Years of Diminishing Stats Have Done Their Worst...
It was probably only a
matter of time, but one of the many organizations applying for
President Obama's offer of economic stimulus funds includes the
faltering Sun 'n Fun fly-in. Suffering years of declines due to
safety issues, EAA's repudiation of significant involvement in the
event over the last several years, customer service shortcomings
and no small number of vendor complaints, as well as internal
issues that have 'created an unprofitable if not hostile
environment,' inspired SnF's Bill Eickoff to seek government funds
to attempt to jumpstart the down-in-the-dumps aviation
gathering.
"I have directed John Burton, after he finishes cleaning my
pool, to put together a proposal for the Obama administration that
is designed to seek funding for a number of areas that we feel
might be improved and thereby help us attract some of the people
that have given up Sun 'n Fun in favor of other more rewarding
pursuits... like saving their money and going to Oshkosh," admitted
Eickoff.
Stimulus funds are being requested in order to fund the most
critical needs reported by the few left in attendance at the 2008
event -- among the many needs reported by those in attendance last
year were safety improvements, charm school tuitions for a number
of customer service personnel -- especially those dealing with
exhibitors, safety improvements, parking lot improvements
(including drainage), safety improvements, real accounting experts
that can properly estimate crowd attendance without multiplying
everything by a factor of ten, safety improvements, fuel money to
attract warbirds and other high-value attendees tired of doing a
lot for Lakeland without reimbursement, counseling for embattled
SnF staff dealing with attendee complaints, safety improvements, a
number of airplane-friendly facility improvements (included the
filling of a number of taxiway potholes), a few more safety
improvements, and a really big fruit basket for EAA to tell them
that 'we're really sorry for being so mean to them.'
(ANN Note: A secret recording attributed to Eickoff is reported
to include the phrasing, "Please come back, EAA, we won't charge
you to get in the gate anymore -- well... we will give you a really
big discount, maybe half off!").
Administration officials are reportedly lukewarm, at best, to
the request.
Administration officials, speaking on background, noted that the
stimulus funds, "are designed to aid in the economic recovery of
companies, programs and infrastructure that have a snowball's
chance in hell of actually succeeding in giving something back to
the economy... we have a tough enough time floating billions for
the auto-makers and the banking industry without throwing money at
a mess like Lakeland. Who do they think they are? AIG?"