John Murtha's Airport for No One

WSJ ^ | 9/4/09 | Mikey_1962

[Mikey_1962]

If you hate the hubbub of crowded airports, you might want to consider flying out of Johnstown, Pa. The airport sees an average of fewer than 30 people per day, there is never a wait for security, you can park for free right outside the gate, and you are almost guaranteed a row to yourself on any flight.

You might wonder how the region ever had the air traffic demand to justify such a facility. It didn't. But it is located in the district of one of Congress's most unapologetic earmarkers: Democrat John Murtha.

In 20 years, Mr. Murtha has successfully doled out more than $150 million of federal payments to what is now being called the airport for no one. I took a trip to southwestern Pennsylvania to explore how this small town received so much money and whether the John Murtha Airport is a legitimate federal investment.

There are many in Johnstown who see the airport as crucial. Johnstown Chamber of Commerce President Bob Layo tells me: "If the airport isn't paying dividends now, it will in the future." But those dividends appear to be a mirage.

There are a total of 18 flights per week, all of which go to Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. I was visiting the airport from Washington, but because flights cost a pricey $400, I drove. The drive took less than three and a half hours and cost about $35 in gas—not to mention that it was arguably faster than flying. And this isn't a remote area of the state: Murtha airport is less than two hours from the Pittsburgh airport.

[Mikey_1962]

"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. The latest investment was $800,000 from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to repave half of the secondary runway. (Never mind that the first one is hardly ever in use.)"

OINK OINK

[Wolfie]

I’m sure the voters in his district are outraged, and will not re-elect him.

[nufsed]

We need a top ten most wanted politicians list. Murtha, Pelosi, Reid, Rangel, Dodd............

[unixfox]

Funny, the only place they fly to is D.C.

Hmmm...wonder why that is.

[Question Liberal Authority]

George Bush failed to stop the Johnstown Flood, so it’s only fair that they should have this airport.

[slumber1]

I’m sure the voters in his district are outraged, and will not re-elect him.

Bill Polacek, a local businessman and a member of the airport's board of directors, told me that the citizens of Johnstown need Mr. Murtha's earmarks. "Quite frankly, if he didn't do that, we wouldn't elect him," he said.

Bread and circuses This is why we are doomed as a republic

[posterchild]

I count them among my least wanted politicians.

[posterchild]

Appears that only United Airlines serves the airport. I just looked up flts from JST and PIT to LAX (somewhere distant to allow multiple routes). All JST-LAX flts go through IAD which is a hub for United.

JST-LAX starts at $430 and PIT-LAX starts at $292 for Nov 11-15.

[nufsed]

Indeed. I’m looking for someone to do wanted posters and we run them like the FBI does the top ten.

[tcrlaf]

Because that’s the hub of the EAS contract winner, Colgan Airlines, with United....

They formerly had service to pittsburgh, but US Air has downgraded Pittsburgh as a hub.

While I don’t agree with the airport pork, the author needs a lesson in the Rural Air Service Program.

[Vigilanteman]

Map of Murtha's district.

Anyone who wants to see his district in .pdf format may click the above link.

Long story short is that it is one of the oddest shaped districts in the country. There are seven towns of any size in the district. Three are Murtha's base:

1. Monessen is a Kool-Aid drinking union town which still can't figure out the connection between always voting Democrat and industrial decline, crime and poverty.
   
2. Indiana is a college town which lives in la-la land, but has enough industry it is no longer as solid as it once was.
   
3. Johnstown which is, of course, Murtha's home and the head porker at the trough.

   Two towns are in transition:
   

4. Lower Burrell/New Kensington, which decided a few years ago it didn't want to follow the Monessen model and has attracted some industry as well as a branch campus of Penn Staqte.
   
5. Uniontown, which only recently decided it doesn't care for the Monessen model and has seen a slow comeback based on the occassional willingness to at least consider voting Republican, the most famous of whom is Joe Hardy of 84 Lumber fame who has also developed the nearby resort of Nemacolin.

   Two towns are trending Republican:
   

6. Latrobe-- the hometown of Arnold Palmer who is the antithesis of Murtha. He has fronted a lot of his own money to build the local airport, cancer treatment clinics and other civic improvements. The town continues to grow and attract new business. It has a local Catholic College (St. Vincent's) which actually has a few conservative professors and is probably the most pleasant places to live in Murtha's District.
   
7. Washington-- the biggest and most vibrant town in the district, benefits from it's junction location at I-79 and I-70. It has a pro-business climate and gets it's only low marks from complaints it has too much construction and traffic. It is also the hometown for the Washington County Commissioner who was Murtha's opponent in 2006.

Bottom line is that Murtha's margin of victory has slipped in the last two election cycles while the whole country was trending Democrat. In fact, until just a few years ago, the local Republicans gave him a pass by running no or only token opposition. Those days are over. Murtha was so worried in 2008 that he called in chits from the National Rifle Association to run pro-Murtha ads in the waning days of the campaign. There was such a backlash from the rank and file membership that they are unlikely to do it again.

Bill Russell, his 2008 opponent, is also not going away. At some point, the aging Murtha is either going to be beaten or opt for retirement. The demographics of his district are changing, despite its odd shape drawn just to suit him.

[Buckeye McFrog]

One might make an argument for the airport because getting to Pittsburgh International from the eastern suburbs (Westmoreland County, etc.) is extremely painful (I-376 through the heart of the University areas, Downtown and 2 tunnels in the heat of rush hour). But there is no local Johnstown demand for it save Murtha’s cronyism.

[jazusamo]

Thanks for your excellent post. With your permission would maybe like to use in future.

[smoothsailing]

[Vigilanteman]

Feel free. I am surrounded by his district on three sides and I've worked with more than enough Westmoreland County GOP volunteers to verify the facts thus laid out.

Pork is the only thing which has kept Murtha in office and now that the jackass party has a supermajority (and more competing demands for pork), his value to them is greatly diminished.

[Vigilanteman]

This would be a good argument for upgrading Arnold Palmer airport in Westmoreland County (Latrobe). Northwest made a decent go of it before ending service this summer, but everything had to go through Detroit.

[jazusamo]

Thanks much.

Murtha has gotten a lot of bad press since just after the first of the year on the pork and the ongoing investigation of PMA, Kuchera, etc.

It seems like some of the Dems have already tried to distance themselves from him and that Zer0 isn’t his friend although Pelosi is, I think she supports him because over the years he’s helped her.

Bill Russell just may be able to knock him off, if not this upcoming election maybe the next one because it doesn’t look like Bill’s going away.

[smoothsailing]

Washington-- the biggest and most vibrant town in the district, benefits from it's junction location at I-79 and I-70. It has a pro-business climate and gets it's only low marks from complaints it has too much construction and traffic. It is also the hometown for the Washington County Commissioner who was Murtha's opponent in 2006.

Minor correction:

Diana Irey, the Washington County Commissioner who challenged Murtha in '06, lived in Monongahela for many years until moving to 84 last year. Washington has never been her hometown. As a County Commissioner, her office is located in Washington; which is the County Seat. She commutes to work there.

[Vigilanteman]

You are correct. But since most people spend more of their waking hours at the office than they do at home, Washington is close to her hometown.

BTW, I had a business call there earlier this week and cannot believe all the traffic and construction activity going on . . . just a few miles west on I-70 from Monessen, where they are still boarding up and tearing down buildings.