Challenge
Why is the Hummer at the Airport?
We spoke with Jennifer Payne, an official at the “Ted Stevens” International Airport.* She indicated that the airport has a legally binding contract with Interspace Advertising, a company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to provide advertising services. The airport receives 50 percent of the $1,200 that Anchorage Chrysler Dodge pays each month to place the vehicle in the baggage claim area.
Humanity News: Why is the Hummer prominently displayed at the airport?
Ms. Payne: Interspace approached the airport with this particular request. They work with various car dealers to see which cars they will put in the airport. We aren’t the ones negotiating with the car dealers. Actually, we see this as a win-win situation for the people of Anchorage. We’re promoting local businesses, finding new resources, and lowering costs. This brings down ticket costs. Also, the display of vehicles at airports is becoming common at many U.S. airports.
Humanity News: The Hummer gets very low gas mileage and is very expensive. Do you think that putting this single vehicle in the baggage claim area is making a statement about Alaska’s values? Would you be willing to promote other values, by having a Hybrid vehicle or even a bio-diesel fueled vehicle displayed at the airport?
Ms. Payne: I want to say that we love Alaska and its beauty as much as anyone. If there were a dealer willing to pay for alternative vehicles to be placed here, we would be happy to have them. But we can’t compete against private contractors.
Footnote: Some Alaska government programs are more concerned about the influence of their environmental choices than airport officials. John Picket of Fleet Services (a municipality transportation agency) says that the Municipality of Anchorage now has 47 vehicles with alternative fuels. Of these, 22 are new, dedicated natural gas powered Hondas.
* We will be exploring and challenging the use of this name, ‘Ted Stevens International Airport,’ in a future issue of Humanity News. Can you guess why?
A goal of Alaska Humanity News is to explore the ways that debilitating situations are imposed on us by bureaucracies and corporations. It often seems that we have little control of these small but omnipresent influences. But we do have control, if only we step up to the monoliths, and challenge them to justify their decisions (in ways other than pure economics). Next month: Costco limits citizens’ access to stores.