Plane Stupid: Bloomberg castigates low-level fall guy & all is well?

“The guy just didn’t do it. He read the thing and just didn’t do it,” Mayor Bloomberg told reporters during a news conference at City Hall, referring to Mr. Mugnos’ inaction after receiving an e-mail last Thursday from the Federal Aviation Administration, notifying him of the plans for a flyover by F-16s and a backup to Air Force One. (The New York Police Department also received the same e-mail.) [NY Times, link below]

Remember some accounts where a deputy mayor was at fault? Mugnos gets an e-mail from the White House that some planes will be flying at low-level over Manhattan. He's going to keep that to himself? I don't believe it!

The first thing that he's going to do is to tell his immediate superior--a deputy mayor (say, Ed Skyler). Betcha he did that!

Mr. Mugnos could not be reached for comment. Mr. Bloomberg said that his was an error in judgment, that he has been reprimanded and that “we’ve all learned something” from the situation.

No reporter finds this curious? How about a freedom of information act request of his e-mails?

Call me Mr. Skeptic, but I don't believe for a second that the mayor of New York City wasn't informed that low-level planes from the White House would be flying over his city--the same city where low-flying planes destroyed the World Trade Center and murdered thousands of people.

Marc Mugnos, director of operations of the Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management, knew.

The NYPD surely briefs the mayor on this stuff every single day. Mr. Mayor, the FBI is coming in to conduct a secret exercise. Mr. Mayor, the Secret Service is coming in today. Mr. Mayor, some low-level planes will be flying over Manhattan.

Bloomberg didn't know? Obama didn't know--wasn't told for a second that his own Air Force One would not be in service? You know why they don't know? Because this was a horrible, ill-conceived mistake! If something is a brilliant success, I guarantee you that both Obama and Bloomberg know everything.

Perhaps the poor Bloomberg fall guy will find employment rewards somewhere, somehow.. He ain't sayin'

The Forgotten E-Mail That Rocked New York

On Monday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was fuming. On Tuesday, he was forgiving, characterizing the actions of a low-level manager who failed to notify him or his superiors of a planned flyover exercise in Lower Manhattan as merely a mistake.

Perhaps it was because the mayor had already punished the manager, Marc Mugnos, with a letter of reprimand (and, presumably, a tongue-lashing). Perhaps it was because of all the apologies the city had received – from Mr. Mugnos, most likely, and also from the White House. (President Obama has ordered a review of the matter.)

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