roberts. You can see more of my interview with her, and authors Kelley St. John and Susan Elizabeth Phillips right here on www.myfoxdfw.com. Just click on the story button!

Also, one of the big names in romance novels, Linda Lael Miller will be on FOX 4 Good Day Saturday during the 8AM hour. Tune in and hear for yourself!

If you have Oak trees - - specifically live and red - - please check out my story on a deadly fungus that is decimating these types, especially in Central Texas.

The Texas Forestry service says 238,000 acres in Central Texas are considered "Oak Wilt" devestated and the disease is officially found in 70 Texas counties. There are already Oak Wilt "hot spots" in Richardson, Duncanville, Arlington, Denton and Fort Worth.

While everyone likes the idea of the picture-perfect, Americana scene of Oak lined streets, the problem with this fungus is it can spread through the roots to trees even 150 feet away! From the first symptoms, it takes only four weeks for the tree to die.

This is not good news for homeowners who have Oak trees. If their trees become infected, they will have to spend thousands to treat them or thousands to remove the dead ones. One realtor says the loss of a mature Oak tree could slash $30,000 off the value of a home.

So, check our story and your trees!

No, I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade - - I think the Super Bowl coming to DFW is GREAT thing. Just the spectacle itself will be worth it.

What concerns me is the way some try to "sell" the game to NTX by using "boosted" numbers. There's not one single, legitimate, respected economic study out there that says the game is worth $300-$400 million dollars for the host city/region.

Those that are out there have been debunked pretty quickly. There's a host of economists (ironically, several from different NTX schools) who support the notion the only way to really measure the economic impact is with hard and fast dollars - - whether that's from revenue, taxes, whatever. Most "boosters" use a formula called a "multiplier" that takes dollars spent at a business, then assumes that business reinvests the money in the economy around the same time.

My point is, let's be realistic. So what if the game only brings $40 million into the area? (keeping in mind, the region will probably spend $39 million to host it)? It's great publicity, should be a good time and that's what a game is supposed to be about.

OK, I'm a history buff, so of course I'm going to find the Old Red Museum pretty cool. There's a lot of stuff in there that leaves you saying "I didn't know that."

Like most visitors I was pretty shocked by the Ku Klux Klan robe and hood. You see photos of the KKK all the time, but to actually see that 3D hood is somehow more.... tangible? I'm not sure that's the best word, but it does make more of an impact.

The film clips of the blues performers in Deep Ellum are interesting, and there are dozens of photographs I've never seen before - - and I've read a LOT on Dallas and Texas history.

There are other cool little "gotcha" items as well, like

- Academy-award winning actrress Kathy Bates went to SMU (I'm an alum and didn't know that!)

- Jane Mansfield's High Park High School yearbook photo (her daughter is Marissa Harigitay on Law & Order SVU)

- Trini Lopez's guitar

- photo of the Gypsy Tea Room from the 1920s.

- a great short film featuring music and photos from Blind Lemon Jefferson and Leadbelly

Plus a lot of interesting information. Hope you check it out!

In the grand scope of things, the Old Red Courthouse renovation isn't really big news. But it's still pretty cool.

For the last few years, FOX 4 and I have been giving you regular updates about the progress on Dallas County's oldest building. It's been remarkable for me to see the dramtic change in this building: From a decrepit, rundown, forgotten structure to the beautiful, 19th century building it now is.

One of the most interesting things for me is how the building actually "told" workers what to do. The Old Red Museum organization had no plans or photos of the courthouse before 1929. Since it was built in 1892, it had already undergone scores of renovations. (not very good ones, but renovations nonetheless.)

For instance, everyone knew it once had a "Grand Staircase" but no one knew what it looked like and could only guess how it worked. (By the 1930s, only one, small stair case on the side was left).

Well, as workers peeled off old paneling, the found a "ghost"  - - an imprint of the old staircase that showed them the "Grand Stairs" were double-side and ran the opposite of what everyone thought. So the courthouse actually told them how to replicate it.

Hope you get the chance to go see Old Red... it's worth a look.

Sitting in the new House of Blues in Dallas, I got a chance to watch the last 15 minutes or so of  "The Blues Brothers" while waiting to interview Dan Aykroyd. Maybe it's because  that was THE film when I was a teen... but it still makes me laugh.

Aykroyd walked in while the film was playing and couldn't stop looking at the TV. He mentioned what a "great dancer" John Belushi was and how an  old girlfriend was in one of the scenes. He seemed so captivated by it, I had to ask if he wasn't tired of  "The Blues Brothers," the movie.

"You know, really it wasn't until.... 2000... that I kicked everyone out of the house, turned off all the phones and cell phones, shut the door and watched the whole thing, uninterrupted for the first time since the '80s." Aykroyd said. "It still holds up. I can see why it's on everywhere."

Even here, at the House of Blues. Which is fitting since the movie birthed the club.

But let's be honest. The House of Blues is very similar to Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock... celebrity venues, heavy on merchandising and a place to go just to say you've been there.

The big difference is the same as the movie's legacy  - - the music. That's why I'm interested to see how HOB does in Dallas. A quick look at the summer lineup and there are some interesting concerts I'd love to go to. Buddy Guy, Black Rebels Motorcycle Club, Johnny Lang, Marc Cohn.

If the HOB can sustain that kind of talent level, it should do really well... especially, as we've talked about before, with Dallas' only other true "music" area Deep Ellum in flux, if not disappearing.

Like the movie, the club's music selection appears to be pretty diverse. And that can only help the music scene here in Dallas. I hope, thrity years from now, I can say I still like HOB just like I still like the film.

The City of San Antonio is bidding to become the new home for the Department of Homeland Security's Biological/Agricultural Defense Lab. This is the place where scientists research deadly agents like Anthrax, Ebola, Lihsa, SARS etc.

It could mean $300 a year to SA, which already has the country's only privately run, highest level bio-research lab.

Supporters say it's about national security - - protecting us and our food supply from natural and man-made threats.

Some are worried one small mishap could poison the environment, maybe even kill people.

There are 14 areas  - - three in San Antonio alone - - vying for the lab. Wherever it's built, Homeland Security wants 30 acres to build what it call the most secure lab in the world. Part of it's could be underground.

At 9 and on the web, we'll take you inside San Antonio's BSL4 research center and show why the city is supporting bio-research even while other towns are telling the government to stay away.