A319 CAPTAIN IS CHAGRINED BY THE CONTINUED FAILURE OF AIRLINE MAINTENANCE TO DEAL FORTHRIGHTLY WITH AN APPARENT HYDRAULIC LEAK.

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SHOWED UP TO ACFT FOR FIRST FLT OF DAY AND NOTICED THAT THE GREEN HYD SYS HAD LOW QUANTITY. THE GAUGE SHOWED ABOUT 1/2 WAY UP TO THE NORMAL RANGE. I LOOKED IN THE HISTORY AND DISCOVERED THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR HAD NOTICED HYD FLUID POOLED IN THE MAIN WHEEL WELL ON JUL/XX/08 BUT NO LEAK WAS FOUND AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. SINCE THEN; THE GREEN SYS HAS SHOWED A HISTORY OF HAVING LOW QUANTITY INCLUDING THE FLT PRIOR TO US RECEIVING THE ACFT. I AM NOT A MECH; BUT WOULDN'T THIS BE A GOOD INDICATION OF A HYD LEAK? THE CONTRACT MECH REFILLED THE SYS AND SIGNED OFF THE ITEM AFTER CLAIMING TO HAVE RUN THE HYD PUMPS FOR 1 HR (HE RAN THEM FOR ABOUT 20 MINS) AND HAVING FOUND NO LEAKS. AFTER INSPECTING THE WHEEL AREA MYSELF; I DISCOVERED THAT THE R GEAR DOOR WAS COVERED IN FLUID (THAT SOMEONE HAD TRIED TO WIPE CLEAN WITH A RAG) AND THERE WAS A SMALL PUDDLE ON THE GND OF HYD FLUID. THERE ARE MEN; WOMEN; AND CHILDREN WHO COUNT ON ACR TO MAINTAIN THE AIRPLANES TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF SAFETY. LET'S STOP PENCIL WHIPPING THESE PROBS AND ACTUALLY FIX THEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. AFTER REFUSING THE ACFT FOR THE SECOND TIME; THE CONTRACT MECH ADMITTED TO MAINT THAT THERE WAS FLUID IN THE WELL AND ON THE DOOR. MAINT ASKED US TO FERRY THE ACFT TO WHERE A GEAR RETRACT TEST COULD BE PERFORMED. I RESPECTFULLY DECLINED THE OFFER TO FLY THE BROKEN ACFT FOR SAFETY REASONS. LET'S LOOK BACK IN TIME AND SEE HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. 1) ON JUL/XX/08; AN FAA INSPECTOR DISCOVERED FLUID PUDDLED IN THE WHEEL WELL. NO LEAK WAS FOUND. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING SIGN AS FLUID SHOULD NEVER BE 'PUDDLED' IN THE WHEEL WELL. 2) ON JUL/XY/08; THE GREEN SYS WAS FOUND TO BE LOW IN QUANTITY DURING A PREFLT. THIS AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT THE GATE. THE GREEN SYS IS OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR WORKER IN THE WHEEL WELL AND THE HISTORY OF PUDDLED FLUID COUPLED WITH A LOW QUANTITY PROB SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RED FLAG TO SOMEONE. 3) THERE WAS AN ACR MECH DURING THE NIGHT WORKING ON OTHER ACFT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT ACR MECHS ARE NO LONGER AUTH TO 'LOOK AT' AN ACFT WITHOUT A WRITE-UP OR SPECIFIC CHK IN MIND. IF THIS MECH HAD BEEN AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREFLT THIS ACFT; THE PROB MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND SOONER AND POSSIBLY ADDRESSED INSTEAD OF GLOSSED OVER BY A CONTRACT MECH IN AN EFFORT TO GET THE ACFT BACK IN SVC.