I just received the following, which I think will concern many of
you---it does me! It originated at a Baltimore Symphony email address,
but I cannot vouch for its accuracy.  Are they fearful that someone may
attempt to hijack a plane with a tuba? Could be painful for the
passengers, I admit.
Martha Jackson

>Dear Colleagues:
>
>The American Federation of Musicians is very concerned that the Senate
>Transportation Committee will pass a ruling to ban all carry-on luggage
from
>domestic flights. This would have a devasting impact on our industry.
How
>would musicians be able to travel to festivals, to auditions, to
vacations,
>on tours, anywhere, if forced to put their instruments in the belly of
the
>plane?
>
>The AFM is asking all musicians to contact their senator if applicable
(see
>below for the list) to ask for them to keep us in mind when considering
this
>legislation. Please call today or tomorrow. The senators need to hear
from
>many musicians, not just a few of us, so please spread the word.
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
>Mary Plaine
>Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
>
>  > The following is a message from Ann Drinan, President of ROPA, to
the
>  > ROPA mailing list. I don't need to tell members of ICSOM orchestras
>  > what a devastating blow it would be to professional musicians and
>  > orchestras that tour not to be able to take instruments on
airplanes.
>  > But that is what is being proposed.
>  >
>  > I urge you to pick up the phone and call your Senator about this,
>  > *especially* if your Senator is on the Senate Transportation
>  > Committee. I also urge you to post this at work and urge your
>  > colleagues to do the same. This legislation is likely to be voted on
>  > by the Senate by the end of the week, so please don't wait a few
>  > days. We don't have a few days.
>  >
>  > Robert Levine
>  > ICSOM Chair

>  >
>  > (from Ann Drinan, ROPA President)
>  >
>  > There are currently closed-door negotiations with interested parties
in
>  > progress with the Senate Transportation Committee to amend the
Aviation
>  > Security Bill [ S.1447] sponsored by Senator Hollings. (Go to this
>  > website for more information: http://thomas.loc.gov.) The AFM has
reason
>  > to believe that a proposal is being negotiated that would eliminate
all
>  > carry-on baggage from all commercial flights, which would have an
>  > extremely negative impact on most musicians.
>  >
>  > We are urging all musicians whose Senators are on this subcommittee
>  > (listed below) to call or write the Senate office immediately (no
>  > e-mails are being accepted) stating the following:
>  >
>  > 1. You and your orchestra (if you can speak for them) are very
concerned
>  > for the safety of airline personnel and are certainly  not opposed
to
>  > S.1447 but would oppose legislation that would totally eliminate
airline
>  > carry-on baggage for the following reasons:
>  >
>  > A. As professional musicians our instruments must travel with us on
many
>  > occasions. Many are antiques, are quite valuable (most are worth
many
>  > thousands and some millions of dollars), are extremely sensitive to
>  > climate changes, and must be stored safely so there is no damage
from
>  > turbulence. String instruments in particular are extremely delicate
and
>  > cannot withstand the treatment they would receive from the
commercial
>  > airlines' baggage-handling mechanisms.
>  >
>  > B. Many musicians tour for a living, either in small groups or in
large
>  > orchestras, and thousands of students attend summer festivals and
travel
>  > back and forth to school. Traveling soloists would not be able to
>  > perform the rigorous schedules they currently do if their
instruments
>  > cannot travel with them. Also, orchestras must fill vacancies
through
>  > auditions, and musicians from around the country and globally must
be
>  > allowed to carry their instruments with them.
>  >
>  > C. We are very sensitive to the loss of life and are eager to ensure
the
>  > safety of airline flight attendants and pilots, as well as
passengers,
>  > but the elimination of all carry-on baggage would be catastrophic to
the
>  > economic well-being of our industry. Most orchestras cannot afford
to
>  > charter their own planes or hire private jets for their soloists,
and
>  > chamber ensembles would be unable to tour. Commercial travel is the
only
>  > option for most of us and we simply must be able to hand-carry our
>  > instruments onto the plane.
>  >
>  > List senators and their states below.
>  >
>  > Fritz Hollings (South Carolina)     Charleston Symphony
>  > 125 Russell Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, D.C. 20510
>  > (202)224-6121
>  >
>  > John McCain (Arizona)  Arizona Opera, Phoenix Symphony
>  > 241 Russell Senate Ofc. Bldg.
>  > United States Senate
>  > Washington, D.C. 20510
>  > Phone # (202) 224-2235
>  > Fax # (202) 228-2862
>  >
>  > John Kerry (MA)        Boston Symphony
>  > 304 Russell Senate Office Bldg
>  > DC 20510-2102
>  > 202-224 2742
>  > fax: 202-224-8525
>  >
>  > Rockefeller (W Va) W Va
>  > 531 Hart Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, DC  20510
>  > (202) 224-6472
>  > (202) 224-7665 (fax)
>  >
>  > Kay Bailey Hutchinson (Texas)          Austin, El Paso, Richardson,
>  >
>  > Dallas Opera, 284 Russell Senate Office Building   Dallas
>  > Symphony, Houston Symphony
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > 202-224-5922
>  >
>  > John Breaux (Louisiana) Shreveport
>  > (couldn't find it on his website!)
>  >
>  > Conrad Burns (Montana)
>  >
>  > Harry Reid (Nevada)
>  > 528 Hart Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > Phone: 202-224-3542 / Fax: 202-224-7327
>  >
>  > Max Cleland (Georgia)  Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Symphony
>  > Washington Office
>  > 461 Senate Dirksen Building
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > Phone (202) 224-3521
>  > Fax (202) 224-0072
>  >
>  > Gordon Smith (Oregon) Portland Opera, Oregon Symphony
>  > 404 Russell Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > Phone: (202) 224-3753
>  > Fax: (202) 228-3997
>  >
>  > John Edwards (No Carolina) Charlotte Symphony
>  > 225 Dirksen Offic Bldg
>  > DC 20510
>  > 202-224-3154
>  > fax 228-1374
>  > 225
>  >
>  > Bill Nelson (Florida)  Florida Orchestra, Florida Philharmonic
>  > United States Senate
>  > Washington, D.C. 20510
>  > (202) 224-5274
>  >
>  > Carnehan (Missouri)    St. Louis Symphony
>  > Office of Senator Jean Carnahan
>  > 517 Hart Senate Office Building
>  > United States Senate
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > (202) 224-6154
>  >
>  > Wellstone (Minnesota)  Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber
Orchestra
>  > 136 Hart Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, D.C. 20510-2303
>  > (202) 224-5641
>  >
>  > Ron Wyden (Oregon) Oregon Symphony
>  > 516 Hart Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > (202) 224-5244
>  >
>  > Boxer (Calif) LACO, LA Opera, Long Beach, San Jose, Santa Barbara,
CA,
>  > Santa Rosa, Fresno, Monterey, Pacific, San Francisco Symphony, San
>  > Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San
>  > Diego Symphony
>  > 112 Hart Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, D.C. 20510
>  > (202) 224-3553
>  >
>  > Clinton (NY) Hudson Valley, Long Island, Rochester, Syracuse,
>  > Buffalo, New York Phil, Metropolitan Opera, NYC Ballet Orchestra,
NYC
>  > Opera Orchestra
>  > 476 Russell Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > 202-224-4451
>  > fax 228-0282
>  >
>  > Barbara Mikulski (MD)  Baltimore Symphony, National Symphony
>  > Hart Senate Office Building Suite 709
>  > Washington, D.C. 20510
>  > (202) 224-4654
>  >
>  > Tom Daschle (So Dakota)
>  > United States Senate
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > (202) 224-2321
>  >
>  > Byron Dorgan (No Dakota)
>  >
>  > Daniel Inoue (Hawaii)      Honolulu Symphony
>  >
>  > Ted Stevens (Alaska)
>  >
>  > Olympia J. Snowe (Maine)
>  > 154 Russell Senate Office Building
>  > Washington, DC 20510
>  > 202-224-5344

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