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Sunday, November 29, 2009

It's PUBLIC MONEY (Airport Hubris, Vol. XI)

I was enraged after reading this article in this morning's Sunday Times

Contractor Party for the Scranton/W-B Airport

If you are so inclined, you can read the details for yourself, but here is the nut of the issue from my perspective: a PRIVATE PARTY was thrown for 900 INVITATION ONLY GUESTS in celebration of the opening of a PUBLICLY-FUNDED facility. Am I going mad here, or does anyone else see the incredible disconnect at work? The money paid to the contractors that foot most of the bill for this "event" came from the public sector, either through borrowing or federal/state grants. This is hubris in the worst degree.

The cheap-n-easy thing to do would be to simply blame the Republican county administration at the time, but that's like focusing your efforts on scratching an itch while you live in a mosquito-infested swamp. What's more, I'm sure that, among the 900 that represented the creme-de-la-creme of NEPA there were plenty of Democrats. Good swank is non-partisan, and both liberals and conservatives do love a good laser show.

While I think that he hasn't been terribly effective as a leader, Lackawanna County Commissioner Mike Washo has the best response I read to this whole sad thing when he said...

"...the airport should have served hot dogs and hamburgers and instead invited the public..."

Damn straight Mr Washo.

Now let's get the list of who attended.

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