6.20.2007
PIA Zadora Stalls Before Takeoff
By Stan Spire (C) 2007
The Plattsburgh International Airport (PIA) has suffered a setback. When it opened Monday, June 18th, the company lined up to provide fuel and handle maintenance had squelched the deal.
PIA is located at the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Clinton County closed down its old airport and moved its operations to the flight lines and runways left behind when PAFB was decommissioned.
Some have questioned the wisdom of the move. "Build it and they will come," works in the movies, but not necessarily in real life. The county only put up a portion of the funds needed to build the new airport, indicating that the local taxpayer wasn't going to be burdened. And what was the source for the bulk of the funding? Other taxpayer funds. So the taxpayer pays all the time, whether its local, state or federal taxes.
Did the taxpayer end up paying for another white elephant? It's not a good indicator of success when a company backs out of a negotiated contract, asking for additional items that the county couldn't provide.
So Clinton County is now searching for another fixed-base operator. Until then another company will keep providing fuel.
The operator that dropped out, Million Air, had intended to set up shop at PIA with a government contract to transport soldiers overseas. (And as my Granddad Spire used to say, they were also going to hit a hog in the ass with a brick.)
Million Air. Yuk, yuk. What a pun.
My nickname for the new county airport is PIA Zadora. That's a pun referring to a movie star named Pia Zadora who was more flash than substance. She was once married to a rich sugar daddy who took good care of her. PIA, on the other hand, mainly has taxpayers to provide the sugar, lumps and all.
# posted by Stan Spire @ 5:09 AM 
