MD80 CAPT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING TWR CTLR WORKLOAD AND PERFORMANCE AT LGA.

Narrative

ON THE EVENING OF APR/MON/04; I FLEW FROM LGA TO FLL. WE WERE DELAYED DUE TO A LATE ARRIVING ACFT (GND DELAY PROGRAM DUE TO WIND AT LGA; RWY 31 SINGLE RWY OP). WE PUSHED AT XA:56Z/XA:56 EDT; AND TOOK OFF AT XB:26Z/XB:26 EDT. DURING THE 20-25 MINS WE SPENT AT THE END OF RWY 31; WAITING TO TKOF; WE OBSERVED A SINGLE LGA TWR CTLR HANDLING ARRIVING AND DEPARTING TFC AS WELL AS TAXIING ACFT. IN THAT TIME; NUMEROUS ACFT WERE CLOSELY SPACED ON THE EXPRESSWAY VISUAL APCH; AND SEVERAL ACFT REQUIRED DIRECTION WHILE TAXIING (ALLEY BLOCKED; NEEDED TO CROSS RWY 4/22; ETC). IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE TWR CTLR WAS OVER-TASKED. ON ONE OCCASION; THE TWR CTLR CLRED US INTO POS WITH A LNDG ACFT ON WHAT APPEARED TO US TO BE SHORT FINAL. I REFUSED THAT CLRNC. THE LNDG ACFT FINALLY RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC ON VERY SHORT FINAL; AFTER A CALL TO TWR. IN SEVERAL OTHER CASES; ACFT ON THE APCH HAD TO MAKE MULTIPLE CALLS TO TWR BECAUSE THE LONE CTLR HAD BEEN HANDLING GND MOVEMENT PROBS. I AM NOT SAYING THAT ANY FAR'S WERE VIOLATED; BUT THE FO AND I AGREED THAT THIS SIT WAS 'AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.' ALTHOUGH I DO NOT KNOW WHY ONLY 1 TWR CTLR WAS WORKING; I BELIEVE THAT LGA TWR SHOULD BE PROPERLY STAFFED TO HANDLE BOTH AIR AND GND TFC DURING PERIODS SUCH AS THIS. IF INBOUND TFC IS DELAYED; TWR CTLRS SHOULD STAY LATER THAN USUAL TO HANDLE IT. AGAIN; WE DID NOT OBSERVE ANY IMPROPER PROCS OR 'NEAR MISSES;' BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS DEFINITELY THERE.