Editorial—from the Spencer County Magnet

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Folks, Mr. Ronal Cheek has written a superb editorial about their battle with the Spencer County Airport Board.  Kinda makes you feel like you’re in the “twilight zone!”  It’s well worth your time to read………..jpearsonnoa.

Public should beware of airport efforts
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:32 PM EST

If you read this, you should be mad enough to kick your dog. First, I want to say that we have good and honorable public servants in our county government but we have a few politicians who are sorry, self serving, power hungry and egotistical. The citizens of Spencer County need to know the truth and we are in search of the truth. In that search we are finding lies, cover ups and deceit.I served in three school systems in Eastern Kentucky for almost a decade. I truly had to fight the devil to give children a better education. The devil is politics, and now when I return home, I am having to fight more demons to protect our land and livelihood.

The airport issue is and has to be one of the saddest political fiascoes in the history of Spencer County. Let us start with the formation of the air board. Our county officials, under the recommendation from our county judge executive, appointed an airport board with three pilots, a retired person from the Federal Aviation Administration and two others. Stacked? I might add that in recent weeks two of the original board have resigned. I understand one said that he could not deal with what was about to happen and the other said he was wrong on this issue.The airport board chairman makes his living in aviation, he has recently purchased approximately 160 acres next to one of the sites and seems intent on shoving this down the throats of our tax payers. I have been told that an airport will cost an estimated $20 (twenty) million dollars with ninety-five (95%) of the costs being paid by the federal government. Is that supposed to make us feel better? Did they forget that we pay federal taxes, too? A year or so ago, federal pork barrel politics “hid” a proposal to build a bridge in Alaska that was to cost tens and tens of millions of dollars. When it became public knowledge that it was only to serve 40 or 50 homes, it was quickly defeated. We have the same issue here in Spencer with the building of a $20,000,000 airport which may only serve a hand full of people and it will be at the tax payers cost.

Twice during the last few weeks, we have had 35 people come to our home to discuss the situation that is threatening us. Many spoke about how we love our country but we could not trust some of our government. In the first paragraph I mentioned the difference in a public servant and a politician. Keep that difference in mind because I want to make it clear that we do have some level-headed people in our county government and I am in no way being critical of all our county officials. But, unfortunately, we have some politicians in our own local county government that have that same thirst for power and control that I have seen before. We also have another evil here in the county and it is the evil of apathy. I, too, have been guilty of apathy, but no more. I, like many others “assumed” we were in good hands but it has become very obvious that bad things happen to good people when they do nothing. Our county has thousands of good people and a few who are self serving. It is time that we all become more actively involved in our community even when things “appear” to be going smoothly.

The airport board hired a company, Entran, to conduct a site selection for the airport at the cost of $152,000. (Again, tax payer’s monies) When my wife asked if both the pros and cons were presented as part of the selection process an Entran person said that they were hired to show why a location is good and why an airport would be a good thing for Spencer County. In other words, we will tell the people who pay us what they want to hear. Needless to say, money talks.

Oldham County and Shelby County wanted no part of this airport when it was presented to them. But, we have learned that Magistrate, Bill Drury is willing and anxious to see this airport in Spencer County. It goes without saying that he sees this as a “political feather in his hat”. I see it as a cost to our county’s tax payers and the people who have supported him for years. He has repeatedly told us what a positive thing an airport can be for the county but based on the research I and any others have done airports such as this are very seldom financially successful and they, more times than not, become a tax burden of the county. Please go to these web sites to see information based on research done in Shelby and Oldham Counties when they were faced with the possibility of an airport. www.nooldhamairport.com and www.more-ky.org You will also find information about what is happening locally with regards to the airport proposal at www.KYfarms.org

Power is an evil use of force and it can be more addictive than drugs. We have a few politicians who want to build a playground for a special interest group at the expense of the tax payers. Our politicians need to find another source for their adrenaline rush.

Do politicians lie? Sure they do. Do public servants lie? No, they do not. My father once told me, “The longer a person talks, the more likely he or she will lie.” He also said, “If a person lies to you, he will lie again, and again.” Through open records and by cross referencing conversations we will find the truth and flush out the politicians. We will separate the good from the bad. We will also ask for resignations..no, we will demand resignations.

I do know that with two openings on the airport board Bill Drury is seeking another person with ties to aviation to fill one of the positions. I thought that the county judge executive makes the recommendation of the person/s to fill the opening so why is one of the magistrates doing this? It appears to me that once again a politician is trying to run things all by himself.

At the airport forum on Febraury 19th it was obvious that ‘the birds of feather were flocking together’. Your politicians, your special interest groups and those that stand to get rich from our hard earned tax dollars were sticking together. All the power players in this issue are not about serving the taxpayers of our county. What we have here is a small group who wants to take care of their own interests. At the forum you could see the smugness, the smirks and the attitudes of those involved. It was as if they were saying, “We will listen to these idiots, then we will do what we please.” My message to them is that you are going to see a rebellion from the people of Spencer County like you have never seen before.

There are e-mails, correspondence, open records and back door politics that are going to crumple the politicians of our county. This communication says, “Tell me what I want to hear, so I can get what I want.” The public servants will continue to serve Spencer County, but the politicians will fall.

I am challenging two things to our judge and county government. 1). Appoint an unbiased person to the open slots on the airport board. We do not need other people who have ties to aviation or who have a personal interest in the process.This will stop the under handed politics of those that are interested in serving themselves and will give our community true and factual information. 2). Let the land owners and taxpaying citizens host a forum that will present the OTHER side of the issue.

Again, I remind you that we have good honorable people serving our county and the process of the truth is going to flush out the rats.

I hope you will call your judge and magistrate and voice your concern of a potential airport and an airport tax. It is easy: No airport = No tax.

Ronald ‘Woodie’ Cheek

Airport Board Meeting Recap

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly…by Jim Pearson 

The Good: 

1.  The airport board passed a resolution stating that they would not use the power of Eminent Domain to acquire property from landowners who do not wish to sell.  This was actually a “no brainer” resolution, since a 1986 Kentucky Supreme Court Decision “appears” to have already removed that power from an airport board.

2.  State Department of Aviation Commissioner Steely does not support taking land for general aviation airports by use of Eminent Domain (but he is not part of the Eminent Domain process).  And, he admitted that the state of general aviation is in a decline.

3.  None of the three sites currently identified as possible airport sites have enough landowners who are willing to sell property.  This includes the state of Kentucky, who has property in the Dawkins airport site location.

4.  When you have landowners who won’t sell, and an airport board and state aviation department that do not support the use of Eminent Domain, then there is a deadlocked situation.  Therefore, the airport board passed a resolution that rescinds their support for the Entran Study, which identified the three possible airport locations.

5.  The airport board will not formally address any other sites until they have accomplished a detailed study on the:    

 a. economic impact of an airport

 b. viability of a business plan for the airport

 c. impact of an airport on property values

 d. public’s support for an airport

 e. best methods of communicating the need of an airport

6.  The airport board has no money to do the studies listed above.  The federal grant money can only be used to conduct a feasibility study—which Entran did.  While there is money left over from this study, it can’t be used outside a very strict set of guidelines for airport feasibility studies.  The money could be used for additional analysis of sites already identified by Entran.

 The Bad: 

1.  The airport board had an opportunity to stop the airport initiative today but didn’t take it.  The resolutions passed merely formalize what they had already decided at their December 2007 meeting.

2.  The airport board made it clear that they are willing to revisit any site within the Entran study—including the I-71 site, Blakemore site, Gathright site, and Dawkins site—when they have answers to the study areas listed above.

3.  The airport board intends to seek financial support for accomplishing all of their studies.  They recognize that any analysis accomplished must be seen by the public as unbiased.  They set no timetable for these studies to be accomplished. 

4.  The airport board did acknowledge the I-71 site as a possible airport location, but recognize there are additional costs to build on this site.  Judge Murner referred to this site as a “possible poisoned fruit,” but this is a site where the landowner (Kim Rash) is willing to sell enough property to build an airport.  I would expect that Kim Rash’s property—and perhaps the Eden Parksite—may be reworked by Entran, to show that they could be acceptable alternates.

5.  There are community businessmen & women who support this airport and will no doubt provide money for these studies.  I firmly believe the airport board can find the money to do the studies they want.

6.  The use of Eminent Domain is much more complicated than the airport board understands.  Currently, this power resides in the hands of our fiscal court.  If our fiscal court is given evidence that an airport could bring economic prosperity to Oldham County, then I believe they would consider using it—provided no other site could be found where there was a landowner willing to sell.

 The Ugly: 

After sitting through this two hour meeting, it was very clear that the airport board does not have the expertise to ask the right questions.  The fact that there is minimal aviation experience on the board has created a nearly impossible task for Mr. Westbrook.  So, Mr. Westbrook called for a “do over,” saying that the board needs to take a”time machine journey” [his words] back at least 6 months in order to properly address all the major concerns that have been voiced by the public.  The result is that there is no end in sight to this airport initiative.  Without a timetable for getting answers to the questions they themselves have asked, the airport board has failed to put a merciful end to this airport initiative, and will keep the county unsettled for the foreseeable future.

Homeowner’s Association President Speaks Out

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Viewpoints

The Oldham Era

P.O. Box 5

LaGrange, KY 40031-0005

Jan Jasper

President, Grand Dell Homeowners Association

Crestwood, KY 40014

To the editor:

 

I wish to express my admiration to all who voice their opinions in this venue, particularly regarding the proposed airport.  It is democracy at work. I eagerly read both the pro and con letters to see the argument and the points that are most important to the writer.

 

Opponents seem to worry about increased noise, pollution, a reduction in property values, and higher taxes to pay for an airport that probably has little to do with whether or not any corporation chooses to relocate to Oldham County.  They see the airport being used by those who primarily fly as a hobby.

 

Proponents have accepted the noise and risks associated with general aviation and cannot comprehend how anyone can be concerned with the sound of aircraft overhead or an aircraft accident every once-in-awhile.  After all, we live with trains running down main street LaGrange, and endure countless auto accidents.  So, what difference can a little general aviation airport make?

 

Proponents discount the real fear that landowners have over the use of eminent domain—to take by legal maneuver the very ground they have purchased through years of work.

 

Opponents desperately want to cling to a more rural way of life—and believe others who move here will also enjoy a more pastoral setting in which to raise a family.  They do not believe that every tree must be removed in order to offer all the advantages a metro area can provide.

 

Yes, people move to the county BECAUSE of its pastoral setting, something that seems to have been taken for granted for too long.  Perhaps it’s time to assess newcomers an impact fee, to help fund that careful planning needed to preserve our rural character.  The impact fees would also help alleviate county debt.

Letter to Oldham Era by John R. Brooks

note from noa 

letters to the editors reflect the opinion of the writer.

On January 20, 2008 there was a terrible and tragic accident when two general aviation airplanes collided in the skies over Corona, California in which five people were killed including an innocent bystander on the ground.  I lived in Norco, California between 1998 and 2000, my home was within four miles of the airport in Corona and my office was less than a mile from it. (The car dealership, where the debris fell and killed one of their employees, was less than one quarter mile from my office.)  During this period there were constant discussions among my neighbors and co-workers about the obvious risk of the airport being so close to residential and industrial areas, including at least four schools, and within a mile of the only east-west freeway for the thousands of people of Riverside County who commute to Los Angeles.  The Associated Press report indicated that there have been five fatal “accidents” at this airport in the past 10 years. 

Unfortunately incidents of this nature do not only occur in far away California, the Courier-Journal reported on December 8, 2007 that the small private plane that crashed near Bloomfield, KY, killing two people, and nearly hit the home occupied by a woman and her seven year old child.   Is that what County Judge Executive Murner, the Fiscal Court Magistrates, their appointed Airport Board and/or Chamber of Commerce want for Oldham County?  While mid air collisions are thankfully rare, aircraft accidents continue to occur – they are a fact of life around airports.  How would the members of the Oldham County Fiscal Court and/or Airport Board explain “why” to the loved ones of an innocent person killed by falling debris as occurred this past weekend at the Corona tragedy?  

Oldham County does not need a general aviation airport, but the Fiscal Court, the County Judge Executive, Airport Board and Chamber of Commerce seem to eagerly and blindly accept the questionable economic benefits alleged by an out of state airport consultant based upon responses by a mere six general aviation pilots to a survey their paid consultant crafted and sent out.  In my view, County Judge Executive Murner, the Fiscal Court Magistrates, the appointed Airport Board and/or Chamber of Commerce only see the chance to secure $20,000,000 of scarce Federal and State TAXPAYER funds. However, the risks to the citizens and taxpayers of Oldham County by going ahead with their proposed airport are not justified and are not worth the price the residents will have to pay in the long and short run. 

All citizens of Oldham County need to call write or email their magistrate and the Judge Executive to express their view on their proposal for an airport and request one of two things – the immediate disbanding of the Airport Board or better yet, a public referendum on the issue. 

Sincerely, John R. Brooks

Crestwood, KY 40014