08/23/09 - Macon Telegraph, Marion Star (OH), Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Small airports vital to small towns, rural communities. Op-Ed by Niel Ritchie.
(Published in Macon Telegraph, Marion Star (OH), Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Small airports vital to small towns, rural communities
08/23/09
Your recent article on stimulus money used for small airports (“Gov’t watchdog questions airport stimulus projects,” 8/11) neglects to mention the overall benefits these small airports provide to small towns and rural communities across the country.
The fact is the stimulus funding is allocated to both commercial and general aviation airports for projects such as necessary safety upgrades, basic repairs and additions and/or expansions of terminals or runways, which is critical to airports without commercial service. Often, these airports are the only lifelines for residents in small communities to receive basic goods and services necessary for their everyday lives.
In the thousands of communities that only have access to general aviation, small businesses, farmers, ranchers, charities, and medical organizations, depend on this mode of transportation to reach residents in every corner of the U.S.
Moreover, these airports are vital to emergency access for residents when disaster strikes. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, small airports in surrounding states were critical to search-and-rescue efforts as well as delivering supplies to residents who were stranded by the storm. Without well-maintained and safe general aviation airports, this recovery effort would have faltered.
Without this essential funding, these economic and emergency lifelines would be cut from small towns and would leave residents isolated. While I couldn’t agree more on the need to better manage taxpayer money and demand accountability from our members of Congress, we shouldn’t discount general aviation as a crucial driver of local economies and rural communities across the country.
— Niel Ritchie, Executive Director
League of Rural Voters
Minneapolis, Minn.
