I knew it was too good to last....

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Uh oh. The Argus is reporting that the federal gravy train that subsidizes my flight back and forth between Pierre and Brookings might be going away.

It probably didn't help that when I last flew (on the early bird flight on the 13th) that I was the only passenger from Brookings to Pierre:
Looking for a $60 flight to Pierre or a $200 flight to Denver from Brookings? Better book before September, when the flights are likely to go away.

A $1.2 million taxpayer subsidy that has kept 19-seat turboprop jets flying from Brookings’ airport since October is due to expire in September, which could leave the city with no commercial air service.

and...

The U.S. Department of Transportation -- in granting the most recent service last fall -- said Brookings wouldn’t get future grants if flights this year cost more than $200 in subsidies per passenger per flight. The average amount it’s paying currently is more than twice that, despite passenger numbers increasing year-over-year.
Read it all here at the Argus Leader.

Yeah, ok. I know it's subsidized all to heck. But when it's a choice for $60 for one way drive back to Pierre this evening, or $29 plus tax for one way last weekend, which one would you choose?

Actually, I'm a bit surprised that the Argus didn't contact me on this story, since I'm one of the few who use the flight with any regularity.

(I'm not helping my case any, am I?)

Comments

Anonymous said…
PP, shame on you, this is the problem. Like you, folks say "Yeah, ok. I know it's subsidized all to heck. But when it's a choice for $60 for one way back to Pierre this evening, or $29 plus tax for one way last weekend, which one would you choose?" The answer is "What ever is available!" If it's worth it to me to get to get where I need to be, fast, for $60, then I'd choose it. Let the market do it's work and quit making others pay your way. If needless gov. regulation gets in the way, remove it. No more porkbarrel for pp, at least for the time being.
11:48 PM
Anonymous said…
This is ala carte Republicanism at its best - surpassed only by Senator Thune's support for the DM&E loan. The Golden Rule of the new "fiscal" Republicans seems to be: If you benefit from the subsidy, than lets ignore free market principles.
5:51 AM
PP said…
Apparently there's a serious affliction on this post where people fail to understand the use of literary tools such as sarcasm and irony.

Hence the use of such terms as "federal gravy train that subsidizes my flight" and "I'm one of the few who use the flight with any regularity."

I know it's subsidized to the max. And I'm arguably the primary beneficiary, since few others actually use the flight.

Did I say "oh no! We need to continue the subsidy for the children" or some other nonsense like that? No.

Apparently subtlety is futile on something like this.
7:45 AM
Anonymous said…
That's a great idea! Bring back passenger train service between Brookings and Pierre! Oh my, now I've gone and done it another federally subsidized form of transportation... ALLLLL Aboard!
11:11 AM
Anonymous said…
There's always the State plane. That's subsidized too - by SD taxpayers
2:37 PM
Anonymous said…
PP - I get your tongue in cheek comments. But this is one of the reasons why I get so frustrated with my Republican party. We complain about the federal government subsidizing our life, but then we don't do anything about the subsidies that benefit us (to the detriment of our country). I am guessing that the the subsidy dollars that go towards PPs cheap airfare from Pierre to Brookings could have purchased a lot of body armour for our troops who are fighting terror overseas.

At some point you have to act. Stop enabling our government, and put the keys in the car and drive to Brookings!

At some point our Republican legislators have to act in other ways as well. Stop paying lipservice to protecting life and put our state legislative majority to work to ban ALL abortions.

Until our Republican party stands up and takes action, we will be played by the liberal elite like puppets on a string.
6:31 AM
Anonymous said…
PP, you'd probably feel a little better about the whole thing if you weren't driving a Sub getting about 12 mpg. Have you considered actually moving in with your family?
9:36 AM
Douglas said…
"Until our Republican party stands up and takes action, we will be played by the liberal elite like puppets on a string."

Ummm? How did you get to this conclusion following the comments in your post?

Highways are subsidized..perhaps not for drivers of small cars, but certainly for large trucks because they never pay enough fuel tax to come close to covering the comparable damage they do to highways versus small cars.

Light rail for people transportation makes more sense than a war in Iraq that requires more money for armament and protection to protect big oil company profits.

Reading Republican propaganda one would think that only farmers and welfare queens with Cadillacs are the only users of subsidies. While in reality, they are nearly everywhere.

As for the dangers of satire and irony, by now after the primary election that put Rounds in by default, PP should know that most Republicans have no sense of humor.
10:33 AM
PP said…
9:36 - You know those typhoon class subs can be a bitch to park as well.
11:41 AM
Anonymous said…
Okay folks, on the Brookings side of the things i hear they want to build a new airport in the south eastern area of the county. Then you hear that Sioux Falls wants to upgrade and expand then I hear they want to move the airport closer to Dell Rapids.
So what gives??
I hear SDSU has had a strong voice in the Brookings area now that they have moved up a league in sports.
So is anyone else hearing this????
Input.
5:30 PM
Anonymous said…
SDSU has a strong voice in Brookings because it is a major economic force. The increase in enrollment over the past several years has been incrediable for the economy. The increase in research and the Inovation Campus will continue to give SDSU a strong voice in Brookings. Div I sports is only part of the story. The University wanting to grow and improve in all areas is the story.
7:29 AM
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