How Does Your Airport Compare in Funding?

  • Thread starter Thread starter KennyFlys
  • Start date Start date
K

KennyFlys

Guest
Murtha's Earmarks Keep Airport Aloft
State-of-the-Art Pennsylvania Facility Sees Few Travelers but Lots of Funding

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- The John Murtha airport sits on a windy mountain two hours east of Pittsburgh, a 650-acre expanse of smooth tarmac, spacious buildings, a helicopter hangar and a National Guard training center.

Inside the terminal on a recent weekday, four passengers lined up to board a flight, outnumbered by seven security staff members and supervisors, all suited up in gloves and uniforms to screen six pieces of luggage. For three hours that day, no commercial or private planes took off or landed. Three commercial flights leave the airport on weekdays, all bound for Dulles International Airport.

The key to the airport's gleaming facilities -- and, indeed, its continued existence -- is $200 million in federal funds in the past decade and the powerful patron who steered most of that money here. Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) is credited with securing at least $150 million for the airport. It was among the first in the country to win funding from this year's stimulus package: $800,000 to repave a backup runway.
Click to expand...
This barely-used Class D airport is seeing more funding than some Class C airports.
 
KennyFlys said:
Murtha's Earmarks Keep Airport Aloft
State-of-the-Art Pennsylvania Facility Sees Few Travelers but Lots of Funding

This barely-used Class D airport is seeing more funding than some Class C airports.
Click to expand...

John Murtha's campaign slogan is "He Delivers."

But -- to his credit -- his justification is simple: Why should all the work and money and jobs go to Lockheed and Northrop Grumman and to NY, DC region, and California?

So he insists that if a company wants his support, they do business in his district.
 
He wanted a military base in his district. The military wouldn't do it. So, he built one from pieces at KJST. IIRC there's a Marine helo detachment, an Army unit, maybe Air Force. It's quite an airport, but the FBO is kinda dingy.

You should see the highways in his district! You'd think they have a million people living there.
 
flyersfan31 said:
He wanted a military base in his district. The military wouldn't do it. So, he built one from pieces at KJST. IIRC there's a Marine helo detachment, an Army unit, maybe Air Force. It's quite an airport, but the FBO is kinda dingy.

You should see the highways in his district! You'd think they have a million people living there.
Click to expand...

In parts of his district.

Fayette County's latest four lane highway (also in Murtha's district) is a toll road.

Unlike roads throughout most of the DC metroplex.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top