Brad Messer Commentary
Thursday, October 2, 2003

Airport Noise Whiners

Terminal Two at San Antonio International - the old terminal - is 50 years old. It was here before Elvis cut a demo record, before commercial color TV, before the first McDonald's restaurant franchise.

SAT existed before any of the platted housing subdivisions north of the airport were built. But people living in those neighborhoods are now complaining that the airplanes are noisy, and someone should do something about it.

The government response is to cross the palms of the whiners with taxpayers' money— to use other people's money to retrofit houses with soundproofing materials and sound-blocking windows.

And this afternoon, San Antonio city council will vote to spend almost a million bucks on an airport "noise .. monitoring system." For the mil, we'll get a procedure to tell us which airplanes are making how much noise, and where. As far as I know, you could park your car at the end of a runway and tell pretty much the same thing. But that wouldn't be feeding a bureaucracy, would it.

Say goodbye to another million being poured down the drain, on behalf of whiners who bought houses under the flight paths, and now want someone else to do something about it. It's a fine example of wimpy complainers shirking responsibility for their own ignorant actions.

Brad Messer commentary, KTSA.

San Antonio City Council agenda Oct. 2, 2003 (see Item 13)
13. An Ordinance designating the firm of Rannoch Corporation for the installation of a Noise and Operations Monitoring System at San Antonio International Airport; authorizing the negotiation and execution of a contract for an amount not to exceed $838,600.00; authorizing $75,660.00 for contingencies, for an overall total amount of $914,260.00; appropriating funds; establishing the budget and providing for payment. [Presented by Kevin Dolliole, Director, Aviation; Christopher J. Brady, Assistant City Manager]

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