The St. Marys Airport referendum.

http://www.tribune-georgian.com/articles/2008/07/04/news/top_stories/1topstory7.4.txt First of all, congrats to the T&G for a ground breakingly long and detailed coverage of the issue. The nonbinding referendum on the 15th asks if the citizenry of St. Marys would like to see something done that is admittedly impossible to do: close the current airport and build a new one near Woodbine at absolutely no cost whatsoever to the St. Marys taxpayers. Oh, and did I mention that the city would also like to keep the old airport property at no cost in addition to the one dollar we paid the federal government for the surplus property years ago? Here are my thoughts. Clearly, the current airport is a highly subsidized hobbyists' airport, of minimal economic impact, and that almost exclusively to two or three bargain basement leaseholders on the property. No rational person could deny that closing the airport and developing the 300 + acres in the heart of St. Marys would do immeasurably more good for the civilian economy and generate far more tax revenues than the current gross under utilization. Therefor, I am in favor of closing the existing airport, whether we build a new one or not - and the sooner the better. By the way, anyone who is planning on telling me that all other conditions being favorable to a major employer relocating to Camden County, they would pass on us because of having to drive 30 minutes to catch a commercial flight - or their own corporate jet -versus 10 minutes to a Camden airport, forget about it. Now, why in the world is it so important that the city retain ownership of the current airport property? The FAA has already said that he who can afford it can buy it at full market value but they are not giving it away You can bet that the taxpayers of St. Marys have no interest in spending millions to acquire it. What would be so terrible if a private developer with deep corporate pockets bought it and, subject to zoning restrictions, developed it to its highest and best use as they saw fit? That's not a rhetorical question. I would like some of those who are hell bent on city government owning the property and getting a new airport to answer that one for me. On another note, I've just noticed that today, for the first time, AVERAGE daily views have exceeded 400 - 404 to be exact!