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Originally Posted by PITairport
The airport is not "about to be flush with cash".
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They have been using net revenues from operations and such to make debt payments that will soon be over. In fact, they already have a surplus which is accumulating as cash. They plan to put that into the modernization project.
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However the airlines are on board with the modernization plan (which means their fees remain high) so I'm fine with it if they are.
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OK, but we could redirect the $12.4 million annually in state gambling funds, and then they could work out whatever deal they wanted with the airlines using only the airport's own revenues.
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Redirected elsewhere worthwhile, such as gondolas?
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Sure! You could very likely get a lot done for that amount of money.
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Or the East Busway extension? At a cost of $371 million for an extension under 3 miles which would benefit only 1,629 riders it makes the MFE/Southern Beltway look like a shining example of fiscal responsibility in comparison.
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As I have noted before, that study was based on traffic models we know are broken, and it was all part of trying to retroactively justify the decision to keep investing in the MFE.
Meanwhile, where exactly is the cost/benefit study of the $12.4 million annually for the airport? Or the Southern Beltway?
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Everything one ever wanted to know about the topic can be read here
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Indeed, your link is all about how to structure these programs to comply with the regulations. I see no reason to believe the airport could not, if necessary, follow that guidance.