"Fired Augusta, Georgia Airport Director to Rat Out Former Employer"

Wednesday, September 3, 2003

Kraemer will fight grants 
By Preston Sparks
The Augusta (GA) Chronicle


Just four weeks ago, he worked for Augusta Regional Airport. Now, a month
after his firing, the airport's former director is threatening to work
against the facility.

"The irony here is that a month ago I was in Washington, D.C., lobbying for
more federal grants for Augusta," Ken Kraemer, the former director of
Augusta Regional, said Wednesday. "Now I'm going to be lobbying for the
federal grants to stop."

Mr. Kraemer announced Wednesday that he had requested paperwork from the
Federal Aviation Administration on Friday to file a complaint against
Augusta Regional and its implementation of federal grant assurances. His
goal, he said, is to start an FAA investigation, prove that the airport has
been in violation of grant assurance stipulations and prevent future federal
grants from coming to the airport.

Mr. Kraemer, who was fired by a 5-4 vote of the Augusta Aviation Commission
on Aug. 7, says he'll mull over the stipulations and file for an
investigation.

Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the FAA, said that past complaints
concerning airport grant assurances involved those who felt they either were
discriminated against or were the victims of an unfair bidding process
involving an airport contract.

"We are not aware of any case in which the firing of an individual was found
through a complaint process to be a violation of grant assurances," she
said.

But if a complaint were filed by Mr. Kraemer, she said, it would be
thoroughly investigated. Mr. Kraemer said his complaint might involve his
termination, but it could also relate to other issues at the airport.

"I can imagine that within 32 pages of federal bureaucratic rules and
regulations (concerning grant assurances), I'll be able to find something to
justify an investigation," he said.

He added that any investigation would be lengthy.

"It might be a year before we learn the results, but that's not going to
stop me from defending my rights," he said.

Cedric Johnson, the chairman of the Aviation Commission, said he knew of no
grant violations by the airport.

"The things Mr. Kraemer wants to do, he can go on and do them," he said.
"But we're putting them behind us, and we're going forward."


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