Hopefully the new administration will reopen negotiations with the controllers. I don't understand why the Bush administration is so adamant about not reopening negotiations with the controllers. They even threatened to veto the best FAA funding bill (the one without user fees) only because it would open up the controllers contract for negotiations. As with many problems over the past 8 years, the FAA controller staffing shortage is a result of the worst leadership in Washington I have seen in my lifetime.