Health & Fitness
Is There Really A Need To Expand the Runway at Palomar Airport?
Opinion: More tax dollars at risk of being spent on a "public" project that will benefit but a few.
This past September, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors agreed to spend $737,000 tax-payer dollars on a , the subject of which is to add an additional 1,100 feet to the existing runway at .
Proponents of the runway expansion, the majority of whom have business interests linked to the airport, are local politicians, or government bureaucrats, will tell anyone within ear-shot that Palomar's ability to accommodate larger jets, both those of private and commercial passenger variety, will boost tourism, tax receipts, and public safety.
Opponents, mainly home and business owners within proximity of the current flight path of the airport, claim the increased traffic will only exacerbate an already intolerable noise and safety concern.
Find out what's happening in Carlsbadwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Regardless of your position on the topic, the major hurdle which has yet to be vetted, let alone overcome, is whether or not the 1,100 feet of landfill (a politically-benign term for "garbage dump") is solid and toxically safe enough to handle heavy aircraft. Hence the Board of Supervisors' approval of the feasibility study. Which begs the obvious question: Does Palomar really even need an expanded runway? Currently, out of all the major passenger airlines, only United, via it's "Express" shuttle brand, offers a limited daily schedule to one destination; LAX.
In recent years past, other majors have planted themselves and then died on the vine at Palomar. There simply is not, and never has been, public demand for such service. In matters not which government agency is the financial source of the project, spending what will surely be millions of tax-dollars on a runway expansion seems on the surface only an award of political self-aggrandizement and aviation industry cronyism graft. What other conclusion can be drawn? This country and state is mired in enough debt, and "stimulus" spending examples such as this are unnecessary. Palomar Airport is a great asset to our community. The adage is old but is applicable in this case; "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
