Washington (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration this week is sending out scores of letters to small- and medium- size airports nationwide saying the agency may soon close their control towers because of budget cuts, unless they can convince the government that the action will harm the national interest.

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Many of the abuses were due to poor administration, such as not responding to letters from the agency or returning contracts in time.

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Now the Social Security Administration is preparing to send letters to 140, 000 employers telling them billions of dollars in tax deposits they made on behalf of 8 million workers couldn't be matched with valid Social Security numbers.

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The letters, along with the recent seizure of reporters' phone records by President Barack Obama's administration, have prompted complaints of government privacy violations in the name of national security.

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On two occasions -- in the 1980s, and again at the beginning of this century -- Sioux City earnestly and formally petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration to change the letters.

CNN: Sioux City SUX, and that's OK