Inbox

[June 4th, 2008]

PARSING PEARSON
In response to your recent piece “Air Supremacy” by Nigel Jaquiss [May 28, 2008], there are a number of inaccuracies that require correcting, beginning with the $4.2 billion figure for the project’s budget. CRC managers contend that this figure would prevent the project from happening.

Pearson is a valuable asset to both Vancouver and Portland inasmuch as it is the closest airport to downtown Portland. Data generated in 2005 by the Washington Department of Transportation Aviation Division estimated the total annual economic impact of Pearson Field at $38.4 million. Data from 1998 indicate that Pearson’s tenants and visitors in Clark County contribute to 603 jobs with a total payroll of $11.3 million.

Although it is true that, at present, there is no scheduled passenger service, Pearson is what is known as a Public Use airport, accessible to any aircraft able to use its runway. Business aircraft use the airport on a daily basis, as do search-and-rescue aircraft, police and USAF auxiliary flights, pipeline patrol aircraft and many others.

The airport does not get $150,000 annually from the FAA, although, on occasion, it receives FAA trust fund grants for such things as runway maintenance and improvements, as do all public use airports in the United States, including PDX, Hillsboro, Mulino and Troutdale. Furthermore, Pearson is operated as an enterprise fund and, as such, does not receive taxpayer funding from the City of Vancouver. It is a self-sustaining entity, and, it should be noted, is one of very few self-funded airports in the nation.

Mark T. Masciarotte
Vancouver, Wash.

Nigel Jaquiss responds: There are a number of factually inaccurate claims in this letter.

1. The $4.2 billion figure comes directly from a “fact sheet” published by the CRC staff, not from critics.

2. Pearson Field is the 23rd largest of Washington’s 30 airports in terms of annual operations. That makes it rinky-dink. It serves primarily those who own or have access to private planes; that, particularly in the context of its influencing the design of a project that would serve 180,000 vehicles per day, makes the private-club reference appropriate.

3. The story did not say the airport gets funding from the city of Vancouver. In addition, Mr. Masciarotte understates federal support. Here is a quote from the airport’s 2005 business plan: “The FAA has provided $3.3 million in funding to Pearson Field over the past 15 years.”