Enough is enough.
First, the City of Worcester needs to save money. Although some will say ORH is costing us nothing this year, based on the hope that negotiations with MassPort will result in this year's deficit being paid is "fuzzy math". Last year ORH cost the tax-payers approximately $1,500,000 of which approximately 600,000 was debt service. If we downgrade to GA airport, we will save money.
Second, between the economy, the tightening credit markets and the high cost of fuel, there is little to no chance of ORH getting commercial service in 2008. Add to that a future potential airline has no idea of our future management, lets be realistic???
Third, our own consultant IMG recommended this. Read the report page 3 with the paragraph that starts off with the word "ultimately."
Fourth, the current mgmt can not get anything done. Two failed land RFP's, $300,000 of untapped grant monies, a 20 year Airport Master Plan that taken 5 years to create, the never ending construction work on Goddard, a horrible website and the failing conditions of the buildings at the airport tells you something.
From someone who believes in the potential of the airport, however, you need to realistic. We need to downgrade to a GA airport today.
Same Time Next Year
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It’s been nearly a year since I wrote about the problems that come from
having 11 bosses who are not on the same page about anything, as well as
suggestion...
4 months ago
8 comments:
Bill, blue ribbon committees, special study groups, task forces and the like are continually formed in Wocester...........ideas and recommendations are put forth and the council basically says.............we'll do what we want, when we want.....
As an example.........The Worc Municipal Research Bureau suggested to the school dept years ago that they look into privatizing custodial services....Caradonio's response......and I papraphrase..........that this would decimate the family of city employees in the school dept.
Fast forward to 2008 and again the schools are broke, the city is broke....the schools want more money (we gave them $4M of sidewalk and street money the last 2 yrs, per Nick K)............. but have they cut any costs by privatizing the custodial staff per WMRB reccomendations.......nope........
So why even bother putting forth any effort on the citys behalf..............when the money runs out.......the problems of inefficient labor will be solved by the appointed bankruptcy receiver.
Councillor Toomey (former school committee person) will be chairing a meeting between School committe and "cityside" money interests soon........anyone think she or any other power broker there will put forth the idea of privatizing school custodial services.....????....to balance the school dept budget????
Isnt it awful that the "city side" and the schools will have to compete for money.....talk about totally clueless as to how the real world works !!!!!!...I have to compete everyday or I am toast..
The Herald is today reporting that Kerry is trying to get (or already has gotten) about $6M to be spent between Barnstable Muni Airport & Nantucket Airport. They say he wants to see nice new buildings when he & Teddy Kennedy fly in during July & August.
Everytime I see that "a City that reads" with John Monfredo I laugh....one bookstore in the city..no where to buy magazines..maybe three places in the city where you can buy a Wall Street Journal..no one has any books to donate:>)
That phrase s/b more appropriately titled:
" A City That Breeds"
It will be money well spent on the Cape and Island airports because those fields are actually very busy and any road, rail, or air terminal that is busy means good things for the area that is served. I think Jahn is quite prescient in his observation in that when the city does end up in recievership the hard decisions will be made for us. John Mahoney
Bill, your problem is obviously LOGIC. You have too much of it.
You will keep hitting your head against the wall until you realize that you are dealing with people who don't think logically. That is why they are public sector hacks and you are a businessman. You will never understand their thinking because it doesn't make sense.
Check out the Keene, NH airport master plan that clearly admits that scheduled service is over and MOVES ON. It is based on reality, something ORH's top brass could use.
They may call you uninformed, but trust me, I know this industry in and out. Almost everything you say is right, Bill. Don't buy the excuses. ORH could have worked but the management failed. The city failed. Now, unlike Chicopee (which never bought a dime of Westover), the city of Worcester is on the hook for an empty terminal. It's too bad that you and Harry are the only ones who remind people about it anymore.
If you analyse the airport budget vs the recommendation in the IMG report, you'll find the IMG report grossly under-estimates the savings of downgrading to GA only.
Go find the Fitchburg Airport budget and compare it to ORH.
ORH could actually turn a profit if it wasn't sinking millions into a part 139 certification.
There some inherent conflicts of interest when a consultant has to recommend a downgrade in the underlying operations that they are analyzing.
It surprised me that they even recommended this and I would not be surprised if the savings number was underestimated.
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