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Naturally, Jackson herself best describes her bold stand. “This week I’ve begun challenging Gerard Arpey, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Airlines, to ‘suspend’ American Airlines’ plan to charge $15 for the first checked bag of luggage and $25 for the second bag on the basis that the proposed plan discriminates against those who can least afford the fee,” she said in a press release issued in nearly identical forms by her office, her husband, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., her ally Kenny Johnson, and Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed.
Few people have been clamoring to add to their already-soaring transportation expenses, so Jackson is probably wise to take on this issue, as opposed to getting involved in other undoubtedly tempting matters (decrying a violation of City Council protocol, examining mayoral initiatives and appointments before they’re rubber-stamped into law, wondering whether it’s proper for taxpayers to pay for aldermen’s cars and gas, challenging the arms-race reasoning behind the push to arm cops with assault rifles, or challenging discrimination, in, say, police stops and arrests). If there were only some way–any way!–for her to look into the burden on the poor created by the city’s parking ticket and towing policies, or to make sure all that parking ticket money is being invested in better roads and public transit . . .
