Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Murtha Airport, brought to you by American taxpayers
Yahoo News ^ | Apr 3, 2012 | Jonathan Karl, Richard Coolidge & Sherisse Pham

Posted on 04/04/2012 8:48:25 AM PDT by bkopto

The Murtha Airport in Johnstown, Pa., is a prime example of taxpayer spending that refuses to die. Representative John Murtha steered some 150 million of taxpayer dollars to this eponymous airport over the last decade and despite the fact he died more than a year ago, the money keeps on coming.

Three years ago, we first visited the tiny airport, and found a monument to pork barrel spending: An airport with a $7 million air traffic control tower, $14 million hanger, and $18 million runway big enough to land any airplane in North America. For most of the day, the only thing this airport doesn't have is airplanes.

We flew there on one of three flights that arrive there daily, all of them from Washington D.C. About half the cost of every ticket, $100, is paid by American taxpayers, a subsidy Congress voted to renew just this past February.

The place had a shiny new luggage carousel, a state of the art tower, and some very bored air traffic controllers -- but very few passengers. The place is a tribute to the power of its namesake; everything from the reinforced runway to the radar facility to the new terminal, are all thanks to Democratic Congressman John Murtha, who died more than a year.

But the taxpayer subsidies that made his airport possible continue to flow. Since our visit, the Murtha airport has received from the federal government $559,476 in stimulus funds to rehab a back-up runway, $82,551 for air guidance signs, $226,638 to improve the taxiway, $19,412 wildlife hazard assessments, $95,950 and $62,325 to install weather reporting.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: murtha

1 posted on 04/04/2012 8:48:38 AM PDT by bkopto
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: bkopto

What I think/I’d like to say/really needs saying, isn’t printable here, so I won’t do it.


2 posted on 04/04/2012 8:54:18 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (I'd vote for a "orange juice can", before 0bummer&HisRegimeFromHell, gets another 4yrs. Can-> later.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bkopto
Since our visit, the Murtha airport has received from the federal government $559,476 in stimulus funds to rehab a back-up runway, $82,551 for air guidance signs, $226,638 to improve the taxiway, $19,412 wildlife hazard assessments, $95,950 and $62,325 to install weather reporting.

I thought this crap was supposed to stop . . . what with Boner in charge of congressional spending . . . And we're not supposed to worry about Mittens Romney getting into the White House to rubber stamp this crap each and every day?

My God . . . what are we taxpayers supposed to do? . . . Why didn't Bonehead stop this right there in congress . . . or was he playing golf with the muslim interloper who lives in our White House?

3 posted on 04/04/2012 8:54:31 AM PDT by laweeks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bkopto

Did Santorum support or oppose Murtha’s earmarks that built the airport??

I dunno - just asking?


4 posted on 04/04/2012 8:56:30 AM PDT by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said the goal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaeda" and its allies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bkopto
Murtha is gone (courtesy of malpractice by the Bethesda Naval Hospital medical staff), but he has relatives embedded in companies whose sole aim is to milk the American taxpayer. The family is a thriving criminal enterprise.
5 posted on 04/04/2012 9:01:10 AM PDT by twister881
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bkopto; smoothsailing
Murtha Airliness

H/T smoothsailing

6 posted on 04/04/2012 9:02:59 AM PDT by jazusamo (Character assassination is just another form of voter fraud: Thomas Sowell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: prisoner6; PennsylvaniaMom; A. Morgan; Ladysmith; rightwingintelligentsia; GregB

Wow.
Murtha airport ping.

I live only 30 miles from there and had no idea. I figured it was like our own tiny Jimmy Stewart airport here in Indiana County. Quinn has talked about the Murtha airport a lot.


7 posted on 04/04/2012 9:04:18 AM PDT by sneakers (Go Sheriff Joe!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bkopto

The airport? Hell, the entire city of Johnstown has been living on Federal largesse brought home by John Murtha (and little else) ever since those 10,000 mill workers were placed on waivers back in 1977.

Now that Murtha has assumed room temperature, and his former district is being recut into the greater Pittsburgh area, look for Johnstown to quickly empty out and become Ghosttown in the near future.


8 posted on 04/04/2012 9:12:31 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: twister881
Murtha "died more than a year"? Who knew? I wish he could've died more than the 15th century.

HF

9 posted on 04/04/2012 9:15:27 AM PDT by holden
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: holden; twister881
Murtha "died more than a year"? Who knew?

I understand he still intends to vote this year.

10 posted on 04/04/2012 9:55:11 AM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: jazusamo; bkopto; sneakers

11 posted on 04/04/2012 3:39:35 PM PDT by smoothsailing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: laweeks

Murtha - the man who was serendipitously exonerated because he held out for a bigger bribe! There you go - the US Congress - a den of thieves.


12 posted on 04/04/2012 4:06:47 PM PDT by GregoryFul (We all live in an Idiocracy, an Idiocracy, an Idiocracy...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: laweeks
I thought this crap was supposed to stop . . . what with Boner in charge of congressional spending . . . And we're not supposed to worry about Mittens Romney getting into the White House to rubber stamp this crap each and every day?

My God . . . what are we taxpayers supposed to do? . . . Why didn't Bonehead stop this right there in congress . . . or was he playing golf with the muslim interloper who lives in our White House?


Boner wants his airport someday...
13 posted on 04/04/2012 5:19:31 PM PDT by af_vet_rr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson