B757 CAPT EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING ZFW CTLR'S PERFORMANCE WITH REGARD TO WORKLOAD AND STAFFING.

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APPROX 15-20 MI NE OF KARLA INTXN ON BYP 5 ARR TO DFW; VFR WX; DSNDING TO 11000 FT WITH SPD BRAKE OUT AND APPROX 2500 FPM DSCNT. PASSING 14200 FT; WE WERE ASKED BY ZFW (124.87) AT THE LAST SECOND TO LEVEL AT 14000 FT. WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLY AND STOPPED DSCNT AT 13500 FT; AND THEN CLBED BACK TO 14000 FT. WE TOLD ATC AND THEY VERY MUCH APOLOGIZED FOR THE LAST SECOND REQUEST AND SAID WE HAD VFR TFC N OF US AT 14500 FT AS THE REASON FOR THE REQUEST. WE SAW NO TFC VISUALLY NOR ON TCASII; MOST PROBABLY PAST US BY THIS POINT. THIS CTLR WAS EXTREMELY BUSY; TALKATIVE; AND SEEMED VERY STRESSED; DEFINITELY HANDLING TOO MUCH TFC. ALSO; THERE WERE OTHER ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS INCLUDING A COMPANY ACFT AND A FEW OTHER SIMILAR CALL SIGNS ON FREQ. THIS FTW CTLR SOUNDED AS IF HE COULD NOT TALK FAST ENOUGH; RESULTING IN ACFT MISSING/REPEATING CALLS. I WRITE THIS RPT NOT MAINLY BECAUSE WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH AN IMPOSSIBLE REQUEST BY ATC SHORT OF PULLING G'S; BUT BECAUSE THESE LAST MIN CLRNCS/REQUESTS ARE OCCURRING MORE OFTEN; CREATING A LESS SAFE ATC ENVIRONMENT. MAYBE THE ATC ENVIRONMENT CAN'T HANDLE THE INCREASE OF ACFT; IE; 10 RJETS OR SMALLER VERSUS 1 B737/757. MAYBE ATC CTLRS ARE OVERWORKED AND UNDERMANNED AND LOSING TOO MANY SENIOR PEOPLE. WHATEVER THE PROBS; THESE ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. OR WILL IT TAKE A SERIOUS MIDAIR/LOSS OF LIFE BEFORE SOMEONE TAKES THIS SERIOUSLY? PASS THIS RPT ON TO ATC AND THE FAA!