They're like the energizer bunny...

"Michael 182" wrote in message
news:CMuzc.43181$0y.20397@attbi_s03...
Jay,

This will probably be a drop in the bucket, but I'll write to your city
council and point out that the only reason I have ever visited Iowa City
was
to land at the airport. I spent money at your Inn, a local restaurant, on
fuel at the airport, and visited a few shops around town. Maybe if you
were
armed with a hundred letters like this from this newsgroup and others,
perhaps (I know, it's a long shot) some council members might be swayed?

Mmm. Even visitors from overseas...

Paul

Jay,

Post the name and address of the council representatives that are dealing
with this and I'm sure that many of us will take ten minutes of our time to
post a letter to them explaining just how our only reaon for visiting was to
visit the inn. Hell, I've not been there - YET - but it's certainly on my
list of places to see when I qualify and come over to the states do do my
hour building.

Good Luck

Andy (Leeds, England)

"Jay Honeck" wrote:
Depression and despair rule the roost tonight in Iowa City.

After all the meetings attended, and all the editorials rebutted,
and all
the interviews granted, and all the letters written -- our City
Council
called a sudden, surprise joint meeting with our Airport Commission
tonight,
and announced their intention of putting the dissolution of our
independent
Airport Commission to a voter's referendum on the November ballot.
....

Just form an airport association by incorporating a nonprofit org and
seek IRS exemption as a probable 501(c)(4) if the annual gross
receipts - dues and contributions - are more than $5,000. If they can
dissolve the "commission," it wasn't independent.

If you involve AOPA in the event the ball starts rolling for closure,
AOPA will tell you they really want to deal with a legally constituted
org rather than an ad hoc collection of whoever. Better to do that
now, rather than in the rush of events following the first adverse
vote re closure by City Council. Where a formal org exists,
businesses are more prone to make contributions, and it sends a
message now that opposition to closure will be well organized rather
than just a few whining citizens.

Fred F.

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 03:51:11 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Depression and despair rule the roost tonight in Iowa City.

After all the meetings attended, and all the editorials rebutted, and all
the interviews granted, and all the letters written -- our City Council
called a sudden, surprise joint meeting with our Airport Commission tonight,
and announced their intention of putting the dissolution of our independent
Airport Commission to a voter's referendum on the November ballot.

snipped....

I've read a number of good suggestions and don't have any new ones of
my own, just a comment. Your fight is going to be a difficult one
because their is going to be a serious discrepancy between the
perception of what you are fighting and the reality that "you" know
you are fighting. What I mean by that is that you know that you are
fighting for the life of the airport. It's going to be hard to make
that a direct battle because they claim that this move will be good
for the airport, even though you know otherwise. As rediculous as
this sounds on the surface, you might fare better in the fight if they
were actually proposing to close the airport instead of simply
dissolving the commission. Your arguments against the commission
closing will have to be based on assumptions of how things will
transpire and that is much easier to rebut than if you were arguing
against "facts" that were clear to everyone. Good luck in the fight.
Rich Russell

Doesn't the University use that airport? Have you talked to them?



"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:Pmuzc.55284$Sw.10947@attbi_s51...
Depression and despair rule the roost tonight in Iowa City.

After all the meetings attended, and all the editorials rebutted, and all
the interviews granted, and all the letters written -- our City Council
called a sudden, surprise joint meeting with our Airport Commission
tonight,
and announced their intention of putting the dissolution of our
independent
Airport Commission to a voter's referendum on the November ballot.

This signals the end of our airport, plain and simple. The independent
airport commission was set up after World War II SPECIFICALLY to protect
the
airport from the political whims and vagaries of subsequent city
governments, and now the council has indicated that they intend to
dissolve
the only body that protects our airport from the land developers and noise
nazis.

I knew when I found the meeting agenda on the city website this afternoon
(posted just hours before the meeting) -- and it listed NO topic for
discussion -- that we were in deep ****. Boy, were we ever.

Upon hearing about this (almost by accident, from a connection deep within
the bureaucracy) I immediately sent a bulletin email out to the "Friends
of
Iowa City Airport" mailing list -- but it was too late. We only managed
to
get about ten members to attend, and there was no opportunity for public
comment. We just had to sit there and take it, while they spewed their
political lies and slanted bull crap about how this change would "help the
airport in the long run"...

I'm tired, man. We fight, and fight, and fight, and we defeat them at
every
logical level, both publicly and privately -- and then they pull together
a
sneak attack like this. Hell, even the airport manager -- a city
employee! -- didn't know about this meeting until last Friday, and he
didn't
know what it was going to be about until he walked in the door and was
broadsided.

I know what you'll say: Call AOPA. Hell, they're no help -- our local
"representative" is a commercial pilot -- who, in 7 years, I've never even
MET -- who only wants that title on his resume. I'm at the airport every
god danged day of my life, and I couldn't pick this guy out of a
line-up...
Helluva job he's doing.

We are soooo screwed.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Post the name and address of the council representatives that are dealing
with this and I'm sure that many of us will take ten minutes of our time
to
post a letter to them explaining just how our only reaon for visiting was
to
visit the inn.

Thanks. Until recently, each council member had their own email address
listed. Now there is but a single address that all their email goes to.

It is

Remember, however, that the way they are selling this change is newly
creative and unique. They are now claiming to be doing this to SUPPORT the
airport -- NOT to "close it down." They are selling it as a
"stream-lining" of government that will make the airport "more accountable"
to the tax-payers.

What they fail to understand is that they are not immortal. Perhaps THIS
council supports the airport, but in ten years it may not. Without an
independent Airport Commission to look out for the well-being of the
airport, there will be NOTHING to stand in the way of the land developers
and noise nazis.

THIS is what we must somehow communicate to the council.

Any letters would be appreciated.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Just form an airport association by incorporating a nonprofit org and
seek IRS exemption as a probable 501(c)(4) if the annual gross
receipts - dues and contributions - are more than $5,000. If they can
dissolve the "commission," it wasn't independent.

It's in the works.

Trouble is, those of us supporting the airport -- and there are many of
us -- are productive, working people who don't have five hours per day to
work on this. Many (like Mary and me) own businesses, and work long hours.

Those opposed to the airport all seem to have the summer off, and thus have
endless hours to ponder their next move...

:-(
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Doesn't the University use that airport? Have you talked to them?

One of the airport commissioners is a former CFO of the University
Hospital -- one of the major users of the airport.

That hasn't helped us much thus far.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

A wise person once said "Don't Agonize...ORGANIZE!"

Here's one newspapers coverage of the meeting:

http://www.dailyiowan.com/news/687685.html?mkey=1230111
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

That truly sux...

Here's the main local paper's coverage:

http://www.press-citizen.com/news/061504airport.htm
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"