Company gets $77 Million for an airport. From YOU.

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In summary, a corporation called Trident has managed to negotiate a deal for a $1 million subsidy for a $60 million airport in Alaska. The company claims that they have earned this subsidy and that it will benefit the town of Akutan, which has a population of 100 people. However, there are questions about the size and necessity of the airport, as well as its cost and potential use for shipping seafood. Some argue that it may be a waste of money, while others point out that it could potentially save money in transportation costs for the company. Ultimately, the justification for this expensive project remains unclear.
  • #1
DoggerDan
This is just over the top: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/10/07/tuchman-alaska-airport.cnn

How is it that Trident, a corporation, managed to talk those who control the purse strings into letting Trident pay just $1 Million while we pay more than $60 Million for an airport in a location that will often be unuseable (winds/weather). "This is not something that's being handed to us. It's something that we've earned."

Really? "You need to turn the camera off." Really?

What Congressman called in "favors" to get others to go in on this deal?
 
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  • #2
Not from ME.
Nana nana boo boo... I'm Canadian. :tongue:
 
  • #3
Anyone want to bet within one month of the airport's opening, the residents of Akutan will complain to the FAA about the noise? ;-)
 
  • #4
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. The town has 100 people, but how many work at Trident, and how many other people (outside the 100) work there? What size airport are we talking about here? Would the airport allow the island to expand? Does the cost include a plane? I think a 737 runs about 50-60 million itself. It probably is a huge waste of money, but it looks to me like there is also a pretty big spin on this story. How long has that town been there? How much have they paid in for taxes that cover services that they will never use or see?
 
  • #5
haha, they're going to use it to ship out seafood, aren't they? the price tag seems ridiculous for a landing strip, but i guess they've got to move a lot of earth/rock, eh?
 
  • #6
Shoot, Trident has something like 1000 people working there so the subsidy is only $60,000 per employee. When compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars PER JOB that we are paying to subsidize "green" jobs, it's a bargain.

Oh, wait ... two wrongs don't make a right.
 
  • #7
QuarkCharmer said:
I'm not sure how I feel about this one. The town has 100 people, but how many work at Trident, and how many other people (outside the 100) work there?

The video to which I linked said 1,100, for a total of 1,200.

What size airport are we talking about here?

Haven't a clue, but I would imagine something like a 737. Speaking of which...

Would the airport allow the island to expand? Does the cost include a plane? I think a 737 runs about 50-60 million itself.

I think an airline would handle that aspect. I wonder how much it costs to ferry people by ship vs airplane?

It probably is a huge waste of money, but it looks to me like there is also a pretty big spin on this story. How long has that town been there?

Some of the buildings looked decades old.

How much have they paid in for taxes that cover services that they will never use or see?

This could be said about a lot of us!
 
  • #8
It's not uncommon for the county or city to pave/upkeep roads in newly created residential areas. The same goes for roads, bypasses, bridges - many are built to accommidate a private entity more so than the public. Why is this much different?

Much of our nation's infrastructure is 'built on demand' and now there's a demand for a public airport there *shrug*. Is it a little much in austere times? Probably, but like was said earlier - how much are we paying for failed projects, whereas at least this project is a proven good and will be used by someone (at a much lower cost).
 
  • #9
Maybe the question should be - why does a remote runway to ship seafood to the lower 48 cost $70 Million?
 
  • #10
WhoWee said:
Maybe the question should be - why does a remote runway to ship seafood to the lower 48 cost $70 Million?

Atlanta's 9000ft x 170ft runway cost $1.28 billion. However, that was probably rated for aircraft much larger than a 737, and also probably included all lighting and additional navigational aids. Here's another: " The runway and tower cost $457 million and took about three years to construct, including demolition of property on 126 acres of land in Des Plaines, Ill., the airport acquired." From: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203739404574290030754087254.html

And who said it's to ship seafood? Seafood keeps well enough on ice, and it's far cheaper to ship it via boat.

However, if one plane can ferry workers around the clock on 12-hr shifts while cutting transit time from several hours down to half an hour, that can make up for the cost of operating the aircraft. It's not that it's cheaper to ferry people by airplane. It's that it's cheaper to pay them for 30 min of their time than 3 hours.

Consider 1,100 workers a day currently on 12-hour shifts. Elevate that to 2,200 workers and it's 2.5 hours at, say, $10 an hour, times 2,200, or $55,000 per day.

Anyone know how much it costs to operate a 737?
 

1. What company received $77 million for an airport?

The name of the company has not been specified in the given statement. More information is needed to answer this question.

2. How will the $77 million be used?

The use of the $77 million has not been mentioned. It could be for the construction, renovation, or expansion of the airport, or for other purposes related to the company's operations.

3. Who provided the $77 million for the airport?

The source of the $77 million has not been mentioned. It could be from government funding, private investors, or a combination of both.

4. When will the airport be completed?

The timeline for the completion of the airport has not been specified. It could take several years depending on the scope of the project and any potential delays.

5. How will the airport benefit the community?

The potential benefits of the airport to the community will depend on its purpose and location. It could create job opportunities, improve transportation and tourism, and boost the local economy.

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