Norman Y. Mineta, former San Jose mayor, U.S. transportation secretary, dies at 90

[ificandream]

Last edited Wed May 4, 2022, 09:55 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: San Jose Mercury News/Mack Lundstrom

Norman Yoshio Mineta, who survived internment during World War II, rose to be San Jose’s mayor and Congressman and served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation during 9/11, died Tuesday at age 90 at his home in Maryland.

Mineta died of heart failure, John Flaherty, his former chief of staff, told the Washington Post.

He built a national reputation over a long political career as a Democrat who served in the cabinet of a Republican president and as the man who was instrumental in the creation of the Transportation Security Agency. But his story began in San Jose, where he was born and which named Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in his honor in 2001.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who got his start in public service working as an intern in Mineta’s Congressional office in Washington, D.C., when he was 18, said he was saddened by the loss of a mentor he admired and a champion of San Jose.


Read more: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/05/03/norman-y-mineta-former-san-jose-mayor-u-s-transportation-secretary-dies-at-90/

[elleng]

1. ;-(

[Mr.Bill]

2. I lived in San Jose when he was mayor.

He was a good man, and having a pilot's license, he was a big advocate for private aviation.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Wow.

I lost track of him after Shrub was out of office.

He executed a complete, nationwide ground stop of ALL aircraft (save for any military CAPs) and then by the end of that week, had to "put the air traffic system back online" in terms of getting planes back up and "home" because they all landed at the closest airports that could handle them (including in Canada for certain flights), when the sky was literally ordered cleared and all aircraft down.

I remember those couple days when not a plane nor helicopter flew overhead - really noticeable for those of us who live under flight paths and are used to seeing the perfectly spaced-out lights of planes taking off and landing at night.

After the morning of 9/11/01 - ~9/14/01, there was nothing flying overhead. No jets. No prop planes. No news/traffic/police helicopters. Nothing. Nada. It was eerie as hell.

R.I.P. and condolences to his family.

[montanacowboy]

4. My old Boss at DOT

I remember his take charge actions on 9/11
He was a good person and a great Democrat

[dalton99a]

5. R.I.P. to a fine American.

[Kid Berwyn]

6. Stood up to Dick Cheney's 9-11 perjury.

“ MR. MINETA:…I was made aware of it during the time that the airplane coming into the Pentagon. There was a young man who had come in and said to the vice president, “The plane is 50 miles out. The plane is 30 miles out.” And when it got down to, “The plane is 10 miles out,” the young man also said to the vice president, “Do the orders still stand?” And the vice president turned and whipped his neck around and said, “Of course the orders still stand. Have you heard anything to the contrary?”

US Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, 9/11 Commission Testimony

Source: https://www.digitaljournal.com/world/9-11-report-testimony-altered-to-hide-cheney-roll-in-pentagon-hit/article/425008