Ron Johnson

What is the required action? What does the FCC have to do?

What is preventing us from utilizing what technology we have for the good as opposed to the perfect?

Let us pare them back, let us force efficiency.

Wouldn't that be a pretty effective control? I mean, we talk about all these controls in theory, but the most effective control is how much money do you have to spend?

I mean, the fact that we do not have a common accounting system, that we do not have a common way of accounting for these things is ridiculous.

I think one thing we can do in terms of keeping that spotlight on this would be something the Committee...

Is that a piece of legislation that is required? I mean, I would think the OMB could basically force agencies to do so...

Talk, encourage. What about management actually directing people to use something that works so we save taxpayer money?

Are you, coming from the private sector, as frustrated as I am in terms of the lack of good, solid, basic financial information to be able to make these decisions in order to drive these types of performance improvements?

I would suggest that. Certainly in the private sector, if I needed to make sure there was greater efficiency in a particular department, we did it with their budget.

That is really what OMB should be driving.

So we are publishing these conferences that exceed half a million dollars on individual agency websites, correct?

Quality, safety. That is the first. I am concerned about cost, but, boy, we do not want to compromise quality and safety at all.

So, my bottom line, and we have to go to a vote, is the development of better information, not just for the sake of getting information, but actually targeted, and then working with the contractor to actually hone in on what-- because it…

I would think the private sector would probably be a little more nimble and be able to bring some real technological advancements.

Are they all the same, or are there different configurations of that?

So, we can criticize the FAA for not having defined this training requirement.

I did read the Inspector General's report. It raised probably more questions than it answered.

It is about information. It is about being able to have the tools and being able to make that evaluation.

Because, then I was going to say, different types of equipment configurations. I am trying to get my arms around the complexity of the training situation.

I can assure you, I am not going away. We are going to get this fixed.

I want to understand exactly how the training occurs, who is doing it, how much is done by the FAA, how much is done by Raytheon, what the breakdown is, how intensive this training is.

How much remedial training are you on the front end having to do just because the applicants coming in, yes, they have a degree, but there are just deficiencies and you have to bring people up to speed in terms of whatever our education…

Let me use a little accounting lingo here. You have a price variance and you have a---- A volume variance.

Thank you, Madam Chairman. You are correct. This is a very timely hearing. I appreciate you calling it.