I used drugs on the job as an FAA air traffic controller and Congress won't let me testify.

[James Bergquist]

I used drugs on the job as an FAA air traffic controller and Congress won't let me testify.



To Whom It May Concern,

My name is James Bergquist, former USAF and FAA air traffic controller. I was also head of our union, NATCA, for San Diego County. I represent other FAA whistle blowers including airline pilots, Boeing and DOD wiring experts, two FAA airline inspectors, a FAA security inspector, and a mechanic.


I have never used any drugs on the job, but used to smoke pot after work while still signed in at the tower. In desperation, as I was technically using drugs "while on duty", I contacted members of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Aviation Subcommittee of Congress, telling them I used on the job and wanted to testify to them in open hearings.

See the response I got from our leaders who are supposed to be looking out for the safety of the American people....

Here you have a log of calls I made to John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee...

http://www.flight592.com/Flight592Discussi...10/000004e7.htm

and calls I made to members of the Aviation Subcommittee....

http://www.flight592.com/Flight592Discussi...10/000004e2.htm

 

[James Bergquist]

I have a tape of one on my co-workers telling me the drug dealer told her I used drugs in the tower with him. I never used at work but used to smoke at home after work. He admitted using in the tower, I can only assume he told her about this incident in an attempt to get me to shut up about the drug use. She later reported him for drinking on the job.

I have been working local control and seen smoke out the window, leaned forward, and seen the drug dealer blowing smoke at the glass from the catwalk. He wasn't sucking on a Marlboro.

I produced a statement from a roommate of mine who stated she went with me to the drug dealer's home and he proudly pointed out 50 pot plants to her. I counted over 100 plants. He had 55 gallon trash containers full of pot and used to sell it when he and I would go to the FAA towers around San Diego when I was head of the union, NATCA.

I played that tape to Congressman Duncan Hunter personally and played it for the San Diego press. I sent copies to the aviation subcommittee and the Clinton and Bush administrations.

This controller was in the US Navy air traffic control school, was busted for dealing drugs, was kicked out of the school, and given a job pushing a mop. He then got busted a second time for dealing.

The FAA hired him with no ATC experience after President Reagan fired the PATCO controllers in 1981. That is how desperate the FAA was to fill the ranks. They fired thousands of alcoholics and hired thousands of drug users to replace them.

I and all the rest of us used to leave the tower with one controller on duty. We were still signed on the log and collecting the taxpayer's money while the tower was dangerously undermanned. So I was using pot while I was still signed on the log at the tower. I admit it. Busted!


Read my material, I talk about all of this at length in my open letter to President Bush and before to President Clinton. I personally handed my material to President Clinton while he was vacationing in San Diego. I have a tape of him saying, "I will be happy to take your material"

Why don't I see anyone posting here that they contacted the members of the aviation subcommittee, Senator John McCain, Congressman Chandler from Lexington, Ky., or the press asking for hearings into my allegations.

Let's get to the bottom of this, call all those Congressmen up and demand an investigation. That's their job.

You can see this little heretic thrown in jail for lying to Congress if you don't believe what I'm saying.

To quote Al Bundy...."Let's rock!"

 

[Borescope]

Sounds like you got fired and are looking for some help in a law suit. If you did get fired, you deserved it. Your're one of the 1% that causes 99% of the problems for the rest of us in the business. :down:

 

[James Bergquist]

Borescope,

Your figures are all wrong, the 55% of controllers who used drugs at the tower made the 45% of us who didn't look bad.

Here again we have someone who doesn't have the ability to concentrate on something more than a couple minutes. If he would have read the material, he would have seen that the statute of limitations has run out, thanks to congression leaders and the press who refused to do their jobs.

 

[Borescope]

Borescope,

Your figures are all wrong, the 55% of controllers who used drugs at the tower made the 45% of us who didn't look bad.

Here again we have someone who doesn't have the ability to concentrate on something more than a couple minutes. If he would have read the material, he would have seen that the statute of limitations has run out, thanks to congression leaders and the press who refused to do their jobs.

Jim,

Your reply still sounds as if you have an axe to grind.

As an admitted drug user in the aviation industry, I doubt you'll find much sympathy from the people on these forums.

If you want help, "The Betty Ford Center" is close to you in San Diego.

 

[James Bergquist]

Borescope,

I quit drugs and alcohol in 1988 so I don't need the Betty Ford center.

You know what they say, there's nothing worse than a reformed alcoholic.

 

[Borescope]

Borescope,

I quit drugs and alcohol in 1988 so I don't need the Betty Ford center.

You know what they say, there's nothing worse than a reformed alcoholic.

I applaud your quitting. It is an accomplishment.

Why all the posts on the forums all the sudden. Is there some underlying reason, other than to "get the word out"? Just curious.

 

[James Bergquist]

Borescope,

I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm looking for open hearing by the aviation subcommittee of congress.

I want to play my tapes for the American people.

They should hear the white house hanging up on me.

They should hear my calls to my congressman, Duncan Hunter and calls to Barbara Boxer's and Diane Feinstein's offices.

And conference calls with Senator Pressler's office. Good stuff.

I've got 100 hours or more of telephone calls on tape.

Read the material, you will see what's on those tapes.

 

[PHL]

Did you ever once contact your local FSDO to deal with the alleged problem at your tower? Why would congress or the white house care about one man alleging substance abuse at one isolated location? You're trying to scare the nation into thinking that they're flying under the control of a bunch of pot heads which is simply not true.

If you have some other proof that it's a widespread problem (i.e. all of the US), then take it to the FSDO and get it escalated to the FAA Security office. If the proof is so strong that it is a nationwide problem at FAA facilities, send it to 60 minutes or Dateline. They love smearing the US Government every chance they get. Then you'll see action. Somehow, though, I don't think you have much more proof than your own story. And, as honest a guy you may or may not be, that won't go far.

Related question - do ATC employees (tower, TRACON, etc.) undergo random drug tests?

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Did you ever once contact your local FSDO to deal with the alleged problem at your tower? Why would congress or the white house care about one man alleging substance abuse at one isolated location? You're trying to scare the nation into thinking that they're flying under the control of a bunch of pot heads which is simply not true.

If you have some other proof that it's a widespread problem (i.e. all of the US), then take it to the FSDO and get it escalated to the FAA Security office. If the proof is so strong that it is a nationwide problem at FAA facilities, send it to 60 minutes or Dateline. They love smearing the US Government every chance they get. Then you'll see action. Somehow, though, I don't think you have much more proof than your own story. And, as honest a guy you may or may not be, that won't go far.

Related question - do ATC employees (tower, TRACON, etc.) undergo random drug tests?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


PHL,
A couple of FYI's for you !

60 minutes..Doesn't smear the FEDS, he FEDS "SMEAR" themselves !!(60 minutes just reports the FACTS !!!

And speaking of 60 minutes,...........................Think back to a true story, that was made into a Big Movie, named "the Insider" starring Russell Crowe.
RC played a chemist named Weigand, who worked for Brown and Williamson tobacco company.

He "tried" to blow the whistle" to the FEDS, about tobacco company's "Juicing up" cigarettes, and practically NO ONE listened to him.
In FACT 60 minutes producer Lowell Bergman was Stifled by the top guys, and to a certain extent, Mike Wallace.
Wallace DEEPLY regrets to this day, that he didn't defy 60 minutes management, are go with the true story anyway.
Bergman got Soooo Pissed at 60 Minutes, that he quit, and went over to PBS !

As for the real Hero Jeff Weigand, the truth came out(finally) and PRESTO, RJ Reynolds etc. started getting sued by almost every state in the US, .......................and "GLADLY" coughed up... BILLIONS $$$$ in restitution.

A (potential) "TRUE" axe to grind.....nonetheless is still a "TRUE AXE" !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PHL]

Ok, so you're clearly a big fan of 60 minutes. And that's ok. ALL the prime time news hour shows (Dateline, 60 minutes, Nightline, etc.) have all aired stories that were later called to the carpet for inaccuracies and irresponsible journalism. But that's really not the point of this thread.

If the stories the OP are true, then my questions still stand. Did he report this to the FSDO? Does he have proof that this is a nationwide problem?

 

[delldude]

Did you ever once contact your local FSDO to deal with the alleged problem at your tower? Why would congress or the white house care about one man alleging substance abuse at one isolated location? You're trying to scare the nation into thinking that they're flying under the control of a bunch of pot heads which is simply not true.

I must confess....I smoked a doob in the PIT hangar five parking lot in December 1987 while purportedly getting baked pies out of some dudes car for our Christmas party...I recall I worked on a RII item a short time later....I may have forgotten to safety a bolt. :unsure:

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

The "GD" FEDS are famous for "selective enforcement" !

Case(s) in point;
Up here in the BOS area, The (LEAD BY EXAMPLE GOVERNMENT) let "our boy" Whitey Bulger do whatever he wanted to, so long as he kept "ratting out" the BOS Mafia, all the while, Whiteys "handler" was his childhood friend, former FBI agent John Connally !

As I mentioned Earlier, former Brown + Williamson tobacco co. scientist Jeffery Weigand tried to blow the whistle on the tobbaco Industry. The "INDUSTRY" LEANED HEAVILY on the RIGHT PEOPLE in DC, that even 60 Minutes/Mike wallace Initially BLINKED at doing the story. I WONDER WHY THAT WAS ???

The(LEAD BY EXAMPLE) FBI used an "Upstanding Citizen" named SAMMY the Bull GRAVANO, who CONFESSED to "19" MURDERS, to testify against John Gotti, because JG was an EMBARRASMENT to the (LEAD BY EXAMPLE) FBI !!

Finally Congress enacted the "Whistle blowers protection law", but NOT before the ENRON MANURE "hit the fan"(A LOT of VERY nervous GOP voters attatched to "that one") h34r: h34r:

Yup, you have to feel SORRY for the "poor FEDS"....since they are "afflicted" with MEMORY LOSS, from time to time