This idea has been kicked around for a few years but now it looks like it may happen. There are a lot of promises but the devil is in the details. Anyone who lives near the proposed site is sure to scream bloody murder and I can't blame them. The press roundup:
Airport would bring new jobs, identity
Key players anticipate big return on project
$1.6B cargo airport eyed
Officials: Airport would spur growth unseen since coal era
Putting somthing like this at the crossroads of I-80 and I-81 would seem like a pretty good idea if thse highways weren't already filled to capacity with tractor-trailers that are apparently not subject to the same rules of the road (such as "speed limits" and "maintaining a safe following distance") as the rest of us. So once this is approved, how many billions will ned to be invested in highway-widening projects?
ReplyDeleteWord verification word: tdontgo. Are the souls trapped inside my computer sending me a message?
This airport would be almost literally in my backyard; less than 2 miles to my southwest. I would probably be able to see the runway from my house. I'm sure my neighbors won't be too happy hearing A380s flying over at 2 AM but I, being a big aviation buff, am all up for it. Hazleton needs something like this, as its population has dropped significantly after the coal rush ended.
ReplyDeleteIt's not about job creation, it's not about security. It's all about political cronyism and back door deals and huge profits made by people who have no interest in the inpact this folly will have on the environment. Taxpayer money, a lot of it, was spent on the initial proposal and it's impact on the surrounding area. Why is that money not paid back by these private investors? Why are they able to use these studies to profit personally? Somebody needs to investigate the politics behind this entire venture. Start with the political connections and then follow the money. Something doesn't smell right. If the state of Pennsylvania is going to benefit by this airport and if this is such a huge security issue then why doesn't the state simply declare this land under "eminent domain" and cut out the political hacks that are trying to get this passed through for their own financial gain? Someone needs to wake up and look into what is really going on. The last thing these people want is this can of worms opened up. This deal is chock full of "insider trading" type shenanigans.
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