Taxpayers for Common Sense is a centrist federal budget watchdog group.
It's opposed the expense of building that non-existent and likely ineffective fence along the Mexican border, earmarks in the Stimulus Bill, pork in general and folks in Ely flying to Denver at a cost of $4,500 each to the nation's taxpayers.
That's the average cost to the federal taxpayer every time anyone in Ely hops aboard a Great Lakes Airlines flight to the Mile High City, according to the group's calculations.
The Chicago Tribune's online edition broke the story Friday, and different versions have popped up since in other newspapers.
Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, told reporters that according to Senate Appropriations Committee data, Great Lakes airlines received $1.8 million in Essential Air Service (EAS) subsidies in 2008 for its Ely to Denver flights. But since only 414 people bought tickets the subsidy works out to $4,500 per person.
Ellis noted that sometimes only one passenger will be on the 19-passenger plane.
Ellis brings the issue up now because the Senate passed a transportation bill last week that included a $38 million funding increase for the EAS, which would bring the total to $175 million.
Ely's not the only community receiving the subsidy, but historically, it's had the highest amount.
According to the Department of Transportation, as of June of this year, there were 152 cities where air service was subsidized by the program.
Ellis said the program was intended to be temporary.
"It was supposed to go away over a period of time as we made the transition [from deregulation]," he said. "Congress made sure it hasn't."
Ellis said Congress must be more careful how it spends the taxpayers' money, especially as deficit spending mounts.
"I'm not saying there aren't people who benefit from this program," he said. "But the real question is are the taxpayers as a whole getting their money's worth?"
Karen Rajala of the White Pine County Economic Diversification Council was asked to justify the expense.
"We are very isolated," she said. "The subsidy provides us a link to the urban areas of our state and the West."
But it may be a little too late for Taxpayers for Common Sense to do more than complain about the high cost.
The House transportation bill also includes $175 million for the EAS program.
The two bills will get honed in a conference committee before being sent to President Obama to sign.
President Bush attempted to prune the program in his 2006 budget. He asked Congress to cut the EAS back to $50 million.
He also wanted EAS communities to share in the cost.
But congressional opposition blocked Bush's proposed cuts and now the entire program is about to receive a 22-percent increase.
Anti-tax group cites Ely as example of waste in EAS
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