WICHITA — The Fair Fares program that has helped lower airfares in Wichita came under attack several times in this year’s Legislative session, and the program is likely to face opposition next year, too.
“Now they’re just trying to protect what they’ve got,” says Rep. Scott Schwab, R-Olathe, who is opposed to the program. “They’re going to find it hard-pressed to get it renewed.”
Schwab was one of the legislators who spoke against Fair Fares, which he doesn’t believe is working the way its supporters say it is.
Rep. Jason Watkins, R-Wichita, a strong supporter of Fair Fares, says Schwab “looked pretty foolish in the process.”
“It was easy to go down and say, ‘OK, well, you’ve obviously not been to the airport, you’ve obviously not checked with . . . the Department of Revenue.’ ”
Rep. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, says it’s a matter of educating people on the benefits of Fair Fares, which she says has helped retain and increase traffic at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.
“Once they understand the numbers, they see it’s a no-brainer,” she says.
But she and Watkins know they still have to protect the program.
“Some of us are working on this right now,” Watkins says of preparing for next year.
Wichita and Sedgwick County each agreed to give $1 million annually to subsidize AirTran Airways and Frontier Airlines for five years.
The state agreed to give $5 million each year, but that money still has to be appropriated each year, which is why it was up for debate again.
“Every year when it comes up for appropriations, I’m sure they are taking shots at it,” says Allen Bell, the city’s urban development director. But, he says, “They have been very good about honoring it every year.”
But Bell is concerned for the future. There’s only one year of the program left after January.
If Fair Fares isn’t renewed, Bell says, “That would be a huge shock to our system and to the cost of traveling in and out of Wichita, which is extremely important to the economy.”
Schwab doesn’t like subsidies, but if the state is going to have them, he thinks other Kansas airports could benefit more.
“Where’s the biggest bang for their buck?” he says. “I don’t think it’s Wichita today.”
Schwab thinks Fair Fares will survive its five years but won’t be renewed.
“There’s growing sentiment to stop funding it,” he says.
Part of that, he says, comes from dissatisfaction with the federal government offering so many business bailouts.
“It’s bleeding into the Legislature,” Schwab says.
He does say, though, that he has a lot of respect for Wichita-area legislators and how they work together on economic issues.
“When it comes to fighting for business or an arena . . . they just lock up,” Schwab says. “It’s actually kind of amazing. We ain’t figured that out in Johnson County yet.”
5 Comments
Chalk that up to the N.E. Kansas bias against Wichita. I bet the Olathe Legislature doesn’t know that the Fair Fare Programs doesn’t just include Wichita, but extended to Manhattan (without it may have jeopardize the Bio-Research Lab).
So he better know what is up, but I chalk this one to N.E. bias.
Opposition to socialism is not N.E. Kanss bias. It is simply a preference for private enterprise as opposed to socialism.
We would be better served with good rail transportation to KC and OkC – that would then allow us to access airlines serving everywhere – not just the select ‘not-so-fair’ destinations.
Rail transportation would cost many millions of dollars to run every year. Not including the cost to get it started. It’s not practical at this time.
Fair Fares, which isn’t just about Wichita, but about Topeka, Manhattan and Salina as well. $5 million a year, compared to your plan, which would run in the $50 million per year.
Plus the rail transportation wouldn’t be privately owned. If you’re against socialism, then trains isn’t the answer. Let the private sector build it, if you think it’s a sure winner.
There is no private enterprise in passenger rail trains.
And with public ownership of airports there is also little private enterprise in air transportation. (How much is Wichita going to spend on the Mid-Continent rebuild?) Perhaps an approach to rail might be to take a similar approach as air: public ownership of the rails themselves and allow private trains to use those rails.
One problem I have with ‘Fair fares’ is that it decides which DESTINATIONS are affordable – not just which departure cities. I have not found my destinations to be those that get subsidies so I (a) pay tax dolars to subsidize SOME routes) and (b) pay high fares to go where I am going. This taxpayer would be better served with ready access to KC and SouthWest.
Are you certain those other cities are on ‘fair fares’ and not on the federal ‘essential service’ subsidies? Those are questionable too. Tokeka and Manhatten are about as close to KCI as Elgin, IL, is to O’Hare. We did fine without air service when I lived there – O’Hare served our needs.
Fair Fares started out as subscriptions by local businesses to support AirTran. Then subscriptions gained the force of contracts. Then LOCAL government subsidies kicked in, maxxed, and went to STATE level so all Kansans could participate in subsidizing an airline that can’t survive on its own here. What? 22 million so far? More than 10X the original price tag? The originating issue was short-notice BUSINESS fares, not plannable personal traveling. It is a BUSINESS subsidy for a portion of the state, paid by all Kansans.
If one feels it OK to subsidize AirTran, then what else is OK to subsidize?
What do we want to subsidize for other portions of Kansas? Fair is fair, right?