What we think: Essential Air Service pays off at JRA
August 26, 2011 at 2:43 am in The Jamestown Sun
Just three locations in North Dakota including Jamestown receive funding under the federal Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which gives airlines incentive not to drop the lesser traveled routes. It’s a program that Congress should continue.
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I think you are over estimating the economical impact the airport has. Also their hasn’t been much struggling with a flood in Jamestown. All these subsudies have got to end.
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I love it when my fellow North Dakotans say things like this. Perhaps it’s the economic environment being created by the oil patch in western ND making people feel overly secure, but the amount of federal dollars our state alone receives is stunning–in a good way. You don’t complain about federal dollars when it’s flood recovery in Minot, or when it’s agriculture subsidies after a bad farming year, but if it’s a TEA PARTY issue, then it’s got to go. It’s got to go. One day you’re going to tea bag yourself out of a job lady, and I’m not talking about the stupid airport.
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I am not a tea partier and my job does not depend on government subsidies. I also think the state should help with flood recovery. I am also against federal welfare for farmers. I don’t recall saying anything about a tea party.
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I have long felt that EAS was a complete waste of money, going back to the late 70′s when this program first started. Do the math, it is costing taxpayers almost $500 PER PERSON for every person who fly out of Jamestown this year. Yes, almost 2 million dollars.
Maybe every airport should get a subsidy, including O’hare Regional Airport, and LAX Regional Airport. What about JFK Regional Airport, Dulles Regional and Reagan National Regional Airport? Don’t they deserve these huge subsidies too? (all airports started calling themselves Regional now, it’s more impressive).
Seriously, if you can’t get enough people to fly to make it profitable, then you don’t deserve air service. It isn’t hard for people to drive to Fargo or Bismarck, and most of them go there anyway for shopping, so they may as well hope a flight there as well.
I always get accused of being negative about Jamestown, but again, there really isn’t anything in Jamestown to be positive about.
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Fred, You are spot on.
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Seriously, if you can’t get enough people to fly to make it profitable, then you don’t deserve air service. It isn’t hard for people to drive to Fargo or Bismarck, and most of them go there anyway for shopping, so they may as well hope a flight there as well.
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Fred, like Petunia said, you are right on the money. It doesn’t make any financial sense to subsidize an airport when there are two larger airports, each with more than one airline, within 100 miles.
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I especially loved the breakdown of federal tax burden as would-be experienced by each citizen of Jamestown had actually pay the entire cost of the route directly in their federal income taxes as a city. What’s to become of the new airport terminal once Jamestown loses air service? Perhaps a library. Anyone?
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If that nearly $2 million investment has such a great return to the local economy, then maybe the subsidy should be taken over by the city of Jamestown and Stutsman County. Why not, since it supposedly generates far more benefits than it costs?
The truth is that it only works if you use someone else’s money, namely the Federal Government’s. This doesn’t come anywhere near the break even point when it comes to the money wasted compared the few people who fly.
Another thing to consider is the shear number of carriers that have come and gone in Jamestown under the subsidy program. I’ve lost track of how many since Air Wisconsin first blew into town in 1978, but I’ll bet it’s well over 10 carriers. Face it, even with a 2 million dollar subsidy, carriers can’t make money and want out.
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Jamestown is contributing local revenues toward building the new terminal. Every dollar you spend locally contributes to the new terminal through tax dollars. EAS helps stabilize airports like ours in a difficult economic times with the goal of it being self sustaining. So I find it ironic you’r in support of what in essence would be shutting down Jamestown’s airport by opposing programs you directly benefit from. The paradigm shift will come, but hopefully not too late. Without the structure for economic growth in place you’re not going to get any. This is what you’re opposing. Near sighted.
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If you need to stimulate economic development constantly, then something is wrong. It’s obvious that even you know that Jamestown can’t do anything without tax dollars being pumped into the private sector.
Jamestown may be contributing to a new terminal, but if it wasn’t for 2 million dollars in federal money going to EAS, there would be no need for a terminal at all, and that’s my point.
So, at what point does Jamestown finally get weaned from the trough and actually make businesses sink or swim on their own?
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Fred, I have an idea, lets just all sell our homes and move to Fargo, that would be the obvious answer to all our problems right?
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Taking a hatchet to your problems is always the easiest answer. I heard boarding numbers were going up in Jamestown anyway. But I agree Lance, if people had Fred’s attitude we’d be living in a place like Valley City, and no one wants that.
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As I’ve been trying to tell you Marko, you ARE living in a place like Valley City. Jamestown has nothing to offer, absolutely nothing.
Any development that happens in Jamestown is taxpayer subsidized and everything has phoney names to make the place sound more impressive than it is.
Remember too, Jamestown has lost population in the last 3 census.
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Fred, You speak the truth and the truth hurts! Corporate welfare is alive and kicking in Jamestown.
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