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I see all the vitriol about the commuting issue coming to the surface but Exactly WHAT would you DO about it were it to become LAW?? Congress is looking at the VAST Majority of workers INCLUDING executives that have to live near their places of employment. In their Eyes they see the problem as If you Work somewhere maybe you should LIVE near there as well. That might NOT be popular to Pilots BUT. Living Near a Hub of your operation might NOT be too much to ask if the question is put to you "right". I work for United. When I worked @ SFO I lived in a reasonable distance form SFO though there were guys who lived nearly 100 miles away from SFO and Came to work Daily. They bid where they wanted to Live when the opportunity (and seniority) came. Some that started @ SFO now live in Denver Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, OR., Chicago, New York, Washington and Boston. Many of them are NOT from those area but they live there just the same. There IS no inherent "Right" for Pilots to have to commute and not have a local address Near a Hub of your Airline. But Pilot's can't even seem to manage to form a SINGLE Strategy for their profession. Doctors Have the AMA, Lawyers Have the American Bar Assn. Pilots have NO such association to which they belong and support. You can't even agree that an Air Transport Rating is or should Be the entry point to become a "True" Airline Pilot. Or that having an Under-Graduate Degree is even Necessary!! Until you do, you will NEVER achieve the respect you think you're deserving of. Hell! Even Truck Drivers have the "Teamsters". Until Airline Pilots are ALL pulling on the SAME "end of the rope" you'll CONTINUE to be "Mis-represented, Lied to, Whipsawn, and Generally Abused". And you Bring it upon yourselves. One guy flies "by the Book" and at least Half of the rest of the group is looking for HIM to be "Canned"! Many are plotting their "number" IF he gets "Canned"! And you wonder WHY Management isn't afraid of you?? A National organization FOR Airline Pilots is NOT a Union. That's a Local Issue. The Lack of Nationwide Standards is your Problem. Any "Tom", "Dick","Harry" or John Travolta who can Earn,Beg,Borrow, or Steal can become an airline Pilot! Because the bottom Line is "Money"!! Not until that Bottom Line is DEMONSTRATED Education,Skill, Knowledge, and Proficiency will you gain the pretige and respect of your chosen Profession. Simple as THAT. Being an Airline Pilot Should come with something More than "I've got the Hours". And I got the JOB.. It SHOULD also come with an "Honorific" like a Phd. entitles a person of letters to addessed as "Doctor" William Tell. Not just Bill Tell you "Buttwipe". I met Justice Thurgood Marshall and I addressed Him as "Justice Marshall" untill he told me to stop it. Any Airline Captain should be addressed As "Captain" William Tell ,Atr. Also as a man or woman of "Letters". Then and ONLY then Will the respect you seek come about and be followed by the proper renumeration as well. Am I smoking Something?? Could be, but whether you AGREE with me or NOT. How FAR am I from the absolute TRUTH?!?