Spokane7
65°
February 21, 2011 in City
FAA bill touted as local job generator
Measure would bring array of airport improvements
Randy Julin, left, of Absolute Aviation Services, talks about the FAA bill as Todd Woodard, with Spokane International Airport, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell and Spokane Mayor Mary Verner listen.
(Full-size photo)
The U.S. Senate’s newly passed bill to modernize airports is being hailed a jobs measure that could create 2,200 jobs in Spokane County over six years.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the new chairwoman of the Senate’s aviation subcommittee, met with local politicians and business people Sunday morning in Spokane to laud the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. The $34.5 billion spending package allows airports to tap about $8 billion in user fees captured by the sale of every airline ticket to repave runways, upgrade hangars and buildings, and make other improvements.
The bill, which still needs approval from the House, also includes about $7 billion for a comprehensive reworking of the nation’s air traffic controls to adopt satellite-based Global Positioning Systems rather than continued reliance on ground-based systems. Called NextGen, this initiative would improve safety, cut delays, save fuel and create more high-tech jobs, she said. Spokane had 1,500 delayed flights in 2009, Cantwell said.
Other funding in the bill would pay for the vast FAA operations ranging from inspections to control tower management, her staff said.
Randy Julin, general manager of Absolute Aviation Services, said the bill would boost airlines and thus ensure they continue to send work to companies such as his specialized equipment repair service.
Absolute Aviation has grown from a two-person shop six years ago into a business that now employs 36 people refurbishing aircraft parts ranging from instruments in the cockpit to flashing wing strobes.
Spokane Mayor Mary Verner said supporting such business growth is needed to work this region out of the national recession.
Aerospace is a big piece of the local and state economy, Verner said. She said 3 million passengers pass through the Spokane airport each year, along with 46,000 tons of cargo. Aviation accounts for about 270,000 jobs in Washington state. While Boeing and other major firms in the Seattle area first come to mind, Verner said the number also includes scores of small Spokane businesses and corporate heavyweights with factories here such as Goodrich Corp., Kaiser Aluminum Corp. and Triumph Composite Systems Inc.
Verner joined Cantwell in calling for quick passage of the FAA bill – perhaps within 90 days – which they said could create 280,000 jobs across the country.
The Senate passed the reauthorization bill 87-8 last week.
Todd Woodard, marketing director for Spokane International Airport, envisions some $50 million in projects through 2016 that need FAA authorization.
Parishes giving $1.5 million toward settling sex cases 
oneanddone on February 21 at 5:32 a.m.
Hopefully, those in the House who know better, will see this bill for what it is - more gov’t spending of borrowed money from China. Communities that want improvements to their infrastructure should pay for it themselves. This sort of spending is what HAS TO STOP TODAY.
DickAdams on February 21 at 6:49 a.m.
I agree oneanddone. Users should foot the bill. Period.
berrybestfarm on February 21 at 7:31 a.m.
International Airport’s traffic such as ours here in Spokane are inter-state and inter-national in scope and a part of our national infrastructure. It is proper that the Federal government should finance them. It probably is time to modernize some of our airports. That said, I agree that now is not the time to increase spending. There is no indication that delaying this until our economy and budgeting are on track will put anyone at risk.
hawken on February 21 at 8:07 a.m.
If this is so important, to be done now, in the depths of a chronic recession, why was it not part of Obama’s budget? Why is it being initiated as a Senate bill rather than a budget item?
Obama had room for an $50-80 billion high speed rail to nowhere in his budget. Airports are much more important.
High speed rail is sure loser and would be a never ending suction of future tax dollars, like Amtrak that serves only 1% of the population.
Florida told Obama they would not participate in the high speed rail proposed to be built in their state.
This is another example of Obama’s failed, fiscal, leadership.
Ninch on February 21 at 8:10 a.m.
What do some posters not understand about “reauthorization” (the alternative is to privatize all airports) AND “user fees” (to pay for infrastructure improvements)? Note also that the “reworking of the nation’s air traffic controls” has been in the pipeline for years and is finally seeing daylight to bring us out of the technological dark ages. Besides increasing airport capabilities, the newer satellite GPS (Nexgen) will improve safety and SAVE MONEY.
Note also that Spokane INTERNATIONAL Airport serves a very large region across state lines… and the infrastructure improvements will be paid by “user fees.” So with these contextual facts please explain why “communities” instead should pay and how this could be done.
Is “spending” really increased? Probably because of the new revenue (user fees) for improvements and Nexgen (GPS), which means more bang for the buck. Also in this case jobs are generated. Please start looking at the big picture. This is not throwing money away.
Ninch on February 21 at 8:17 a.m.
I agree that Obama’s high speed rail vision is made up of smoke and mirrors and definitely out of step with reality. Funding high speed rail has to be somehow connected to who is funding his campaign (unions?). Obama is so removed from America’s needs and wants that his ideas appear as pure folly.
Ninch on February 21 at 8:21 a.m.
BTW: Cathy McMorris (GOP leader and our representative in the House) supports the FAA bill.
reservedparking on February 21 at 8:42 a.m.
OK then. Why not take some of the high-speed rail funding (you’re right - it’s not gonna fly this time around), and re-direct it to aviation infrastructure?
And again: Construction projects done now will save money in the long run. Materials and labor are all relative bargains right now - contractors are hungry, lots of labor in the pool needing work, job bids coming in under estimates. Why not reignite the economy a bit and get a bargain in the process?
woamike on February 21 at 9:29 a.m.
“Construction projects done now will save money in the long run. Materials and labor are all relative bargains right now - contractors are hungry, lots of labor in the pool needing work, job bids coming in under estimates.”
If only that were true. Government contracts tend to be “platinum” in nature. Why do you think contractors love to get in bed with the feds?
The company I work for does a lot of government work. If it weren’t for Uncle Sam and his generous profit margins, we’d probably go out of business. Or, at least have to get efficient, cut waste, fire under-performing employees and stop paying our top execs huge bonuses.
When I was in the military, I saw waste all the time. Ask anyone on active duty now. Government waste is pervasive and omnipresent.
In all goes back to human nature: people tend to be careful with their own money, but not when it’s some one else’s. Especially, when it’s “government money”. You know, the stuff they grow on trees.
meadman on February 21 at 9:45 a.m.
great idea to have local projects funded ONLY by local money — that would include the interstate highway system I suppose? That would mean we might have a nice 4-lane I-90 thru Spokane, it would turn to 2 lanes just outside of CDA, and going thru Wallace/Kellogg would become a gravel road until you get to Missoula where you would again hit 2-lane pavement…… I wish people would THINK before they do a knee-jerk reaction to any spending. What a novel idea that would be!!!
westerly on February 21 at 9:49 a.m.
Does Spokane International Airport really have foreign airplanes that land here? Or is just a few Canadian private aircraft which gives Spokane an ‘international airport?
de3 on February 21 at 10:25 a.m.
Air traffic at SIA -passengers and cargo - has been essentially flat for 15 years. Do we really need to pour tens of millions more in to this?
And Westerly, no, SIA no longer has any scheduled international flights.
spokanecougar on February 21 at 10:26 a.m.
Holy cow people……this is proving you just like to whine and complain just for fun.
This bill passed 87-8, that means this is about as BIPARTISAN AS YOU CAN BE, heck even the loser follower McMorris-Rogers who does everything the Crying Tan Man tells her to do is supporting this. Anyone who knows anything about this countries airports and airplanes knows this bill is about 20 years overdue. This is about safety people, use the damn brain in your head for once in your life and stop complaining just because this is being done under a democratic president, this was co-sponspored and supported by a majority of the republicans also.
But hey, I guess if people want our airplanes crashing into each other and flying around with broken and outdated equipment putting everyones life in danger, but all means continue your pathetic little lives of complaining about everything in this world. What a sad little world you people live in that hate everything.
hunternomore on February 21 at 10:39 a.m.
Flew several weeks ago. Few passengers. One non-stop to California. Exactly WHY does the airport need to be upgraded when it’s so podunk they don’t even have non-stop to CA year round? Sounds fishy to me! Wonder if they have something else in mind? For those who have eyes to see.
hawken on February 21 at 11:10 a.m.
My point was, poorly made, admittedly….
The airports should have been a priority in Obama’s budget,,,, not a high speed rail to nowhere.
Orphan on February 21 at 11:15 a.m.
Spokanecouger
“I guess if people want our airplanes crashing into each other and flying around with broken and outdated equipment putting everyones life in danger,”
Just like they always do? Drama drama and more drama.
mikeln on February 21 at 11:20 a.m.
This money would be better used to fix our crumbling infrustructure. Kind of scary wondering if the utilitys in your neighborhood are going to kill you because they are a half century old.
Dazzeetrader11 on February 21 at 11:23 a.m.
It’s an opportunity to spend other peoples money! Oneanddone nailed it. Look at the two stupid faces in the picture. The two women have elections coming up. This is the only reason this is an issue at all.
Both of them should be banished from the landscape for the spending they’ve already done. Don’t swallow this story. Those two faces need to get jobs….elsewhere.
Sorry for the contempt but how stupid do they think we are?!!?!?!?
liberal_in_right_wing_land on February 21 at 11:48 a.m.
So would you tea baggers rather have the government do nothing? If you like that move to like Haiti, Afghanistan or the other wonderful countries where the government does nothing. As others have pointed out this is widely supported by BOTH PARTIES, so please, stop complaining just to complain and whine, it makes you sound like bitter angry people, try being happy for once and see what happens.
BigBee on February 21 at 11:50 a.m.
Hey, nice picture Todd.
Dazzeetrader11 on February 21 at 12:03 p.m.
Liberal…it’s fun to spend more money.we know! Just theirs, not ours. We have education, etc to manage. Food for the poor sound like a good deal to you? This is about re-election.
Why now? Why not 1 month ago?
Don’t be naive, this one is staged for Cantwell and Verner. Nothing will happen but it IS something they can each point to.
It’s the faking out of the people with a “carrot”.
Business should do this,…..not the government using our tax money. Let the government feed the hungry. You libs like the latter don’t you?
tommyt37 on February 22 at 7:17 a.m.
It’s to bad people comment on things they don’t understand. FAA equipment is getting old. It costs more to maintain it in the long run then to replace it. Spokane airport is growing as well. New terminal upgrade, new tower extended runway to better support heavy cargo planes etc… if Spokane relied on local revenue only people here would be living in a city that would be a shell of what it is today.,People also don’t understand the united states air traffic system is just that a system. You have to update all airports so they all have the same type of equipment. This makes it cost less to maintain as well as any equipment that goes inside the individual plane works at every airport. Trust me folks this is needed. Cargo is going up and will do better with the longer runway. We have a new facility to paint,repair and maintain large commercial planes. Plan for the future and help keep our skies safe. Oh and to the person saying “well they aren’t crashing in to each other now” that’s what you want to happen first? Glad you aren’t in charge….9