On July 13, both The Chronicle and The Nisqually Valley News published a letter of mine concerning commercial airport development. The letter raised the possibility of converting McChord Field at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for this purpose. The Seattle Times published a slightly modified version of the letter on Nov. 4.
On Nov. 20, The Times published a letter by Dave Zeeck that was strongly critical of mine. The Times identified Zeeck as “the former publisher and president of The News Tribune in Tacoma, The Olympian and The Bellingham Herald.” His letter can be accessed online.
In his commentary, Zeeck suggested that a new airport could be developed in King County, which, thus far, has been officially off limits for such consideration. Any change to the status of JBLM, in his view, would be too expensive and economically detrimental.
I wrote a reply to Zeeck that The Times did not publish. It consists of the following three paragraphs:
With respect to Dave Zeeck’s response of Nov. 20 to my commentary on airport development of Nov. 3, Zeeck seems to believe that the citizens of King County somehow would be more amenable to a new commercial airport in their midst than their counterparts in Pierce, Thurston and Lewis counties.
This is wishful thinking in the extreme. Based on all experience, it simply wouldn’t happen.
Furthermore, even if all of JBLM had to be shut down to make room for a new civilian airport, which I very much doubt, the economic potential of the vacated land would be enormous.
Finally, The Times published an editorial of its own on Nov. 28 which stated that “the arduous effort to find a second international airport in Puget Sound is flying in circles.”
No kidding.
Given the rock-solid opposition to the development of new airports throughout the Puget Sound region, McChord Field must be considered as a possibility. This should be done in a professional, open-minded, thoroughly comprehensive manner by a panel unhindered by arbitrary restrictions.
Joseph Tipler
Centralia
