Readers comments below
$28 million and 14 years later, BH airport work nears hoped-for completion in 2011
By Scott Aiken - H-Palladium
Sunday, September 12, 2010
BENTON HARBOR - It is a project being done in fits and starts, an undertaking at the mercy of the flow of federal funding.
Now, after 14 years and $28.2 million spent or allocated, a completion date is on the horizon for the runway safety project at Southwest Michigan Regional Airport...
angry tax payer wrote on Sep 12, 2010 1:39 PM:
" Since it is my tax money paying for all of this and it is federal mandated, then commerical flights should be coming in and out. It is a major pain the rear, to have to fly to kazoo or sbend, and then get a rent a car. It is just not right that this is only for Whirlpool!!!! "
So Like... wrote on Sep 12, 2010 1:58 PM:
" ...where are all those jobs that have been continually promised with all those airport millages? Come on, where are they? BTW: what's wrong with flying into/out of SBN...it's closer than most folk in Chicago to ORD? "
Hopeless wrote on Sep 12, 2010 4:23 PM:
" All the plans in Benton Harbor but no Fire Dept. The ISO - (Insurance Services Office Rates) will the so high that the Business will not be able to get insurance. Thanks Joe Harris "
Steve wrote on Sep 12, 2010 6:30 PM:
" JamesO: this is a challenge to you: Prove your point! We've heard this rift for years but still no jobs. Most airmail comes into So.Bend; no commercial service,; wealth transfer from taxpayers to private airport users takes investment money away, etc. BTW: Bringing folks in for golf doesn't count. I dont want words- I want facts, numbers, stats, revenue vs. costs, etc. "
mikell wrote on Sep 12, 2010 6:58 PM:
" Sorry no factory jobs putting together widgets for $20 an hour. All the widget production because nobody would back the union. Union had power America was great and now look management has power and Were dying "
Marge Inovera wrote on Sep 12, 2010 8:05 PM:
" Don't the FAA requirements have some relation to the intended uses of a runway. I notice that Andrews University has a dinky little airport, but it's used for flight training in tiny little planes. If the FAA wants more runway, then it's presumably for Whirlpool's jets. OK, if Whirlpool needs it, let Whirlpool pay for it. "
always positive wrote on Sep 12, 2010 11:15 PM:
" Ross International Airport - The airport to nowhere. "
frr wrote on Sep 13, 2010 1:20 AM:
" I GUESS THE ONES WHO HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR THIS RUNWAY WILL NEVER GET A CHANCE TO USE IT, ITS ONLY BEEN 14 YEARS. OH WELL IT TOOK THEM ALMOST 50 YEARS TO BUILD THE EXPRESS HIGHWAY TO SOUTHBEND BUT WILL NEVER FINISH IT HERE. AND BENTON HARBOR STILL DOES NOT HAVE A ON AND OFF RAMP OF ITS OWN TO GET IN AND OUT OF THE CITY TO DETROIT AND CHICAGO. WHAT A JOKE. WE THE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN JUST USED UP. MAYBE WE SHOULD QUIT
GIVING THEM OUR TAX DOLLARS SO FREELY."
What a Joke wrote on Sep 13, 2010 8:46 AM:
" Marge Inovera is right. This project is for Whirlpool and the Cornerstone spin on this article/project is going to be another Harbor Shores. "
Pilot wrote on Sep 13, 2010 10:28 AM:
" Hey Mike, If you really lived out there you would know that there have NEVER been 100 flights a day at the airport.
The ESTIMATE is that there have been 100 takeoff's and landings. Clearly, NOT the same thing.
Sixty five million dollars flushed down the toilet on that airport in the last twenty years and for what? "
Really wrote on Sep 13, 2010 10:51 AM:
" It was to be a six person board, Al Todd is the representative from Lincoln Township but he is a department head for the city of St. Joseph. The city of st Joe also has a representative on the board. Does that mean the city of st Joseph really has two votes? Is this an agenda by st Joseph to control Benton Harbor's airport. Mr Todd should resign as the Lincoln Township representative, so there is a true transparent view of the airport board and its workings. "
So Like Again... wrote on Sep 14, 2010 7:24 AM:
" ....where are all the jobs this thing has promised to bring over the last 25 year? I mean, why else do we need this thing? If folks who use private aircraft lived in Chicago, it'd take 'em longer to get to their plane there than in the Twin Cities getting to South Bend. "
http://www.heraldpalladium.com/articles/2010/09/12/local_news/1862855.txt
