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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Lloyd who wrote (93751)	12/27/2001 10:26:53 AM
From: Knighty Tin	Respond to of 132070

Don, LOL. Actually, I believe that the quality of dirt has definitely deteriorated. Except for its lasting power. Once it gets on my workout clothes, I need to give them an acid bath to get it off.

To: Don Lloyd who wrote (93751)	12/27/2001 1:11:27 PM
From: Thomas M.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

Atlanta is currently bidding $360 million for the dirt necessary for adding a runway to the airport. Bear in mind that this is not Tokyo - the runway does NOT extend into the Pacific Ocean (or any other ocean). Even political corruption has experienced inflation. -g- Tom atlanta.creativeloafing.com Should taxpayers foot the bill for Hartsfield's runway dirt deal? No. The tragedy of Sept. 11 has changed the aviation landscape, and it's going to be a long time before air traffic returns to its pre-911 vitality BY JOHN SUGG Around the nation and even the world, Atlanta is known for Gone With the Wind, Martin Luther King Jr., Ted Turner, the 1996 Olympics, Hartsfield International Airport ... . Probably a few other items, but we'll stop with Hartsfield. The airport should be our calling card to the world -- and due to its size and volume, it is. But it's a calling card soaked through and through with, uh, merde. The place reeks of corruption and cronyism. Soon that dubious reputation may grow. Much of the federal corruption investigation of Mayor Bill Campbell's administration leads to Hartsfield. Our public gangrene will attract headline attention around the nation. As could only happen in the surreal world of politics, what is potentially the biggest scam of them all was being cobbled together by insiders even while the feds were scouring City Hall. Literally the biggest -- a huge mound of dirt, 27 million cubic yards, a mountain with a mountainous price tag of $360 million. Is this price a good deal? We'll never know, because this deal was put together without acquiring competitive bids. The guys with their hands in our pockets are saying, "Trust us." Heck, it's only $90 dollars for every man, woman and child in Atlanta. The dirt is to be used as the pad for Hartsfield's fifth runway. But, more accurately, this deal will pad the pockets of City Hall's "in" crowd. The total cost of the runway has been pegged at $1 billion. City Hall observers tell me -- while holding their noses at the awful stench wafting from government offices nowadays -- that the real cost will likely climb toward $1.5 billion. Why are we building this runway? It was deemed a necessity a few months ago. Whether the necessity was based on estimated increases in traffic at Hartsfield or, as is more likely, the necessity reflected a rush to spread around as much graft as possible before the November election, isn't clear. Probably a little of both. But the tragedy of Sept. 11 has changed the aviation landscape, and it's going to be a long time, maybe a decade or so, before air traffic returns to its pre-911 vitality. Other major airports, perhaps governed by people with a firmer grasp on reality, are getting the message and are cutting back on capital projects. But in Atlanta, there's a panicky pre-election rush to get this dirt deal done. For my money ($630 for the whole family), this is real sick puppy that needs to be put down -- now. Late last week, the dirt deal was put on hold when vote-sensitive city council members started bailing. And that's good. A new administration can take a hard look at the runway's need. Then, if and when the runway becomes necessary, it can be built with safeguards to prevent vast quantities of public money from ending up in crony wallets.