Flying is much safer than driving, according to new data reported in The Wall Street Journal.

Air travel is the safest it's been since the dawn of the jet age. And more big news: Flying overseas is now safe even in the Third World. In fact, we have one fatal accident per 2.5 million flights worldwide!

Meanwhile, our federal government's dysfunctional approach to air traffic safety is about to get a major overhaul.

The FAA has been hampered for so long because of political foolishness in Washington. Finally, both parties have buried the hatchet and passed a bill that will phase in a modern air traffic control system.

Currently, we're still using the most obsolete technology of all -- radar. But over the next four years, we'll switch to a GPS-based system that will allow for fewer delays, a safer experience, and even savings in jet fuel as it changes how planes can land.

This just shows a perfect example of how the dysfunction in Washington has put our citizens at harm and cost our nation a lot of money.

Air traffic control should be fully privatized, not a function of government. For so long, our air traffic control has lagged behind that of the rest of the world because it hasn't been private.

Even the Canadians who love to tax their citizens and provide government services for just about everything privatized their system of air traffic control 16 years ago!

We spend too much time having fights about stuff that should not be political, but should be dealt with in the economic arena.