Jim DeMint
U.S. Senator, South Carolina
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DeMint to Force Vote to End Taxpayer Subsidies for Murtha ‘Air-Pork’
Airport received $200 million in tax dollars, averages only 20 passengers and 3 flights daily |
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September 16, 2009 - Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Steering Committee and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, announced he will offer an amendment to end taxpayer subsidies for the John Murtha Airport, a little used 650-acre facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that has received at least $200 million in taxpayer funding. U.S. Congressman John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania), who the airport was named after, has personally directed $150 million in federal funds to the facility even though it only has 3 flights daily to one destination: Washington, D.C. In May, the House failed to halt funding to Murtha’s airport by a vote of 263-154.
“This is a test to see how serious we are about stopping wasteful spending. If we can’t stop this ridiculous abuse of taxpayer funds for a deserted airport, we can’t stop anything,” said Senator DeMint. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans just marched on Washington to protest out-of-control spending and debt. Millions of Americans are speaking out, but are we listening? This airport -- where the staff and taxpayer-funded buildings outnumber the passengers -- is a national embarrassment.”
“Congress must earn back America’s trust, and we can begin by drawing a line here. No more tax dollars to wasteful boondoggles that serve as monuments to politicians. Enough is enough. Sadly, the House failed to stop this, but the Senate has a chance to stand up for taxpayers. How can any of us justify to our children and grandchildren that we increased their taxes and debt to fund this waste?”
MORE INFORMATION ON MURTHA AIR-PORK
- Named the John Murtha Airport, 650-acre state-of-the-art facility in Johnstown, PA
- Received $200 million in federal funds over 20 years, $150 million steered by Murtha himself, who uses the airport for campaign stops
- Only 3 flights daily, to only one destination: Washington, D.C. (Dulles airport)
- Averages 20 passengers daily
- Received $800,000 in stimulus funds this year to repave a backup runway, even though the airport manager says there are no safety issues with the current runway.
- Has an $8.5 million radar system paid for by taxpayers, that remains unstaffed and unused.
- Airport passenger count has fallen by 50% in the past 10 years, as federal funds continue to pour in
- Federal funds subsidize every flight into the airport, an average of $100 per passenger on each flight
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See also:
- The Wall Street Journal : The airport has an $8.5 million, taxpayer-funded radar system that has never been used. The runway was paved with reinforced concrete at a cost of more than $17 million…Airport Director Scott Voelker admitted in an interview that having a never-used unmanned radar system is "dumber than dirt."
- The Washington Post: When Johnstown native Bill Previte arrived on a recent morning, he lamented that his plane was half-empty and that the terminal was deserted. "Doesn't it seem kind of ridiculous to have a motorized carousel for the baggage claim when 15 people get off the airplane?" he said. "It's obvious: There's not enough population to justify this place.”
- ABC NEWS Video
- CNN Video
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Charleston
112 Custom House
200 East Bay St
Charleston, SC 29401
P: 843-727-4525
F: 843-722-4923
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Columbia
1901 Main St
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Columbia, SC 29201
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Greenville
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Greenville, SC 29601
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Washington, D.C.
340 Russell
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
P: 202-224-6121
F: 202-228-5143
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