The Omaha World-Herald reported that even U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta felt the Wright Amendment might be outdated saying, "In a deregulated industry, you wonder whether the Wright Amendment hasn't passed its time."

In an effort to head off Congress and give the two cities more time to come up with a solution themselves, both the Dallas and Fort Worth City Coucils planned to vote on resolutions asking Congress to give them until October 1, 2006 to come up with a compromise which they would then present to Congress for consideration.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Republican, met with both sides and helped promote the attempt to get the cities to agree on a workable plan.

Southwest officials protested the initial October 1 deadline, saying:

Congress has a short legislative calendar for the year and will be either in adjournment or otherwise finished with all substantive legislative business by October 1. Asking Congress to defer action until October 1, 2006, is resolving to DO NOTHING for all of 2006.

Congress will have to reorganize after the elections. Serious legislative activity will not occur for several months. Hence, the resolution as drafted puts the City of Dallas on record as endorsing the status quo well into 2007.

Dallas relented and agreed to a deadline of June 14 to make its recommendations, while Ft. Worth settled on August 1. Both mayors promised to work together "for the good of the entire North Texas region."

Local politicians explored options for settling the debate, including allowing through ticketing and drafting legislation that would create a regional airport authority for North Texas and determining how such an authority would be structured and governed, Fort Worth made it clear they expected to have equal representation with Dallas if a regional airport authority was created.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that American Airlines would finance a group that opposed loosening or eliminating flight restrictions at Dallas Love Field.

American said it had provided $500,000 to launch the group, called Stop and Think, whose goal was to get area residents to think about all the issues in the debate ad not just the opportunity for lower fares.

Issues like safety, noise, traffic, congestion, pollution, quality of life, job security, and the economic health of the local economy. (As if folks hadn't already thought about these other issues over and over again for the last 27 years.)

The group held a press conference to protest expansion at Love Field, and took out full page newspaper ads which read:

It's time to stop. And think.
About Families.
Moms.
Dads.
The kids they love.
Jobs that support them.
Schools that teach them.
Families worry.
Homeowners worry.
Buisness owners worry.
If the Wright Amendment changes, what changes next?

Stop and think.

in cooperation with American Airlines.

The Dallas Morning News quoted Southwest's Ed Stewart as saying:

"This only makes us stop and think about how desperate American Airlines has become, Or stop and think that we still have airfares as expensive as mortgages because there's no competition."

In his blog, Mitchell Schnurman of the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram wrote:

Whoa, better get the children in the bomb shelter. All this worryin' could be dangerous.

He predicted that American Airlines' new ad campaign would be heavy on scare tactics and light on substance.

In a separate opinion piece he noted that American was:

Tune - 9 to 5
Dolly Parton

(Sung by Stop and Think.org)

(Instrumental intro)

Causin' more delay
With the same old fears
Been playin' this game
For twenty-seven years
By now we know just
What we have to do

Argue all the same points
Do it all again - 'cause
That's the only way
We're ever gonna win
So we can save poor
D-F-W

Buyin' - time's our plan
Stallin's what it's all about, now
We must - spread some more
Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, now
Let's wait - ten more years
See, we really mustn't hurry
Lest the businesses,
Families & home-owners worry

Stop and Think
'Bout the puppies and the kitties
And the - quality
Of life in both our cities
It's the - same old stuff
That we've told you all along, now
All those tired old reasons
Why we don't think Wright is wrong, now

(instrumental bridge)

Gettin' rid of Wright
Is not the solution
Think of all that
Noise and pollution
More traffic cruisin'
Through your neighborhood

Job's gone - now your
Nightmare's real
We know best
A deal is a deal
See? Gettin' rid of Wright
Won't be so good

So just - Stop and Think
It's about the ones you love, now
Do you - really want
More jet airplanes up above, now?
Belchin' - smoke and noise
Makin' traffic and congestion?
Is it dangerous
To your family -
That's the question

So Southwest
Should just fly from D-F-Dubya
Keep your - family safe!
They're the ones who truly love ya!
In an - accident
An airplane might crash and kill 'em
We must k-e-e-p the W-r-i-g-h-t Amendment
(Think about the children!)