Comments on: Up In The Air Over Political Spending

By: Zippo

Zippo — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 22:15:40 +0000

BK: Something about training. If an airforce is really good and really prepared… nobody will mess with it, thus training is an ultra important mission. And like the man said; airforces from all over the world come here to train, and when they go home again they are very very good.

By: Zippo

Zippo — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 22:03:20 +0000

@BK, the USAF agrees to an extent. MTHome is a great place for noisy jets to train… but the wife of Joe fighter jock hates it and often lives in Meridian. Thus the recent push to expand Boise airport into a USAF fighter/bomber trainignbase. The USAF plan for noise is to give each of us a $100 worth of pink insulation in the attic and a set of ear plugs.

By: idahoguy101

idahoguy101 — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 20:08:18 +0000

That’s interesting BK… What do those fifty F-15E strike fighters do out there? Are you saying that there it’s not an operation deployable Wing? That would come as a suprise to the Air Force.
As for the role of training. It’s vital. The area from Mtn Home AFB going south through Arizona is a training area. This involves the training of six AFB’s. Gowen Field, Mtn Home, Hill, Nellis, Luke, and Davis-Mathen. As well as NAS Fallon and MCAS Yuma. Additionally US and international squadrons are sent to train over the western desert ranges.
I have no knowledge of future Base closing may be. But I think that your knowledge of air power is scant.

By: BK

BK — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 13:20:51 +0000

Mountain Home is one of the Air Force’s LEAST useful bases and it should be closed down. Mtn Hm doesn’t even have an active flying mission – it’s a training base. Moreover, everyone who is stationed there hates it.

I’m sure Guardian readers will agree we don’t need those kind of government dollars.

By: Flyhead

Flyhead — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:57:36 +0000

Waiving landing fees and other incentives will do little to increase the flights. It will take demand for services. I have watched Ore-Ida, Albertsons, Hp and other businesses all but disappear from Boise. This area may be growing but a lot of it is retirees moving into the area. We need Employers who will create demand before flights will increase.

That empty parking lot at Victory says a lot about airport demand for services.

By: Anonyvox

Anonyvox — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:23:51 +0000

I drive past the nearly empty airport parking lot on Victory and Orchard every day on the way in to work, and then pass the new parking construction at the airport, and it rankles. It really does.

While I agree that businesses should be able to pay their own way, I book enough company travel to know that the reduced number of flights out of Boise results in an enormous cost increase to our business in employee time spent on connecting flights, and the cost of tickets is way up as well. I don’t actually mind hearing that the airport is trying to incentivize airlines to come in and provide more options.

By: idahoguy101

idahoguy101 — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 21:36:32 +0000

MHAFB is one of the Air Force’s more useful Base. I doubt it’s going anywhere.

By: Flyhead

Flyhead — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 16:49:58 +0000

note to zippo.. years ago Bogus went through a period when they went the direction of a destination resort. It didn’t work and nearly killed off family skiing due to pass pricing. Season passes declined to less than 4,00 and it too Mike Shirley and the Board to make the leap of faith to move to the Family Pass and the $199 pass. This move was an overwhelming success for skiers and the Ski Area. They sold around 27,000 passes that first year.

Snow is undependable for the Christmas break time at Bogus and the reality is they are in competition for the discretionary recreational dollars in this valley. It is great place for family fund during the winter months along with giving kids a life long sport to learn and enjoy.

The resort idea is in juxtaposition as a local family oriented ski area. The high speed lifts have really made lift lines manageable. Now all they need is a few good snow years.

By: Diane Sower

Diane Sower — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:06:14 +0000

It’s ludicrous for those at Mountain Home Air Force Base to have to live in fear, when that’s the only air base of it’s size in Idaho. The rich congressmen with influential lobbyists wouldn’t dream of cutting back any of their states, such as Virginia, and many more, that have multiple air bases being used. So picking on Idaho seems a little out of our league, and we should be taking this up with Simpson and Crapo. After all, the good Idahoans elected them.

By: Zippo

Zippo — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 03:08:22 +0000

The salvation of Boise is to greatly improve the ski hill and turn the entire town into a jet-set playground.

No not joking. There are huge numbers of people with lots of money, but not quite enough for SunValley or Vail etc. They need a place with fast easy access because they have executive jobs in NY, SF, LA, etc. Many newbies will use airlines if they are non-stops. Build a Tramway from downtown/airport up and over the hill. Build a useful road. Expand the resort way out to the north and put in snowmaking. Develop big home lots all the way up the hill.

The ski place by Cascade was a flop because it’s a long day to get to it with no nearby infrastructure. SunValley type places are overpriced because of the very limited geography is filled up. Boise has everything, and for cheap. We just need to upscale and market it to see it grow.