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 Post subject: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:29 pm 
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http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2008/0 ... 449318.txt

For once I am going to post the entire article because it speaks for itself and IMO clearly makes the unintended case that the airport needs to get off of the backs of taxpayers and into the hands of a for profit concern or it will NEVER prosper. Chis Curry needs to be reassigned to (pardon the pun) less taxing duties since he has shown himself to be an incompetent administrator.

The city of Gary, Indiana has demonstrated time and time again that it neither has a clue as to how to bring about a successful airport operation or even has the financial means to allow it to continue as an unabated anchor to the city budget. Chis Curry has stated on the airport's own website that airports are not supposed to make money. Unfortunately for Gary THIS airport is not and has not ever been generating money for the community through it's operations since it's inception and has in fact instead been a way too expensive money pit.

BY KEITH BENMAN
kbenman@nwitimes.com
219.933.3326 | Thursday, September 11, 2008 | No comments posted.

GARY | The Gary/Chicago International Airport plans to join a host of other taxing units statewide in appealing its tax cap to the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeal Board.

The state-mandated caps on local property tax bills will shave $780,000 off the airport's tax levy, an amount which will put the airport perilously close to cutting essential services, airport Director Chris Curry said.

Airport officials in July proposed a tentative general budget of about $3.1 million for 2009 -- a 15 percent cut from this year's budget of about $3.6 million.

A budget of that size would leave the airport financially exposed if it runs into unexpected equipment outages, an emergency situation or even severe winter, Curry said.

"Under that concept, nothing unexpected can happen," Curry said after Thursday's airport authority board meeting.

While the effect of state-mandated tax caps on cities such as Gary and East Chicago has grabbed headlines, other taxing entities such as airports, libraries and special purpose districts will also feel the pinch.

The airport will make up for much of the $780,000 shortfall by covering some expenses with revenue received from the City of Chicago under its bi-state airport agreement, Curry said. It also is considering raising fuel fees and landing fees.

The airport also has started taking advantage of opportunities to raise revenue, such as the Gary South Shore Air Show and the Chicago Air Show, Curry said. The airport is the base for all aircraft used in the two shows.

The airport raised $10,900 from parking fees for the "pre-shows" the airport hosts for each show. It also raised $1,000 from charging food concessionaires and another $1,000 by selling T-shirts this year.

When all expenses were tallied up, including that for a public communications system and portable toilets, the airport made about $1,500, according to airport figures.



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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:45 pm 
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What could come up that would impact the airport?

Last time I checked, there is no airline using it, so foul weather will not affect it

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:02 pm 
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My take on the claim is that somehow they could lose a truck or some other piece of equipment for whatever reason. Maybe they don't have loss insurance? Who knows? But $800k is a lot of "what if" in my book.

But I love all this money being jettisoned out the hatch to net just over $1,500 for the air shows, presuming those are reliable figures of course. Now I will grant you that of itself the air show "could" at least be a magnet to the city. Except what Gary hotels do the visitors stay at? None. What hotels does Gary even have period? Just the one by the casino I think. What Gary shopping do the visitors patronize? Do they patronize restaurants? Probably none of those businesses benefit either. Of course I have said since long ago they should have made a safe shopping & attraction zone around the airport. BTW that old Shoppers World Plaza practically next door to the airport was one of the last places we used to frequent until the cops were given other priorities and it was no longer safe even to park.

So what did Rudy do with money that was essentially borrowed from the city workers' insurance plan? After cutting fire protection in half, that is. Why he bought up more property along Broadway, mostly. :roll:

If anybody ever needed to run a campaign on city priorities it outta be the next mayor of Gary, Indiana. For all kinds of reasons I think you can count Rudy Clay out for re-election.

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:18 pm 
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The air show will draw people, but only for that, and sadly I can't see it continuing if they keep losing money(notice no revenues have been released on this years yet, and the one time it made a profit, it was released within a week of the event ending).

When I go, I go out on the lake to watch

Its free, I can take my own food and drink, and I don't have to worry about being in Gary itself after dark

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:10 pm 
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What amazes me is that they are fighting for a new airport in Peotone, while this one sits empty, that should be thriving.

Someone mentioned that Hammond should take over - de-annex Hammond? Something like that...but surely, Hammond could turn the image around and put fiscal-responsible people in there, and turn it around.

The name, "GARY" alone, destroys the possible passengers.

How long is the state of Indiana going to keep on bailing out Rudy and the gang?

I think I will contact the agency I recommended to Ms. Freetime and have the Federal agency look into it. Someone has to do something. We all know they swallow the money for themselves and do not do for their residents what the money is meant for.

There is no excuse for owning an airport that has no business. Nada, not in this day and age. I've lived long enough to know that there is corruption spewing out of Gary heavier than the smoke stacks from the steel mills.

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:17 pm 
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See, what you do is this:

Blow up the Gary airport, creating a 200 ft. deep crater.
Build three pumping stations and a pipeline to 80-94 at Kennedy.
When it looks like rain, turn on the pumps.

Everybody wins!

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:18 pm 
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BigWhiteGuy wrote:
See, what you do is this:

Blow up the Gary airport, creating a 200 ft. deep crater.
Build three pumping stations and a pipeline to 80-94 at Kennedy.
When it looks like rain, turn on the pumps.

Everybody wins!



But that would be common sense

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 9:42 pm 
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It works for Black Oak too! ;)

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:02 am 
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Mirage wrote:
It works for Black Oak too! ;)



You kidding, the city of Gary already treats Black Oaks like their dump

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 5:22 pm 
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Actually it already WAS the city dump but it got full. LOL

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:17 am 
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Anybody surprised by this?

http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2008/1 ... 041dc9.txt

Everybody's talking about suing everybody over a report and you wonder why there's been little progress with this project?

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:45 am 
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And in another article, the fovernor has been talking toClay about leasing it out to give Gary some cash

Of course we all know the cash from the lease would go to the clay family some how

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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 11:00 am 
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Yea, i love this part!

http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2008/1 ... 0492fb.txt

When asked about the privatization option for the airport, Reardon said only that the report will review "the real situation at the airport."

What have many of us been saying for like forever! LOL

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Why the Airport MUST be Sold
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 12:49 pm 
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Curry is the main problem

Of course the one drawing point the airport had when they actually had an airline went away, and that was free parking, now they think they are a legit airport so they should charge for parking

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