[RTC List] Bringing Delta Airlines to the Eureka/Arcata Airport

Mon Dec 17 12:32:40 PST 2007

Dear Madelin,
    I concur with your analysis.  Mr. Welch is confused.  Growth and development are different.  We do, however, need both. 
    As a 110 year family resident of our area, I am in shocked by folks move in to our area and want to tell us what to do and want to tell businesses if they can locate here.  I guess that it is great if you are first and can keep all others out.  It is not an efficient and sustainable business model and keeps the working folks poor.  (See Russian controlled economy failure for reference)
    Delta should be allowed to come in if they want. If folks don't want to use them, they can vote with their pocket books and not fly on Delta, or for that matter, not fly at all... Thus even more greatly reducing their carbon footprints.  SN, on the other hand, voted with our check book and committed to buying a significant block of Delta tickets.  Given that most of our travel is to the south and east, our conclusion is that Delta will be cheaper, more convenient and will have a smaller carbon footprint than what we have today.  
    Still, we would never tell anybody that they must take Delta or the contrary for that matter. 
    In the long run and in the short run, competition creates more choice and affordability for consumers.  I am for the working folks and want everybody given opportunities that some, seemingly without any thought, (perhaps with arrogance) feel entitled to summarily deny them.  Let the system work.  It is not perfect, but it has yielded better results than another other in the history of man kind.             
    I truly wish each and every one of you a Blessed and Merry Christmas.

                            Vty,

                            Rob

-----Original Message-----
From: list-bounces at redwoodtech.org [mailto:list-bounces at redwoodtech.org] On Behalf Of Madelin Holtkamp
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 10:58 AM
To: 'Michael Welch'; list at redwoodtech.org
Subject: Re: [RTC List] Bringing Delta Airlines to the Eureka/Arcata Airport

Mr. Welch's argument that if people needed it, they wouldn't come here, could apply equally well to broadband or any other type of infrastructure.  He also confuses growth and development, but that is, perhaps, another topic.

Madelin Holtkamp
Executive Director
RREDC
520 E Street
Eureka, CA  95501
707-445-9651 
707-445-9652 (fax)
www.rredc.com

-----Original Message-----
From: list-bounces at redwoodtech.org [mailto:list-bounces at redwoodtech.org] On Behalf Of Michael Welch
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 9:38 AM
To: list at redwoodtech.org
Subject: Re: [RTC List] Bringing Delta Airlines to the Eureka/Arcata Airport

Once again, we are being fed a common fallacy. There is no connection between adding Delta to the airport roster and more jobs and prosperity. This is merely a convenience for a handful of people in our community. 

Historically, flights and airlines come and go in Humboldt County. Yes, Delta may come here, but they also will probably leave again when they find a more convenient place for their service. No business that properly does its homework will move to Humboldt based on a likely-to-be-temporary increase in airline service. 

Further, people are starting to realize that growth is not all that it was cracked up to be, and is no longer the sacred cow that it once was. What most in this community want is quality of life, which is really why we are here instead of the kinds of places that have lots of flights and unlimited growth. Our quality of life will not be increased by growth, but it can be maintained by keeping growth to a minimum. Growth translates to often excessive prosperity for a few, but the rest of us end up with more crowded roads, more crime, more taxes, higher property costs, more local pollution, more low-paying service jobs, fewer natural resources, and a degradation of Humboldt County's natural beauty.

Finally, and most important, in this day and age of global warming, the absolute worst form of transportation in terms of pollutants per passenger miles is airline travel.

C'mon, gang, we do not need another airline here. We do not need another connection to another hub. Just say "no" to Delta, just as if it is a drug being offered by dealers of unfettered growth. 

CrawfordCA at aol.com wrote at 12:40 PM 12/16/2007:

>To the RTC list  ...
> 
>If this is not of interest to you, I apologize for the intrusion. We as 
>individuals and businesses have a crucial deadline coming up 12/20 to pledge a minimum of $2000 each in air travel as an incentive to attract Delta Airlines to begin twice-daily service from Eureka/Arcata to Salt Lake City (a Delta hub).
> 
>You do not need to write a check or provide credit card billing right 
>now  ...  just fill out the attached form and fax it to Madelin Holtcamp at the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (FAX = 445-9652).  This is a creative financing promotion used successfully by the aviation consulting firm that RREDC is using to create better travel options for local individuals and businesses. See the description below for more information.
> 
>If you've done ANY air travel in and out of Eureka/Arcata, you'll know 
>how uncertain connections to other cities can be --  this attributable more than 50% of the time to weather and air traffic in San Francisco as it is to our own local fog, wind and rain. A connection to another city, especially a hub city such as Salt Lake City, means much more than one added flying option. It means better business opportunities for the North Coast.
> 
>Give your friends, neighbors and co-workers a Christmas present they 
>can really use  ...  jobs and prosperity  ...  by pledging your $2000 or more today.
> 
>Thanks for your consideration, and Merry Christmas !!
> 
>Chris Crawford <http://www.justiceserved.com/>www.justiceserved.com
>707-443-1944
> 
> 
> 
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (From Gregg Foster, with slight edits)
>
>Dear friend of the Arcata-Eureka Airport:
>
>Itâ€™s probably been awhile since youâ€™ve heard anything new about efforts to attract a new airline to our local airport.  Briefly, while I was at RREDC, we initiated a project to recruit new air service.   Our top priorities were to either attract a new airline or to secure a new eastern destination.    Ideally, the new service would serve both priorities.
>
>On October 3, I joined Airports Manager Jacquelyn Hulsey, Public Works 
>Director Tom Mattson, and Joseph Pickering from RREDCâ€™s consultant Mead and Hunt in a presentation to Delta Airlines officials at their headquarters in Atlanta.  Our purpose in meeting with them was to discuss their interest in initiating service from our airport to their western hub in Salt Lake City.  In short, our meeting with them went very well.  They have expressed their strong interest in starting twice per day jet service to Salt Lake City.
>
>Why are we interested in Salt Lake City?  Currently, Delta Airlines 
>offers 373 peak day departures to 115 non-stop destinations from Salt Lake City.  Their plan is to increase this to 122 non-stop destinations by Summer 2008.  The new service that we are targeting to twice per day service on 50 seat regional jets.
>
>However, in expressing their interest, Delta is looking for local incentives and indication of support.   They are being actively recruited by a number of jurisdictions who are placing real financial incentives on the table.  To secure this service, then, we must also offer financial incentives to Delta.
>
>In short, we will need to produce the following:
>
>1.      $500,000 in revenue guarantees.  This money will be held in trust locally and would only be used to offset any short-term losses that Delta might incur.  Clear thresholds must be met by Delta to get access to these dollars and if revenue exceeds those thresholds, we will not have to provide the revenue support.
>
>2.       $500,000 in pre-purchased travel through an Air Travel Bank™ (ATB).  Our consultant, Mead and Hunt, pioneered the use of ATBs and has been successful in using them to start service in other cities.  Your investment in the ATB will be good for purchases of any Delta Airline flight for one year following the commencement of service from our airport.  If service does not start, then your investment will be returned.
>
>I have spoken to literally hundreds of people over the past few years 
>about the need for new service and I believe that the goals set out 
>here can be achieved.  Delta has given us a very short timeline, much 
>shorter that I had anticipated.  This is actually good news, as it 
>indicates that theyâ€™d could start this service as early as mid 2008.
>
>We need to move fast if we are to succeed.  Please respond to RREDC 
>Executive Director Madelin Holtkamp at 
><mailto:rredc at northcoast.com>rredc at northcoast.com or 445-9651 (no later 
>than 12/20/07) to let her know (you are) willing and able to support 
>our efforts.
>
>Finally, thanks for your support of this important effort to connect 
>our region to the rest of the world.
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ END
>
>
>
>
>----------
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