Lake Basebegone....where the snow falls

The time draws near for our benefactors in State Government and the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority to cast their votes for our future. Much discussion and reporting has taken place on the issue of Oxford Aviation and the politics surrounding their potential claim on the crown jewel at BNAS.

Word is that the MRRA will have a dinner meeting this week, and we will only find out after the fact whether they yielded to F. Lee Bailey rhetoric about "global leadership," or managed to grasp the realities of Oxford's horribly flawed dealings to date and the concerns surrounding their record.

At this point, this week's "news analysis" in The Forecaster provides as good a summary as you will find of this subject.

Read the article here.

While there are numerous pithy passages, this one says it all:

Oxford Aviation made few friends when its deal to create a Sanford Jet Division collapsed last year after about a $1 million investment by Sanford taxpayers.

The story is similar at the company's headquarters at Oxford County Regional Airport, where it has benefited from about $5 million in public grants, loans and tax incentives, yet has been unable to fulfill job creation promises. The company now finds itself embroiled in a legal dispute with its primary benefactor, Oxford County.

Oxford Aviation has also become involved in a disagreement at Eastern Slope Regional Airport in Fryeburg.

From everything I read, I hope Oxford gets approved as the first occupant of that huge Hangar 6. Side loves the idea of "job security" that Oxford will provide.....offering a target rich environment for endless commentary in the future.

And it will be a delight as well to watch the squirming and spinning that emanates from on high.