Three newspaper articles today that people may want to discuss:
Q-C Airport sets record in 2006 -QCTimes
More good news for our airport, which seems to be growing at a greater rate than the QC area as a whole. Maybe the success will attract more airlines, or provide enough money to improve the older half of the airport. If only they could land that direct flight to Phoenix...
Secret return to Triumph plant in Missouri gets good response -QCOnline (This article may only be available for a limited time)
Pretty interesting stuff. A few aldermen and citizens went down to St. Joes to see what Triumph is like without the dog and pony show they got last time. Apparently it wasn't too bad, although I would have liked to see people who are opposed it visit. Also, they called the night before to ask for a tour, whereas I'd like to see a zero-notice sniff test. I have to believe that technology has advanced to where smells can be taken care of.
City drafts new plan for cameras -QCTimes
They're knocking down some of the fines, which is not a terrible idea. I'm still not really opposed to the cameras, and people need to remember that one judge ruled them legal and one judge ruled them illegal, so its not like its decided yet. I think their use should be more of a political/citizen's choice issue than a legal issue. They only enforce the law. I think people's real problem with them stems from the idea that speeders should be given a sporting chance. I don't think we'd see the same uproar if it had been announced that the traffic division was growing by 3 officers, and a correspondingly larger number of traffic citations would be issued.
Also, if you can't see the warning signs in time to slow down, maybe you deserve a ticket.
15 comments:
I'd like MLI to land the direct flight to Honolulu, so I can escape.
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Sounds like the "secret" visit to the plant went well. They kept the stinky pigs out back and fabreezed the shop floor.
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I think the speed camera rulings are based on different legal arguments.
Even if a regular flight stopped also in Des Moines, and then to Phoenix would be reasonable. The airlines appear to committed to hubs for that to happen.
If the criminal fine thing sticks there has to be a procedure where the actual driver can plead to the ticket. The first listed owner is not always going to be driving. Most of the ticket revenue will eventually come from those who live outside Davenport, so the screaming will die down.
50/50 revenue split, I'll contract to catch drunk drivers based on that scenario. The city gets $15 a ticket for speeding, tell me they are not interested in volume.
Getting a flight to Phoenix is all about landing a carrier with a hub there. Southwest or USAirways. Southwest isn't going to happen because we don't fit their strategy, but USAirways uses good ol' hub and spoke. I've heard it said before that Phoenix is the biggest destination out of MLI, although I find that hard to believe. USAir had a direct flight from Phoenix to the Sioux Falls airport in the past, so I don't think its out of the question.
Last week Southwest put in a "friendly" bid to buy Delta. The bid was rejected by Delta but that may not stop Southwest from trying a hostile take over given Delta's financial problems. A take over by SW would give it gates at MLI.
Stay tuned.
Let's see...the city is willing to lower the ticket amount. Maybe it really is about safety and not the money.
To windinghills - You don't like being monitored by a camera? Then don't go to the bank, the mall, most shops in town, schools, church, HyVee...did I leave any place out?
I agree with Hills - we need a MOline LIke atmosphere downtown. We have the facilities, but not the leadership. I guess I get tired of Davenport One and the council blaming the community for the problems downtown, when they are incharge of creating a better downtown. Maybe it is time for Tara Barney to go, she hasn't prodcuced to the level she is paid for. And she is rude.
We sure do miss the interesting discussions that were held on the SOLO blog.
You mean the same JLCS and QCRPA debates on every thread?
I definitely miss Ambrose Fulton's commentary, but I don't know that the "discussion" over there was any better than any of the other blogs.
Heck yes it was actually. The others are getting BORING. SOLO is the place to be man.
No offense QCI, but you constant blind support of the powers that be is getting old and unoriginal. But keep up the good work.
I personally would like to see how someone could put blame onto JLCH for lack of westbound flights out of MLI -even though it would make for a very convoluted yet entertaining comment. And how hard would it be to get MLI changed to QCA? That would help our lack of identity (other than being a magnet for no good homeless felons that is the root of all evil in the quad cities)
I agree with the last poster. This is a good blog to come to, to read crap! Keep the crap comming.
You pro- JLCS people are dumb. I hope that a homeless shelter comes to your neighborhood and I hope you get to experience panhandlers coming to your door at night and during the day from the shelter. Stop you crap until you have walked in someone elses shoes. Look into how that executive director operates and you will find a wealth of information.
So what would it take to get the airport ID changed from MLI to QCA?
Nit-picking:
1. You don't want "direct" flights. You want "nonstops." Having a "direct" flight means you have a single flight number from point A to point B. The flight can stop and change planes as many times as the airline wants along the way. For example, today (1/19/07) Northwest flew "direct" from Moline to Gulfport, MS (NW5747) and Greensboro, NC (NW5701). But both of those required a plane change in Memphis. And if you fly the whole "direct" flight, you earn less frequent flier miles and have fewer choices of seats than if you take two connecting flights with different flight numbers. It's not like the old days when you could take the TWA "direct" flight from MLI to Washington, DC and not even get off the plane in St. Louis (that route was my first solo plane ride as a kid).
2. "SW" is not Southwest Airlines. "SW" is Air Namibia. Southwest's airline codes are "WN" or "SWA."
3. Phoenix is indeed one of the top destinations from MLI, but I don't think it's #1. Last I read, Orlando was #1. AmericaWest (which is now merged with USAirways) operated a MLI-PHX nonstop a decade or so ago. It failed. But Phoenix is now a much bigger city, and back then they were flying full-sized MD-80s, while these days there are smaller, more fuel-efficient (albeit less comfortable) regional jets that can easily make the distance. My guess is that folks would be willing to take the discomfort of a long regional jet flight for the convenience of a PHX nonstop, since most passengers these days book based on price and schedule and not equipment.
4. While "QCA" isn't taken as an airport code, I don't think it would work even if they could somehow change MLI. Airport codes that start with "Q" or "Z" are generally not for airports. They are assigned to bus terminals, heliports and other places that connecting airline passengers might have as a destination. Also note that "MLI" is actually a pretty good, easy-to-remember code. Compare it with some of the more obscure ones like SDF for Louisville, MCI for Kansas City, or XNA for Northwest Arkansas. And then there's the worst of all: our friends in Sioux City, who have to put up with the airport code SUX.
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