Cleared for Takeoff
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
June 16, 2023
Without action this week, rural airports in Aberdeen, Watertown, and Pierre would have faced over $4 million in new expenses over the next ten years. This cost burden would have many potential impacts: flight cancelations, higher ticket prices, and maybe even a risk of closure if our local governments can’t come up with these additional funds.
A committee I serve on proposed this change, and I stopped it. If this change had been made, traveling in and out of these towns would have impacted “life as we know it” for many travelers. One small change to a bill in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee made all the difference and saved these three airports from facing daunting expenses.
I was proud to lead efforts to exempt the most rural airports from the original provision that would have taken millions of dollars away from our small towns. These rural airports are well over 175 miles (a three-hour drive) from hub airports. Requiring our most rural airports to incur hefty costs isn’t sustainable. The financial burden would likely end in higher flight prices or the city government laying off employees or cutting other services, changing the social fabric of these towns.
We have a commitment to connect rural and metropolitan areas. The risk of losing these airport services would fracture that commitment. The airports in Watertown, Aberdeen, and Pierre connect South Dakotans to other parts of the state, region, and country.
Our state capital is the second smallest in the country. Without the Pierre airport, or with higher costs, our state legislators, state employees, and visitors would be forced to travel hours by car from airports like Sioux Falls and Rapid City or pay higher ticket prices for their flight.
Thankfully, my amendment was adopted and the airports in Aberdeen, Watertown, and Pierre won’t have to face this burden—protecting your airports and flights around the state.
Wheels up!
So, the federal government and its money is good? How do the free market republicans feel about this?
as i recall, daugaard always felt that since this type of subsidy was going to states no matter what, it would be irresponsible to not get sd’s share of it. the consistency of position kicked in when republican leaders would say ‘no’ to six months or a year of federal money if it required the state to set up a permanent new costly ongoing social program.
Republican Socialism.
Oh look here…two dfp minions spouting the shortyberger line.
I think they are merely pointing out some hypocrisy. Republicans rail against the federal government and its out of control spending but then gloat about money propping up airports that the free market would have shuttered long ago.
For whatever it is worth, I have no problem with the federal government propping up those airports as it is good for all three of those communities.
And I’m merely pointing out that the dfp minions loyally follow herr heidelbergers lead and completely ignore their hypocrisy. Goebbelberger loves to make accusations of “republican socialism” but if Johnson wouldn’t have been successful he would have accused him of not representing SD. I’ve seen him do that many times.
But of the market does not support it………….
The goebbels want-to-be would have criticized him either way is the point.
Cory has free rent in your head
But notice that you don’t dispute the point.
I am not a DFP minion but calling out the hypocrisy of Republican Socialists. Curious which cronies are going to get the contracts and be at the hog trough on these federal dollars for the improvements.
If the Democrats do ir, it is Socialism. If the Republicans do it, it is good business.
the clintons used to engage in this kind of false equivocation, taking two very different things and calling them exactly the same.
Enquirer..I admire your insight usually but do not understand why my comment is a false equivocation.
sorry, i should be more clear sir. i don’t immediately agree with the notion that republicans and democrats do anything in a sufficiently similar way to invite direct comparison. you always have to factor in the battle strategy and long term goals in whatever is done in the moment. the clintons, bless their dark little hearts, used to excel in diverting attention away from their million dollar crime by pointing loudly to a thousand dollar republican crime.
Enquirer–thank you for your thoughtful response. Yes, Billy and Hilly excelled at Mendacity. There is plenty of that in our politics and which Party exceeds the other, seems to me, to be a case of Tweedledum and Tweedeldee. We should be thankful that the country has amazing resilience which is a credit to its people who have built the strongest economy in the history of the world. Both parties are committed to a “Mixed Economy” as Congressman Johnson has espoused in securing airline service for our smaller markets.
agreed