Creigh Deeds Mentor - John Murtha Earmarker Extraordinaire

If you hate the hubbub of crowded airports, you might want to consider flying out of Johnstown, PA. The airport sees an average of fewer than 30 people per day, never a wait for security, free parking right outside the gate, and an almost guaranteed row for you on any flight.

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You might wonder how the region ever had the air traffic demand to justify such a facility. It didn't.

It is located in Democratic Congressman John Murtha’s district, an unapologetic earmarker. For 20 years, Murtha has successfully doled out more than $150 million of federal payments to what is now being called the airport for no one.

Exploring this southwestern Pennsylvania small town it’s a wonder why the John Murtha Airport received so much money and a legitimate federal investment. There are many in Johnstown who see the airport as crucial. Johnstown Chamber of Commerce President Bob Layo says, "If the airport isn't paying dividends now, it will in the future."

Those dividends appear to be a mirage. There are a total of 18 flights per week, all of which go to Dulles Airport in Washington, DC. The flights are a pricey $400. A car ride to D.C. is less than three and a one-half hours and costs about $35 in gas. The drive is arguably faster than flying.

Johnstown is not a remote area of Pennsylvania and Murtha airport is less than two hours from the Pittsburgh airport. The airport has an $8.5 million, taxpayer-funded radar system that has never been used. The runway was paved with reinforced concrete at a cost of more than $17 million. The latest investment was $800,000 from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to repave half of the secondary runway even though the first one is hardly ever in use.

Airport Director Scott Voelker admitted in an interview that having a never-used unmanned radar system is "dumber than dirt." He does say the airport is necessary and blames its current shortcomings on the economy. He states,”To get more passengers, we need more flights. To get more flights, we need more passengers."

Voelker believes the "economy has dictated to the airlines to cut back on flights." In other words: The airport was not built in response to passenger or airline needs. The airport is frequently barren during the day and another human being is rarely seen. There is a lot of unused advertising space. On the other hand, you can't miss the large picture of John Murtha among a collage of Lockheed Martin workers at the airport's center. It's a monument to earmarks: "Partnerships Make a World of Difference," the ad reads.

In addition to the airport, Murtha's ability to corral federal funds is apparent in the local medical research center (named after his wife), the John P. Murtha Technology Center, the area's thriving defense contracting industry, and numerous other local landmarks.

The unemployment rate in Johnstown is currently below the national average of 9.4% thanks to federal largess and the fact that so many have moved away from the area. Bill Polacek, a local businessman and a member of the airport's board of directors said that the citizens of Johnstown need Murtha's earmarks. "Quite frankly, if he didn't do that, we wouldn't elect him”.