I’m sure the question I’m about to ask has been raised before, but I still can’t get it out of my mind.
Last week’s news was that F. Lee Bailey and friends were pulling out of their proposed deal to occupy Hangar 6 at BNAS, reputedly because of some town councilors’ alleged lack of support for an $800,000 CDBG to build a paint booth.
In the news report, Bailey talked of persuading investors to put up “immense start up costs” to get under way with his plan. Is there anyone, at least anyone with credibility, who really, truly believes that having rounded up immense funds from his high-roller investor friends (less $800,000, that is), that not being able to get his hands on this modest corporate welfare sum was enough to kill the deal? You mean Mr. “Legal Zoom” and that circle of friends can’t come up with the additional pocket change to close the deal??
I don’t think this passes the “beyond a reasonable doubt” test.
Welfare aside, the issue of “friendliness” is irrelevant. The Base is an encapsulated facility that will be operated by the MRRA, and the town, according to them, has virtually no role in the operation of the base. So what’s the problem?
There is, though, this other annoyance: Oxford Aviation has yet to relinquish ownership of Hangar 6 for their Brunswick Jet Division, at least judging by their web site. I guess the MRRA just doesn’t have the heart (I’m being euphemistic here) to ask them to take the BNAS fantasy down.
Oh, and one more though. John Richardson, now a member of the Bailey inner circle, and the closest thing Brunswick has to a mover and shaker, surely could raise the $800,000 among the old money in the area in a heartbeat. If that truly was the problem.
The faint smell of intrigue in the air tells this novice reporter that it ain’t over yet. Too many egos and interests are in play to let this just go away.
One has to wonder whether we are being willfully uninformed or misinformed.
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