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Sunday, June 22, 2008 Privatization talks continue
to taxi at airport
OnMilwaukee.com
The idea to privatize Milwaukee's
Mitchell International Airport refuses to be grounded. The airport actually
makes money for the county and isn't in major disrepair or in need of an
overhaul, yet some local officials continue to carry the torch for selling it
off. Tiring of such talk is state Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee), who is doing
his best to shoot down the plans. After recent reports that privatization
backers are still running amok, Carpenter points to Detroit's failed attempt at
letting a small cadre of business interests run their airport. Detroit
transferred control of two airports in 2002. "Detroit's new agency now has 46 executives making more than $100,000
per year, and 53 executives who got perks of vehicles or vehicle
allowances," notes Carpenter. That's "double the amount from when the
Detroit airport was run publicly." He goes on to say that before privatization, the travel budget for Detroit
airport executives was less than $100,000, but last year the new authority
spent over $850,000 on travel for executives. Carpenter says a survey that got 2,100 responses from his district found
only 6 percent in favor of a transfer of the airport to control by a
non-elected agency. "Any discussion of changing the structure or finances of Mitchell
Airport will have to fly against many questions," he says. Milwaukee County Board Chair Lee Holloway has flown into the debate as well,
albeit in a less headstrong way than Carpenter. "The proof will be in the details," says Holloway. "The
airport uses no property tax dollars in its operation and all revenues
generated from passengers and airlines are used to maintain and improve the
airport. A private operator, however, would keep profits and could put
additional cost burdens on both passengers and airlines. I am also concerned
about a plan that does not provide safeguards for property tax payers in the
event that privatization would fail." |
