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Just north of the Indiana Toll Road, off Cline Avenue, sits the Gary/Chicago International Airport.
Its name sounds substantial. Its annual budget is in the millions of dollars. And Chicagoans -- along with citizens of Gary -- spend millions in tax dollars every year to help keep it in business.
But in spite of an annual operating budget of more than $3 million -- plus tens of millions more being spent on a runway expansion and other capital projects -- the GCIA terminal sits mostly empty. The front entrance is usually locked; the parking lot is nearly vacant, and the skies are -- for the most part -- empty.
That’s because GCIA has only one passenger flight -- Allegiant Airlines Flight 650. It flies nonstop from Sanford, Fla., to Gary, where passengers unload and new passengers board. Allegiant changes the flight number to 651, and the plane takes off and heads back to Sanford.
It’s time on the ground in Gary: Usually less than one hour.
Once the flight is gone, the terminal is shut down and locked up for several days. The Allegiant flight only comes to Gary twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. That’s it.
It’s one of the many curiosities of The Little Airport that Could.
While the airport gets substantial funding from the City of Gary, the State of Indiana and the federal government, it gets additional millions of dollars every year from the City of Chicago -- more than $3.6 million dollars since the beginning of 2011 alone, financial documents reveal. Since 1995, Chicago has sent a total of more than $26 million to help operate the Gary airport.
It all comes from an agreement signed by the cities of Chicago and Gary in 1995, which proposed "the development, enhancement, and operation of existing airports and development of any new Regional Airport serving the Bi-State Region."
The agreement is commonly referred to as "The Compact," and the two mayors who signed it -- Richard M. Daley of Chicago and Thomas Barnes of Gary -- originally saw it as a fairly straightforward three-year deal. But it continued, and throughout the years it has often been used as a pawn in the political fights for a third airport in Chicago to counter the proposals to build such an airport in Chicago’s 10th Ward, or -- more recently -- in far-south-suburban Peotone.
"The Compact" was also floated as a possible solution to the closing of Meigs, even before Daley ordered his bulldozers out to dig up Meigs’ runways in the middle of the night in March of 2003.
Now -- 17 years later -- "The Compact" still exists, and the money still flows in from Chicago.
More investigative reporting from NBCChicago
Part of "The Compact" requires Chicago to send monthly checks to the Gary Airport from ticket fees paid by passengers arriving and departing at O’Hare and Midway Airports. Those fees alone amounted to $2.4 million paid to Gary in the past year and a half. This "Passenger Facility Charge" -- or PFC money -- is earmarked for capital projects like Gary’s 1900-foot runway extension, currently under construction, and the relocation of railroad tracks, which must be moved to provide sufficient clearance for larger planes to land on the newly-extended runway.
But on top of the passenger fees, Chicago taxpayers also send money to GCIA, every year, to help with the daily operation of the airport. In the past year and a half, that’s amounted to more than $1.1 million from Chicago taxpayers, over and above the $2.4 million from the ticket fees.
And Gary taxpayers pay millions more, each year, as well.
To date, there hasn’t been much to show for all that money. GCIA has seen commercial service come and go in past years -- notably PanAm, Southeast, and Hooters Air. There have been long periods where no passenger planes landed there. Even Allegiant, with its one flight twice a week, is technically not a commercial flight, but a travel service which operates charter flights to smaller-traffic airports. It just started flying in to Gary last February.
The flight itself appears to be a success, with low-cost tickets and easy online booking that regularly attracts a full load of passengers. But the question remains: Is all this tax money worth it, for just two passenger flights a week?
Karen Freeman-Wilson is Gary’s newly-elected, Harvard-educated mayor, and she has often cited GCIA as one of her top priorities for Gary’s struggling future. She is happy to see the nearly-full passenger loads on the Allegiant flight.
"I think it’s indicative of the demand that is pent up for the Gary airport," she said.
But she acknowledges that -- to date at least -- far less business has been generated than the money that is pumped in.
Also on NBCChicago.com: Butter bust of Obama takes to Chicago streets
"I think a lot has to do with the marketing effort," she said. "I think it’s important to be able to market Gary as a destination -- to market its proximity not just to Chicago but to downtown Chicago."
And once the runway expansion is complete, Freeman-Wilson sees things taking off.
"Ultimately I think there’s an opportunity for commercial and cargo service here," she said.
But the runway expansion has been a difficult and expensive process, primarily because of unforeseen difficulties in moving the railroad tracks, as well as dealing with construction waste and even oil dumped in the runway’s path.
In an effort to see what happens during a typical day at the terminal, NBC Chicago went to the Gary/Chicago International Airport on a Wednesday. There was not an Allegiant flight scheduled for that day, but the thought was that maybe the terminal would be open for other operations.
That was not the case. The front doors were locked and the place was deserted.
So NBC Chicago returned, unannounced, at noon on a Thursday, when Allegiant does fly in. This time the front door was unlocked, but inside the airport was still virtually empty, with the lights turned off, the ticket counter dark and the baggage carousel silent and still.
A plaque on the wall noted that the terminal was renovated a decade ago. It still looks good as new.
The only people there were a security guard and approximately 15 TSA agents. Their supervisor said they are routinely borrowed from other airports -- South Bend and Chicago -- to come to GCIA twice a week to handle the Allegiant flight.
Finally, about an hour and a half before Allegiant’s scheduled arrival, the airport suddenly sprung to life. Crowds of couples and families snaked along the previously-deserted rope lines in front of the ticket counter. Others removed their shoes and loaded up grey plastic bins to go through security. And when the Allegiant flight arrived at about 2:50 p.m., more passengers streamed out into the terminal and outside to waiting cars. The terminal was truly bustling.
But after another hour, the approximately 140 passengers booked for Sanford were boarded, and the plane took off, not to return for three days.
Then the TSA agents packed up. The ticket counter closed down. And it was lights out until Sunday.
Statement from Chicago's Department of Aviation:
The City of Chicago continues to support the Compact as Gary Airport serves as a reliever airport in the regional Chicago airport system. The City recognizes that these are times of tight budgets and has reduced the annual contribution to the Chicago Gary Regional Airport Authority.
Takeoffs/Landings for area airports from Jan. 1 - Aug. 1, 2012:
Unit 5 looked at the daily air traffic -- including every takeoff and landing of passenger, private, and corporate aircraft -- at Gary/Chicago International Airport, and compared its traffic to that at other comparable airports in the Chicago/Northwest Indiana area. In our survey of various time periods covering 2012, we found that Gary (GYY) had less daily traffic than Waukegan Regional Airport (UGN), Dupage Airport in West Chicago (DPA), Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling (PWK), and Chicago Rockford Airport in Rockford (RFD).
In this chart, every takeoff or landing is counted separately. For example, if a plane lands at an airport, and then takes off two hours later, it would count twice on this chart.
One significant exception was August 2012, when GCIA served as the staging area for aircraft used in the Chicago Air and Water Show.
View Operations at regional airports in Chicago in a larger map
Leave a Comment:
It makes the owners of Allegiant rich, so its kept in business for those people to live a comfortable life. They built that airline, its just that the taxpayers got stuck with the bill. Typical Mitt Romney business practices. Where would business be without taxpayers? Bankrupt and poor.
Allegiant is a low budget airline and I doubt they are getting rich on one flight. If you are deseprate enough to fly this rusty bucket airline make sure you have your house in order before you fly.
The airport is probably funded by the government so everyone who is reading this is getting screwed.
Where the hell do you get typical mitt romney business practice..
Lets look at something here. This is Chicago, about as Liberal as they come. This is straight up Gvmnt waste of our tax money.
The Airport should be shut down and all that money used elsewhere.
This must have been approved by Murpha of PA! Great way to spend tax $$ to support the political allies!
From the article:
That should be: "Its time on the ground in Gary: usually less than one hour."
No apostrophe on "its" unless you mean to write "it is". Don't capitalize "usually", as it is neither a proper noun nor the beginning of a new sentence.
How in the world do you mix Mitt with Chicago -- news flash CHICAGO is BO country -- corrupt thugs. Pretty soon you won't be able to post your BS when you have to go out and EARN your goodies, the free ride (thank GOD) is almost over!
trac sounds more like Obama and the green companies keeping them rich until they file for bankruptcy.
I wonder how much Obama has invested in the Green companies
reply to traconteh: this has nothing to do with Romney but more like an Obama give away but it's actually a give away by Chicago to prevent competition.
There were 19,000 takeoffs and landings in 8 months. That means the airport is mostly used by private jets. In other words, CEOs get their private airport at the expense of the taxpayers. Now THAT is entitlement!
This just isn't in Gary Indiana. There are airports all over the country just like this. Some in Democratic areas and some in Republican areas. But most people just b!tch about Amtrak wasting money. Airports with few flights. Airports with only the private planes of millionaires getting huge taxpayer dollars. Airlines getting more money in taxpayer subsidizes than they charge for a ticket at some small airports. Most of them are within 60 miles of a major airport. I have read news articles about one airport near Pittsburgh in Latrobe just like this and subsidized flights out of Ely NV and Traverse City Mich that get more money from the taxpayer than the customer actually flying. Chicago could use a third airport, maybe. Locating it in a city with the reputation and crime of Gary is stupid. All these boondoggle airports have one thing in common. Flights to Florida, Las Vegas, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Hey everybody its Obama's airport to nowhere, a promise to keep monies coming in to his buddies...end the corruption now !
Romney / Ryan 2012
Wasn't this one on the list of proposed closures about a year or maybe 2 ago? I seem to remember the republicans and democrats fighting over FAA funding and some airport tax the republicans wanted to do away with during budget talks and there were a dozen or so small airports the dems fought hard to keep open because of the "value" to their constituents. Seems like I remember reading one was near Chicago. The expansion must be one of those "shovel ready" projects that "weren't so shovel ready."
There's supposedly like half a dozen others that are much worse with the government even paying the airline to fly in because the couple of flights in are only 1/3 full. Yet the politicians refuse to let them close.
I'd be willing to pay more taxes if/when the government stops throwing money away.
Sounds like an airport initiated and kept for the convenience of those living in the suburbs of Chicago for their private jets, at the expense of the taxpayers.
Comment # 1 restored for clarity.
There is more to it than the article says. There simply must be. There are low budget carriers that make it there business to fly out of underutilized airports. There must be a reason that those carriers wont touch it with a 10 foot pole.
The Gary Airport has been there for many years, and the terminal was also built many years ago too. It is not a new airport. The Air National Guard is there, as are Boeing's Chicago corporate flight operations too. The single main runway is the same length as either main runway at LGA/NYC, and it is longer than any runway available at MDW or DCA, both of which are busy commercial airports. The problem has been that the runway approaches, on the one end over an elevated freeway, and on the other over an elevated rail line, are steeper than are comparable approaches into DCA, MDW, and into every runway but runway 4 at LGA, which has a similar steeper approach path over a freeway.
According to several studies on the subject, about a half-million people would use the Gary-Chicago Airport as their primary Chicago airport if it was enlarged and then served by major airlines. The current runway expansion adds 1,900 feet of length to the main runway, which will then permit an additional margin of safety for air carrier operators. Most likely the terminal would still have to be rebuilt and enlarged if the airport was to successfully serve even a couple of dozen daily flights. Still, modernizing and enlarging the Chicago/Gary Airport does seem to be a viable solution to Chicago's local air traffic, roadway, and passenger rail constraints.
Another airport in southern Illinois that is a much worse money pit is the Mid-America Airport southeast of St. Louis, which NBC has also reported-on previously too, where a huge pile of money was thrown around to build a 10,000-foot runway and a modern jetway-served air terminal capable of expansion, but where there are currently no airline flights there either.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19934551/ns/nightly_news/?ns=nightly_news
My educated guess is that the Gary/Chicago Airport will eventually become Chicago's 3rd major airport, and it will then handle 50-100 daily airline flights. Unless the regional St. Louis economy improves greatly, I am not nearly as optimistic about the future prospects of Mid-America Airport.
Here is a major recent study about the Gary/Chicago Airport, if anyone is interested:
http://www.in.gov/rda/files/GYY_Strategic_Business_Plan_FINAL_April_2010.pdf
This is Indiana. The rape of the taxpayers is God's will.
You stole my thoughts exactly.
I am a Republican from Indiana, and I am sorry... I can't believe the people passing as politicians these days... Politicians have always been the scum of the earth, but then comes some Tea-party extremist who can't keep their mouths shut - who believe in their hearts they are right, but can't see the forest for the trees, who redefine 'scum of the earth'...
Please don't lump us all in the same group. This nutbag just lost the election, and more specifically, lost my vote forever. In the end, we are all humans.
What is happening to my party...???
You are right to be concerned. I'm not tied to any political party simply because party affiliation is an absurd basis for casting a ballot.
Take heart, another 'nutbag' will soon appear to replace Mourdock. Every state has them.
The corrective procedure...
1. Determine which politicians use the airports for their private planes.
2. Cut them off from service.
3. Close the airports if possible.
I've wondered that for a long time. My family's GOP roots date to the 19th century. In my first ever presidential election, I voted for Reagan. But, the GOP's behavior over the past decade has convinced me that it is bent on slow-motion self-destruction. I can no longer be associated with a party that favors the wealthy, throws the poor under the bus and says that it is for their own good and wants to undo 80 years of progress that have freed the elderly from the fear of extreme poverty. Not to mention, the party's taliban-like views of women. I can't quite bring myself to change my party registration, but I vote almost entirely Democratic on national and state level elections. Luckily, my local Republicans have retained some sanity and I can still vote for some of them.
Tens of millions of tax dollars wasted on a dead airport. And libtards wonder rational people don't want government in control of healthcare.
Ya know -- i can understand your embarrassment. But, to suggest this is rare for the GOP is outrageous. A LOT of republicans backed this guy up after his outrageous, religion-fueled idiot comments, and even Romney has not withdrawn his endorsement of that lowlife. It seems that more people in your party support this ignoramus than have the courage to tell him what a MORON he is. It's hardly an isolated problem. You people just don't know when to draw the lines between your ignorant, mythical goddam religious beliefs and our government. This country is ruled by a Constitution, not that goddam cult book called BuyBull. The coke-snorting Dumbya Bush walked into the White House because he made all the Right-wingers wet every time he referred to gawd, jezuz and reelijun. The result ---- an 8 year long Bush calamity, complete with Bush Recession, that has brought our country to its knees. And the cowardly GOP, in refusing to own its own crap, is trying to blame it all on Obama.
Go figure!
Ha ha. I was wondering if anyone was sore about this.
politicians are investors..all of them. They write the rules, sign the contracts and rake in the money. If they don't have the investment in their name, a family member does.
If ever there was a cash cow being milked it sounds like G.C.I. Airport is it. I just wonder who is really profiting off of this waste of tax dollars, and just how many are Obama campaign contributor's. It sounds like another Solandra style pay back to me. Four more years of Mr. Obama and we all will be poor, lets say no more.
It's a good decade to be an Airport Manager in Indiana. Must be paid well.
All Chicago pork. Who do we know from Chicago?
concernedone, your party invited in, and fully embraced, TeaParty and all other extremists because their votes would help keep the republican party in power. You ARE TeaParty and TeaParty IS you.
Its truely amazing, all the comments here, blaming the Tea Party and the GOP for all our problems. The best part of this article is, the two mayor listed who started this fruad on the taxpayers, were both DEMOCRATS. Sounds to me, someone, somewhere in their administrations were getting kickbacks. A three year deal, just long enough for them to line their pockets and funnel some of this money to others in their circle of friends, ie, unions, construction companies, and anyone else who would be involved with the running of an empty airport. Sounds like a "no show job", something the mob is famous for.
Sounds like an airport initiated and kept for the convenience of those living in the suburbs of Chicago for their private jets, at the expense of the taxpayers.
Now I wonder who would need to fly to Florida exclusively? Folks with 2nd homes far from that cold Chicago Hawk, maybe ? That's probably very few folks in Gary, huh ? What would you say ? About 1% ? Certainly not 47%, huh ?
Well, no need looking for that money to be stockpiled in an account earning interest for the day folks are finally sold on flying into the 3rd Airport serving Chicago suburbanites after that conspicuously missing but badly needed PR blitz that's probably been in the works since 1995 finally grabs everyone's attention and dawns on them what a gem of a brainstorm and expenditure this funding deal always was...
I grew up in Gary when it was a good place to earn a living if you escaped the segregated, murderous southern politics and strived to raise a family but by 18 I was straining at the bit to escape to college. I still wonder at the ones who stayed and how they can stand the blatant misappropriation of the hefty taxes they pay. At least the politicians (HATCHER et al) could have left enough in the coffers to pay for the grass to be cut and the sinkholes in the streets to be fixed before your car finds itself in a swimming pool in the middle of 15th Ave. I hate politics ! Yeah folks this is LOCAL !!
Where did you make the connection between typical Chicago politics and Tea Party extremist?
Obama has been wielding executive powers this past year as if he were already a dictator. When Congress
is not doing his bidding, he simply bypasses them and uses an executive order to accomplish it anyway. This has set the stage for his disbandment of Congress.
He has been effectively using the media to anesthetize the public to the dangers he poses. Like a patient being prepped for surgery, people are numb to the changes and won't have a clue what took place until they wake up in recovery and realize that free America has been removed and replaced with a regime that may parallel those of Stalin, Lenin, Mussolini, Hitler, Chavez and Castro.
Stand Down, America!
NObama 2012!!!
Obamanos!!
"Obama has been wielding executive powers this past year as if he were already a dictator. When Congress
is not doing his bidding, he simply bypasses them and uses an executive order to accomplish it anyway"
Sir you are nut jobbery at its finest... list what executive orders he has given that bypass authority reserved to the congress.
I'm waiting...
Let's start with Obamacare or the $20+ millions to import and support Hamas refugees bypassing the millions of Hispanics that have been patiently waiting their turn for legal citizenship. Don't think Bush's fault will work for these.
Obama wants the Hispanic vote, that's a joke, you think they have forgotten that they were made 2nd class to islamic immigrants and pushed to the back of the line.
Obamanos!!!
STAND DOWN, AMERICA!!
NObama 2012!!!
Where did you go, Patrick-261815 ??
Could there be some embezzling going on here? That is over $28,000 per flight and the airlines are saying they have financial problems along with the government! Nah, it couldn't be stuff like this! That is not even figuring in the cost of the plane and ground and air crews!
Hmm I wonder if they have to get there early for security checks!
tracon, commenting just for the sake of commenting is not good form. Especially since you don't understand the stipend prgram passed by your fearless leader, Obama, to keep this and many other under-utilized airports going "to keep jobs". See how many jobs there are at that airport?
If you're so damn intelligent and such a fantastic leader, why aren't you the President?
piglizard - my 11 yr old son could have done a better job than Obama. Seriously.
There is nothing in this article about the President. This airport has existed 4X longer that Mr. Obama has been President.
Troll.
WillieSmith: there is no line item veto for the president. People have been getting politicians to promise that for decades but it never happens.
Also, don't forget, there hasn't been a budget presented to Obama for the last 4 years, so in reality he couldn't have not signed it.
Other than the TSA, this is probably a local issue. Very little is funded directly via the US Government.
@WillieSmith - You don't seem to understand that this article is about local funding from the City of Chicago, not the federal government. Please don't drag national politics into a local issue.
There is no single person or policy that gets all the blame for this sort of rip off.
First of all, this waste of money to keep jobs and spread the wealth are not really spreading any wealth where it can do some good. The big winners are contractors, unions, politicians that all have some influence.
What I'm saying is the entire set of USA Government policies need to be reexamined after they are all discarded. Important to get a vote that says we will begin anew forming policies that are good for the general welfare. The current policies can easily be reenstated if they measure up to a NEW DEAL.
Partisanship cannot take all the blame since over time the Ins and Outs in politics all get rich from this sort of crap.
"We, the people" should shoulder most of the blame. Too few of us take the time to keep informed about what our votes are being used for.
I do have a political perspective, and while I originally voted for a Republican President the first time I was old enough, Dwight Eisenhower, who I think was the greatest modern era president and a real Conservative Republican. Reagan, who I voted for his first term but did not his second, due to his promotion of the trickle down theory, which is when this current economic failure began in spades. Politics have moved so far Right, Reagan could not be elected as a Republican these days. What I'm getting at is we have to think way ahead and see what's coming. It is easier to predict the future than many understand. All we do is go back several decades, draw a line from them and through where we are in the present and see that the future is merely and extension of that line.
Since the Far Right and the Neo Cons got the Bush/Chenny Presidency for eight years and six years of the congress and eight years of the Supreme Court, what have they done to us? We can't deny that they screwed up so badly that the current set of Republicans, in, or wishing to be in governemnt, cannot speak of them as if they actually existed.
Take the time to study those years based on your personal beliefs, and see if where we have gone from there is where you want to be.
Currently our Government is weak, as proven by how easy it is to steal our wealth for the benefit of the few. Corporations, Unions, all levels of government must be as advertised and not this terrible thing they have become, sucking on the government BIG TIT while pushing the rest of us aside.
Romney in no way will do anything but what he hs promised the very wealthy Internationalists. That actually leaves most of us and not just the 47 percent of us out of it.
The current policies must be seen as in transistion. Change from the dog eat dog America into what it has been promised cannot be done overnight it never will be if we put a party in power that is selling us business policies from the '20s, social ideas from the 50's and more of what went down in the Bush/Cheney years.
I'm sure most that may be reading this are aware that the Far Right is bent on continuing to build the Great American Empire when history shows clearly how the weight of all that is what eventually takes the Empire down, .... but by then the RICH and powerful will have completely bailed on us, as they are in the process of doing, and they will move on to do it somewhere else.
EVERYTHING OUT LIVES ITS USE FULNESS
Do your own fact checking. We can trust those that do even if not always in agreement.
This airport isn't funded by the Fed Gov't, Willie - it's local funding. Did you even read that far into the article? And, by the way, President Obama doesn't have a line-item Veto power.
So, use what little brain power you might have, and answer your own question with this new information i've just given you. Then, go sit in the corner and rub peanut butter all over yourself, while you gaze at your photo of Dumbya Bush clutching a BuyBull.
Honestly, I can't tell anymore if some of you come into these things to purposely say things that are stupid, or if you actually do that without trying...but it sure seems like a lot of republicans here say a lot of stupid things.
I know why you do it, but you can't trickle everything back to President Obama. You need to give credit to Governor's, Congressmen, right down to the local Mayor. Rick Scott, who spent more than $73 million of his own money to win, a very good investment for him. It's a game, they all play it, sometimes the public makes out in the deal, more times NOT. Wouldn't you like to know what to invest in if your the one that controls a Bill going though congress ? Pay your taxes, brush your teeth, eat healthy and live with it. It all falls under the heading of ethics. When it comes to money and ethics, very few can pull off a hat trick.
@DMorgan, did you read the article???
"While the airport gets substantial funding from the City of Gary, the State of Indiana and the federal government,"
StunnedByTheAge
"Other than the TSA, this is probably a local issue. Very little is funded directly via the US Government."
Guess the following is very little:
Progress to date has been achieved using federal funding provided by a Letter of Intent (LOI) between the Airport and the US Department of Transportation. The LOI mechanism gives the Airport access to $57.8 million over ten years (2006 – 2015) without relying upon annual Congressional appropriations for sustained funding. The RDA has also provided $20.0 million that was earmarked by the Indiana General Assembly for the Airport from the $3.8 billion lease of the Indiana Toll Road. You know the toll road that had to be changed to accommodate the runway extension. RDA (Rural Developement Authority) a division of the USDA.
STAND DOWN, AMERICA!
NObama 2012!!!
Obamanos!!
Paul this has been going on for years so how are you gonna blame it on Obama? Who was in charge in (2006).
I'm not. I'm saying to imply that our tax dollars (yours & mine) are be squandered on crap like this and we don't live in the same states. It is Obama fault, just as it was Bush's fault to allow this crap to continue. Do you know how crap like this gets approved and passed on to us? If you don't maybe you should read the 2700 page document called "Obamacare" for short. There are a lot of good things in it but there is a lot of pork barrel in it which make it the controversial document that it is.
I know who was in charge in 2006! You get no arguement from me. I thought he did a fairly desent job the the 1st 4 years but the last 4 were not the same guy. That what concerns me about BHO, he is in the open with his socialist agenda, what lengths will he go when doesn't have be concerned about being re-elected.
STAND DOWN, AMERICA!
NObama 2012!!!
Obamanos!!
Tons of dollars down the drain. Just like the Murtha airport in PA.
A polititian spending taxpayer money like water for their own stupid idea.
Thanks a lot Daley (and certain other Chicago polititians).
You forgot to mention the heavily subsidized airports in the dakotas, nebraska, iowa...oh wait a minute those are reichwing states and they earn their welfare...lmao
another example of government waste
I like this, I find it funny that the only 2 posts took opposite sides. So what is it, An evil money grabbing capitalist at work or another example of wasted tax payer money. Well I have no idea how tracontech came to the conclusion that it is to make the owners of Alligiant rich, so I will assume that it is just his personal bias talking which is pretty apparent. So I will sum it up he is a hater. I don't care who is in political office but this is an example of how money can be saved and put to better use. Don't matter if you are Democratic or Republican, I am interesting in which political party would justify the expenditures. They both might for all I know. But at least I admit I don't know
Based on your input, it is apparent that you hate the conclusions he came up with ... So let me sum up; you are obviously either being paid to be a shill for Mr Romney, or just don't understand the issues.
People who are truly "Independent and Proud of It" don't need to shout it from the rooftops.
Your right, all we have to do is vote.
Nice conclusion Byron. Someone doesn't say "I LOVE OBAMA" so they must be paid by the GOP to post on here.
If you think that Reagan couldn't get the GOP nomination today, think out little chance Eisenhower would have. He considered himself a fiscal conservative, but a social progressive. I was born in his last year of office, so I don't remember him, of course. But, the more I learn about Eisenhower, the more that I admire him and wonder why we can't find leaders like him today. We may have missed out on our best chance for a truly successful presidency when Colin Powell decided not to run. I think that good military leaders have a practical quality where they are more concerned about what works rather than about what pleases an ideological base.
Barry-NJ wrote:
If you think that Reagan couldn't get the GOP nomination today, think out little chance Eisenhower would have. He considered himself a fiscal conservative, but a social progressive. I was born in his last year of office, so I don't remember him, of course. But, the more I learn about Eisenhower, the more that I admire him and wonder why we can't find leaders like him today. We may have missed out on our best chance for a truly successful presidency when Colin Powell decided not to run. I think that good military leaders have a practical quality where they are more concerned about what works rather than about what pleases an ideological base.
I reply:
I wonder the same thing. I don't think many people realize how important Ike was to this country. They don't know that taxes were as high as 90% , but the rich that ponied up and sent us forward after WW2 made out very well for their contribution to a post war America that needed patriots to step up. Nothing like that today because there is no longer National pride expressed by Republicans as the Far Right likes to pretend. Yes man, Colin Powell would have been a great choice instead of Bush/Cheney or McCain/Palin.
Romney represents Internationalists that see themselves as citizens of a world that is there for them to harvest and the hell with America.
Pippo Schillaci
You neglected to point out that the attitude of America is not the same as it was in Ike's years. Todays America is a nanny state. Ike's America was the we can do it state. People depended on themselves to achieve or fail. People helped each other, they didn't depend on big government to wipe their noses.
Ike would not be successful in todays world. First of all the liberal left would call him a war monger because of his military background. Secondly, Ike would not tolerate the give me, I'm entitled attitude of America. Ike would be slandered and trashed, like Herman Cain, Allen West and many other Republicans were/are because they want to see America as the same country it was when Ike was president.
STAND DOWN, AMERICA!
NObama 2012!!!
Obamanos!!
I got one: Houston; Bayport cruise terminal built at the cost of $81 Million just 25 miles from the very busy & successful Galveston terminal (Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney et.al. ) has NEVER had a ship berth in anger. No staff, no major road to/from, 96,000sqft of emptiness +parking for thousands and they're still issuing bonds to "improve" the terminal.
Rank stupidity: Tried to Muscle the smaller town out and failed miserably, you have to wonder about the politics involved here
I wasn't going to do this, but Houston is democratic
You know though, I don't care what side you are on but there is so much waste out there right now that I think both sides would agree on. The issue I think, more than just a political one, is that it is my wasteful project. Sure everyone hates everyone else wasteful projects but I bet if you ask the people who work and live there, they would fight to keep it open. That is really where the politicians need to make their money. Leaning one way I would guess that the Dem. would be more likely to try to keep it open. I think in cases like this have public forums. Explain everything to everyone.
What does being gay have to do with it? Are you implying that heterosexual politicians are paragons of thrift?
Another example of how Democrats waste peoples money.
Funny the Bush admin did nothing for 8 years either.
news flash == Bush isn't in the WH. Are you saying that it's ok because Bush kept it open. That's kinda like 2 little kids pointing at each other and saying well he did it first. Much as you try you can't defend the lack of leadership and fiscal accountability. That's why I voted for the "tightwad", BO is a tax and spender -- especially when it comes to himself and his comforts, screw the taxpayers.
Odd, since the airport is in INDIANA.. (A Republican led state)
a very Red state.
$5 says you stopped reading when you saw Chicago in the article.
Actually, this airport was opened up during Clinton's turn in office.
Local funding, people. Presidents don't open airports.
jesus h nipple -- get a brain!
So, go back to blaming Obama for the Bush Recession and the millions of jobs that Dumbya tanked with his calamity of an Administration.
Then, vote this Magic Underwear Mormon Cultist Moron into office, so we get (basically) DUMBYA, ROUND 2.
When does anything become Obama's fault?
It's Bush's fault.
Check out Mid America airport in central Illinois - same thing
I just don't know what to say - But it sickens me.
Thank god I don't directly support the tax base for this airport other than again poor federal tax investment - waste. Certainly not efficient use of tax payer money. I don't think it takes rocket scientist to figure that out.
Wow can't believe the stupidity of some people. What you are ignoring is the unofficial aspects and economic advantages that a smaller airfield gives to the surrounding business world from general avaition. These alternative airports are a great asset to the sole practicioners, smallbusinesses and others who do not have to deal with the largest security overboard and luggage loosing big airports. These smaller airports are essential to the flying public who can't tolerate the large airports and their radical spontaneous fees and cancellations. I am a pilot and fly the smaller planes- you people gripe if a small plane interferes with or delays the takeoff and landing of your big airliner but when you want to get there without delay or added costs, small planes are the way to go and are increasing in popularity. I recognize some of you idiots out there think the only ones in the sky's should be the commercial jumbo jets- well god bless america that your voice is defeated by the other voices of common sense and reason as well as those of us that feel the right to fly should not be held for just the airlines. These smaller airports give alternative planes such as small commuters and General Aviation an alternative rather than to get involved with the increasing congestion around big airports. Don't bitch about the costs- these smaller airports make money in ways not always recognizable by the few reporters itching to create a story.
Bill - really? I guess you missed the part that said that only one flight ever comes in - ONE, and that's not even every day? The place is locked up for days at a time with nothing going on at all. So do you even have a clue what you are talking about?
Bill, you don't understand, this isn't about small planes and you having a dog in this fight. Its about one flight a week coming in to a huge airport that cost millions each year to maintain and keep open. Whether it a bridge to nowhere in Alaska or the Houston Bayport Terminal, or this airport, it is just very unwise, unnecessary waste of the taxpayers money by politicians that could care less. By the way, that is what this election is about! Its time to take our country back from the politicians and it may be our last chance!
Grilled -- That is two round trip airline flights a week, that is(doing the math) 104 flights a year. But, the graphic for the airport gave a figure of some 18,000 operations a year. The airport, while seriously under used, is used by private and charter aircraft.
okie joe - yes, I know, thank you. My point was that there is only ONE flight in and out every several days. I never said a single word about exactly how many commercial operations there are every year. and 104 flights a yr is absolutely ridiculous. As for the 18,000 other operations, those are private and charter flights and they should be paying for those services, not the taxpayers. I live near several private airports that easily get more traffic than that in a single year - and they support themselves, it's not the taxpayers job to do so.
Bill is mostly right about the small plane thing. Check out the report for a 12 month period ending October 2011 about this airport.
"For the 12-month period ending October 31, 2011, the airport had 30,733 aircraft operations, an average of 84 per day: 83% general aviation, 13% military, 3% air taxi, and 1% scheduled commercial. At that time there were 84 aircraft based at this airport: 39% single-engine, 20% multi-engine, 31% jet, and 10% helicopter."
The story line and Unit 5's reporting was a bit biased. It dealt with passenger service only not everything that landed at the Gary/Chicago Int'l.
Why does it cost so much to fly on these smaller planes? I live about 3 hrs driving from Atlanta it cost almost as much to fly to Atlanta from our airport as it did from Atlanta to Honolulu only a couple hundred dollars difference.
How can there be all these small plane flights when the gates are locked? Everybody jumps the fence?
Nope, they go to their storage hangar and get their plane out, just like you do your car, and fly it out of the airport.
GA people don't use the terminal.
@The writers:
Please locate your elementary school English teacher, and ask to explain a difference between it's/its again.
Agreed. See my comment above (you caught this error first, though). They also capitalized "usually" after the colon in the sentence.
Boy this sounds like Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland.
I think we all know that Illinois supplies the most corrupt politicians of any state in the nation. So, why should this surprise anyone! By the way, isn't Illinois where our Socialist Muslim President was elected as a Senator and got his start in politics?
vote early, vote often
Where white elephants learn to fly!
The airport to nowhere is another republican policy to generate a comfortable place for a republican donor to park his private plane at the expense of the tax papers.
BTW, Gary. Check out the dates all this started, 1995. No a republican around in those days. This was the Clinton administration days - Democrats, not Republicans.
Also see my other post about this airport does tons of private/corporate/military business.
texasbluedarter**. You might want to check and see who the Senator's and Congressman were in Indiana in 1995. Also, the Governor. The idiots in Washington and even within a state politics pat each other on the back to get a plum. This was probably a trade off for support for some project in a Demo district. Hands are under the table at all times not matter who's in office. The Murtha Airport is an example. Until we cut the purse stings for all these clowns we will end up with crap like this.
I said this to Willie, earlier, too. Since he also seems to be missing chunks out of his cerebrum...
Presidents don't open airports. They are funded through a local port authority. This airport (if you'd take the time to read the goddam article) has been funded locally between two different authorities in two different states.
Interesting how the entire focus of this article is PASSENGER service, when GCIA and RFD both have robust CARGO ops year round....
That's the way it is at our airport, we only have 3 passenger flights per day if they all go thru some are cancelled. But we have 3 cargo terminals that stay pretty busy 24 hrs a day.
I would make a bet that IF they did an audit, which they won't, that there is a lot of missing money and a lot of people paid for nothing. In this day of economic hardship how can this still be going on? Because the money being wasted is OUR money, not those in charge. Politics these days makes me ill.......................
This happens all over the country with tiny regional airports, with expensive flights, are subsidized by the government. We need to reassess this. The Beaumont, Texas Airport/Hair Salon/Tire Center, receives massive subsidies for regional flights that cost more than than cross country flights. The Carriers received guaranteed revenue because the demand is sporadic. It would cost me more to fly from Beaumont to Houston (90 miles - $340.00) than what it cost me to fly to Atlanta from Houston. It takes about the same amount of time to drive the distance and costs half-tank of gas. Why do we need this service?
You could throw a stone and hit an example of Government waste benefiting private interests.
I will not travel through Gary let alone leave my car there and fly out! No s&^T it's not making money! How many on this board have actually been to Gary LOL.
I live about five miles away from Gary Airport, It currently serves general avation, military operations, and Boeing corporate operations. It also serves as a emergency landing strip for both Ohare and Midway airports. I have flownout of Gary once and wish I a airline like Southwest would adopt it.
...why Gary?
I'd understand Aurora and west chicago airports to take the load off of Midway and O'Hare, but Gary?!
There is Always Fools do stupid things but never the reason you hear.
The only thing that would improve Gary, Indiana is a few hundred bulldozers.