$21 Million Airport for Alaska Town With 46 Residents

Garfield1966

Veteran
Apr 7, 2003
4,051
0
Texas
Really?
An interior Alaska community with just 46 residents is in line for a new $21 million airport.

The state received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build the airport at Takotna 17 miles west of McGrath and 300 miles west of Fairbanks.
 
At the same time one of the roads I drive to work on looks like it was hit by a B-52 strike. Yet there seems to be no money to repave it, only money to fill the numerous holes.

At least you have roads. Ever watch Ice Road Truckers? Takotna is one of those communities up in Alaska without any road access (mainly because it's impossible to build them). Everything comes in/out by air or water, and water is not a given during the summer months.

Maybe y'all don't approve of people living where there ain't roads, but most of the people living in those places without roads also didn't get to vote on statehood, so I guess you're stuck with supporting 'em....
 
At least you have roads. Ever watch Ice Road Truckers? Takotna is one of those communities up in Alaska without any road access (mainly because it's impossible to build them). Everything comes in/out by air or water, and water is not a given during the summer months.

Maybe y'all don't approve of people living where there ain't roads, but most of the people living in those places without roads also didn't get to vote on statehood, so I guess you're stuck with supporting 'em....

What I don't understand is why an airport sufficiently large enough to serve 46 residents (which would not be very large) would cost 21 MILLION DOLLARS. That is an outrageous amount of money!
 
I wonder how many people live outside the area of the airport? there may be 46 people in the immediate vicinity and then hundreds just beyond the airport area?

the article did mention the current airport didn't even have lights, I would imagine that alone would be pricey to install.

traveling to Alaska in the past it seems a lot of people use planes to get to where they need to go.. (sort of like instead of having a car they have a plane)..on top of the aircraft that is utilized for cargo, delivery and medical supplies that are needed to be flown in.

maybe the airport houses a lot of private planes locals use for transportation too?
 
What I don't understand is why an airport sufficiently large enough to serve 46 residents (which would not be very large) would cost 21 MILLION DOLLARS. That is an outrageous amount of money!


My understanding is the basic airport has certain requirements that are independent of community size. It costs $X.XX amount regardless of 1 person uses it or 1,000,000.

If the US were flush with money I have no problem with it. Not sure I can justify it for a small community. Then again, the story did come from FOX so I am sure there is more to the story than they printed.
 
well they didnt have any problems giving a near trillion dollars to the banks and they ended up basically sitting on the money.


have you ever been to Alaska?


I did not like the bank loans but I do not think letting them go under would have been the right choice.

Yes I have been 4 times.

Southwind,

You and I can come up with tons of pork and wasteful spending. NASA spent $400 on a toilet seat. The Air Force spent billions on the B! that was a huge failure. That does not justify yet more wasteful spending does it?
 
I did not like the bank loans but I do not think letting them go under would have been the right choice.
but the banks are still going under! maybe they should have saved some money and just let them go under, since that is what is happening after the fact! the banks didnt start loaning money again freeing up credit, what they did was stop lending (after the taxpayer bailout) some of them merged with others...ahem...while some just ended up cutting credit limits in half! (regardless of credit history)..and the others oh yeah, sat on it!

Nancy sure knew what she was talking about huh?! (she seriously just cracks me up!!)

Bless her heart anyway...

I wonder if she ever got that private jet upgrade (you know that would be more than 21 mill!!)

know what Im saying

(I stopped paying attention to whatever she says after her finger pointing, its gotta pass bank bail out) :lol:


kidding... :blink:





Yes I have been 4 times.
then!

you know how expensive it is to live there! and 21 million?

Pffffffft!!

(as expensive as it is there...that could be considered pocket change)
 
Well, currently the last I read was that less than 50 banks (mostly small ones) went under. The big ones were the ones most were concerned about and as far as I know, they are still solvent.

As for the A/C for the SOH, that is determined by the Sergeant at Arms of the House. They are responsible for the security of the speaker and they decide what plane is used. This has already been discussed. There are plenty of valid arguments against Pelosi but this is not one of them.
 
Well, currently the last I read was that less than 50 banks (mostly small ones) went under.
they all werent considered...small!

and well those small ones matter if you happen to live in a small town and that is the only one! but I guess it doesnt matter if they are small? is there a theme here about small communities just dont deserve money banks airports or what?!

The big ones were the ones most were concerned about and as far as I know, they are still solvent.
oh yeah the ones that sat on the money! merged, and cut credit limits and need a loan? forget about it! But hey! they are "solvent"....

As for the A/C for the SOH, that is determined by the Sergeant at Arms of the House. They are responsible for the security of the speaker and they decide what plane is used.
I dont think someone told her that!

This has already been discussed.

and its worth repeating! (especially since 21 million seems to be an outrageous sum of money for a community and their airport that just doesnt happen to have any airport lights in the middle of the Alaska wilderness, while at the same time 200 million was spent on an airport..considering at least the people at the 200 million dollar airport.. can drive to another one without a mountain, big scary bears or 20 feet of snow in the way.. as opposed to the ones who just want at least...runway lights at the 21 million dollar one!)

21 million seems to be a bargain compared to 200 million, to...me!

There are plenty of valid arguments against Pelosi but this is not one of them.
not necessarily arguing...

but!

in regards to your post...

"plenty of valid arguments"...yup!
 
1) It wasn't just a matter of adding a few lights -- the previous airport was built on the side of a hill and didn't meet federal safety standards. I'm sure Palin would have been just as happy to keep the unsafe airport in operation and avoid federal spending, but you know how pushy those AOPA pilots and safety bureaucrats can get...

2) Lower 48 construction costs run between $1.1M per mile for a new two-lane highway to $20M per mile for an interstate. For Alaska, figure about a 30% premium for higher material costs, a very shortened construction season (requiring more overtime), and the lack of illegals to work on the construction crew...

3) STL spent over $1B on their new runway, much of it in land acquisitions...

4) Mid-America Airport over in Mascoutah, IL (20 miles from STL?) spent over $313 on their construction, and they still don't have any scheduled passenger service...

5) Light rail costs between $25M and $100M per mile

6) Jim Carrey earned $20M for "Fun with Dick and Jane" and $35M for "Yes Man"...

All things considered, $21M is a drop in the bucket...
 
6) Jim Carrey earned $20M for "Fun with Dick and Jane" and $35M for "Yes Man"...

All things considered, $21M is a drop in the bucket...
Yeah really!

20 million for "Fun with Dick and Jane"

while

they just need a check so..

"they have lights to land that plane" !

Do not state there are any plans for a "Starbuck", a food court, or heat!

(some might go into a complete tizzy!)


:lol:
(you guys crack me up more than Nancy sometimes!)