Billy Long Wants to End Federal Airline Subsidies: Remember the Billy Long Bus Terminal to Nowhere

Did you know the government funds airlines to fly to smaller cities around the United States through subsidies? That's right, for a major airline to provide service to a smaller city, the federal government usually throws money at the airline because the airline is unlikely to make a profit in the smaller market. Duane Graham points out in his blog today that Joplin, Missouri's airport may be affected by Long's desire to airline subsidies.

Personally I support Long on this one; although, it's easy to point out his hypocrisy. Government needs to quit meddling with the free market. It just doesn't make sense to fly huge airplanes into these markets with more pilots and flight attendants on board than paying passengers.

Graham writes and reaches a conclusion I partially agree with (all talk, no action):

Closer to home, Ozark Billy Long made the local paper. The front page of Sunday’s Joplin Globe prominently featured an article on the possible elimination of a federal program that subsidizes airline service to about 150 cities around the country, including here in Joplin. Whoops! When we sent Ozark Billy to Washington to shrink the government, we didn’t mean shrink the part of the government that makes life easier for business travelers and other local bigwigs who can afford to pay the expensive fares to fly out of Joplin!

Our airport manager and city officials, according to the paper, say the subsidized service is “a vital link to economic development.” Yeah, that’s what they all say. These officials will, of course, lobby our legislators to keep the subsidy in place.

As for Ozark Billy, the Globe points out that he is a member of the House Republican Study Committee, a radical bunch of tea partiers that has already proposed killing the subsidy program, which will pay American Eagle nearly $3 million annually for service to Dallas twice a day.

But the paper reported that Ozark Billy “wasn’t sure where he might come down on the proposal.” Ah…It’s so easy to talk all that smack about cutting government spending, as long as it is spending on the poor or the working class. Cut! Cut! Cut! says our congressman. But when it involves cutting subsidies for business travelers and wealthy jetsetters, it gets a little harder for some Republicans.

Ah yes, Billy Long is always good with a sound bite, but he never offers any real leadership does he. It's almost like he tests the waters in hopes of making budget cuts but offers any real plan to cut spending other than a clever sound bite. By the way Duane, Billy Long is no Tea Partier, especially after his vote to extend the Patriot Act.

Oh, now that other hypocritical side of Billy Long. As he talks cutting these subsidies, let's not forget that Long himself once served on the airport board in Springfield, Missouri. If you remember, Long never had any problems then taking federal money. Remember the bus terminal to nowhere...