Monday, April 16, 2012

Spending money like drunken sailor? No

Hehehe. We're spending money at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport like a drunken sailor. Wait a minute. This is funny?

No doubt, that's how Charlotte Douglas Aviation Director Jerry Orr meant some remarks to be taken on Friday.

Orr was explaining why he was confident that Charlotte Douglas won't face the same fate as other hub airports that spent on expansion only to become saddled with huge debts after their hubs disappeared after mergers (US Airways has been openly considering a merger with bankrupt American Airlines). His explanation took a cocky turn: "We spend a lot of money, we're moving forward at a rapid pace, but there is no risk for the taxpayer... There is no risk in charging ahead and spending money like a drunken sailor."

Orr is known for his dry sense of humor, and no doubt the attendees at a summit on regional transportation initiatives held by the Charlotte Chamber at the Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge took them in jest. Even so, the comments sound tone-deaf and a little too blase about spending money at a time when the economy is in a recession and many taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet. The airport is self-supporting with fees but it is a public facility nonetheless.

Orr has displayed that same seemingly blase attitude in the past. Remember that airport security breach when a teen sneaked onto the wheel well of a jet and Orr didn't see the need for a security review - until some other public officials pressed for one?

This editorial board recently wrote in favor of Orr's $1 billion push for expansion at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. We said it was refreshing to hear Orr say: "You either grow, or risk withering away." We also gave Orr a lot of credit for his part in the success of the airport, noting that "Orr has been a shrewd steward of expansion money, building runways for a fraction of the cost of those at other airports. That means airlines pay less to fly here, making Charlotte an attractive place to direct their air traffic."

So, we know Orr didn't really mean the airport is spending money like a drunken sailor. At least, we hope he doesn't. In any case, he needs to stop saying such things and stop acting so blase about issues that deserve to be taken very seriously.

Fannie Flono

8 comments:

Reggie Mantle said...

That Orr is such a comedian. Someone needs to tell him the one that goes like...

You're fired.

Rob said...

"So, we know Orr didn't really mean the airport is spending money like a drunken sailor."

It didn't stop you from using a misleading headline....

Tandemfusion said...

Orr does a disservice to drunken sailors. Unlike him, they at least spend their own money.

Garth Vader said...

If "airlines pay less to fly here" then why is CLT #7 on Forbes's list of "Rip Off Airports"?

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/15/airports-travel-regional-lifestyle-travel_0216_airports.html

Rboggs81 said...

Stupid article originally and and equally stupid Opinion piece. Unless Orr was misquoted, the original piece (and again here) states that he believes they will NOT be spending like a drunken sailor. Maybe you idiots at the Observer should quit cutting jobs and try to retain someone with intelligence over there.

Wiley Coyote said...

What do you do with a drunken Orr,
What do you do with a drunken Orr,
What do you do with a drunken Orr,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus:]

hooray and up he rises
hooray and up he rises
hooray and up he rises
Earlye in the morning

put him in the US Club with a hose pipe on him
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

Put him in the hold with the Charlotte Council,
Put him in the hold with the Charlotte Council,
Put him in the hold with the Charlotte Council,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

What do you do with a drunken Orr,
What do you do with a drunken Orr,
What do you do with a drunken Orr,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

Put him the back of a taxi cab,
Put him the back of a taxi cab,
Put him the back of a taxi cab,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

Throw him in baggage claim 'til he's sober,
Throw him in baggage claim 'til he's sober,
Throw him in baggage claim 'til he's sober,
Earl-eye in the morning!

[Chorus]

What do you do with a drunken Orr,
What do you do with a drunken Orr,
What do you do with a drunken Orr,
Earl-eye in the morning!

Unknown said...

If anyone needs faior warning of what Clt will look like in 10 yrs, look no further than Pittsburgh, fromer US Air hub. It's almost deserted these days. Philly will keep the NE hub, and ATL wil be the SE hub, for the future Delta/USAir alignment. Enjoy paying off those construction costs. The charm of CLT is the size and ease of travelling thru it. Change this lone feature, and Clt is history.

Wiley Coyote said...

Oct 3 2007(Reuters) - US Airways Group Inc will reduce the number of flights in January from its unprofitable Pittsburgh hub, a move that will cut about 450 airline jobs there, the airline said on Wednesday.

How Orr can make the statement if US Air left, there would be no job cuts and Charlotte Douglas would survive without them is ludacris.

If we are to accept that statement as fact, then why do we have all those employees out there NOW?