Gov't paying for empty flights to rural airports

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1752645.html


On some days, the pilots with Great Lakes Airlines fire up a twin-engine Beechcraft 1900 at the Ely, Nev., airport and depart for Las Vegas without a single passenger on board. And the federal government pays them to do it.
Federal statistics reviewed by The Associated Press show that in 2010, just 227 passengers flew out of Ely while the airline got $1.8 million in subsidies. The travelers paid $70 to $90 for a one-way ticket. The cost to taxpayers for each ticket: $4,107.

Another genius program from our federal government....and the Democrats want us to spend more?

It's crap, but laying it on Democrats is crap as well. It's a widespread program, and if you end the subsidies you'll have Democrats, Republicans, Tea Partiers, and everyone else in rural communities screaming.

Beeks wrote: It's crap, but laying it on Democrats is crap as well. It's a widespread program, and if you end the subsidies you'll have Democrats, Republicans, Tea Partiers, and everyone else in rural communities screaming.

Maybe so, but it's the Democrats who want to spend today....yes, this is an example of pork barrel at it's worse.... there are plenty of other examples. These subs need to stop now and government needs to stop interfering with the free market.

Beeks wrote: It's crap, but laying it on Democrats is crap as well. It's a widespread program, and if you end the subsidies you'll have Democrats, Republicans, Tea Partiers, and everyone else in rural communities screaming.

Not the tea partiers. That is the point.

ear marks boys and girls.. the stuff that has greased the skids of "compromise" for decades. it is not specific to one party, it is the way it is done... unfortunately.

residenttroll wrote:

Beeks wrote: It's crap, but laying it on Democrats is crap as well. It's a widespread program, and if you end the subsidies you'll have Democrats, Republicans, Tea Partiers, and everyone else in rural communities screaming.

Maybe so, but it's the Democrats who want to spend today....yes, this is an example of pork barrel at it's worse.... there are plenty of other examples. These subs need to stop now and government needs to stop interfering with the free market.

Are you agreeing then that all government subsidies should be eliminated?

archer wrote:

residenttroll wrote:

Beeks wrote: It's crap, but laying it on Democrats is crap as well. It's a widespread program, and if you end the subsidies you'll have Democrats, Republicans, Tea Partiers, and everyone else in rural communities screaming.

Maybe so, but it's the Democrats who want to spend today....yes, this is an example of pork barrel at it's worse.... there are plenty of other examples. These subs need to stop now and government needs to stop interfering with the free market.

Are you agreeing then that all government subsidies should be eliminated?

Yes, to subsidies, yes to entitlements, yes to solar energy, yes to farm, yes to oil, yes to foreign aid, yes to Dept of Education, yes to NREL.

wow....so we do agree on some things.........I would like to see a lot of those go away as that would raise revenue.......cool.

Abolish the DEA.