Now that Americans

are back at work and trying to get some semblance of normalcy in their

lives after last week's atrocities, there are a lot of questions to be

answered locally.

Monday's stock

market free fall was certainly felt hard throughout the Southern Crescent.

The airline industry, which affects more of us here than any other, was

especially hammered.

The results

were not surprising when you consider that 10 percent of the nation's

economy was shut down completely for three days. The ripple was felt everywhere

else, as business and leisure travelers were stranded all over the country

with no way to get home, while cargo and mail sat undelivered in warehouses

and hangars instead of in the hands of those who needed them.

Now, leaders

in the airline industry are trying to convince the government to approve

as much as $24 billion in federal assistance to help them recover from

a week of massive losses, while at the same time working to beef up security

and strengthen the confidence of air travelers.

With fliers

clamoring for refunds after missed planes last week and nearly every airline

still operating at below full strength, talk of layoffs and other measures

has surfaced. Even if the government lends a hand financially, there is

no guarantee that it will be enough.

This is a critical

issue for all of us. I don't know the exact figures, but common sense

will tell you that the vast majority of employees in airline and related

jobs in Atlanta live on the south side of Atlanta near its airport. I've

heard that more than 1,000 Delta pilots live in Fayette County alone.

I don't know how accurate that is, but if you figure in all employees

of all airlines, then look across the region at Coweta, Clayton and Henry

counties, the potential economic impact is significant.

If a large

number of these folks found themselves suddenly out of work, it would

hit every business in this area retail, restaurants, medical offices,

real estate, you name it. We must also consider that many of these folks,

especially the pilots, were once military personnel and many are no doubt

serving now as reservists. As the prospect of war looms, we cannot predict

how many will be called and to where.

It all makes

even the most pro-capitalistic fiscal conservative look at the possibility

of a government bailout and think that it's not such a bad idea.

After all,

can we even conceive of operating at wartime without the airlines at full

strength?

In summary,

there are a lot of important economic issues that could reach critical

mass very soon, and I fear that we all on this side of Atlanta could find

ourselves sacrificing if not physically, then perhaps a portion of our

prosperity.

But there is

no doubt that the cause is worthy.

[Monroe Roark

can be reached at [email protected] .]