New Iron County Airport

Roughly ten years ago, the populace of Iron County,
Michigan, let it be known that they wanted no part of
the county taking on a new airport. They did this by a
large representation at a County Board of Commissioners
meeting where they let their voices be heard. There was
no doubt about their wishes.

But our two main proponents wanting a new airport for
their own purposes, Messrs. Atanasoff and Oldenburg,
were not dissuaded from the pressures they've continued
to exert on the local political structure.

Oldenburg has a factory at 1520 W. Adams Street in
Iron River. He has his tax exemptions in place and things
are running smoothly for his business that has several
other locations in the region.

The Atanasoffs have a good sized facility at 303 Seldon
Road in Iron River, and has gas stations throughout
northern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula. Recently
Krist Oil, the corporation owned by the Atanasoffs has
started asking for a tax exemption for a tractor rebuilding
facility.

Both are viable, ongoing businesses in Iron County. Both
use airplanes for their corporate purposes. Neither has
given up on pressuring the county for a new, more luxurious,
airport funded by the public. There has been an occasional
mention in county board minutes about a new airport. In
fact, the county board set up an "Airport Committee" that
took the bit in its teeth, illegally appointed additional members
on its own, and failed to hold the public meetings required
by state law. This is what can generally be expected when
an arm of government cowtows to private interests rather
than complying with public interests. The existing committee
was dissolved by the County Board of Commissioners with
an eye to installing a new one, that will operate while complying
with state law, in January 2011.

Despite the absence of any formal County Board approval,
work on a new airport has apparently continued unabated.
It appears that Oldenburg's pilot recently visited the former
state prison in Iron River Township which has been reported
as a potential site for the proposed new airport.

There remain two problems. First, although it is proposed
that a new airport would cost the taxpayers nothing, there
is no plan in place to support ongoing expenses such as
maintenance without added taxation. The taxpayers in
Iron County will never stand for supporting a new airport
that is nothing more than a plaything for those wealthy enough
to own aircraft.

The second is that no satisfactory justification for building a new
airport has been offered by anyone officially involved with Iron
County. The only justification offered reads more like a cargo
cult mentality than anything real.

The two corporate entities that are interested cannot rationally
support an airport. There is no reason the public should support
one for them. When enough usage is demonstrated, a publicly
funded airport should be built. We have not reached that day.
Given our collapsing population and economy, that day doesn't
appear to loom in sight during this century.

Bill Vajk