We’ve watched the Circus at the Great Falls International Airport reach fever pitch this last week.  If you’re an outsider, like me, it has been interesting to watch.  Of course, here are my personal comments and observations.

First of all, I normally get up very early, so on Saturday morning I read all the documents posted on the local newspaper and television station websites since nobody sent them to me.  Although nobody is feeding me info, from my e-mails I have found many folks in the community are sick and tired of this current Airport Board.  I think if there was a vote to keep them or fire them, they would be gone in a heartbeat. 

I Support the Underdog:
After reading all the information, my opinion has not changed.  I am still in Director Schultz’s corner during this circus.  She’s the underdog here.

This circus could be a soap opera – there’s jealousy, maybe some don’t like her political leanings, maybe it’s the anti-female mentality that we’ve seen in this state when a female is in charge, and some in the community are just jealous over her salary, although she deserves every penny of it for the work she has done – a salary that has been approved by the Board.

One other thing I believe is a problem is there’s a “marking of territory” in the community whereas the “old dogs” don’t like the “young dogs” taking the lead or taking over (with fresh ideas and unbounded enthusiasm).  We’ve seen it recently happen with another committee and this issue with Schultz is probably a part of the “let’s get her” mentality from the “old dogs” who have long-time friends on the Board.  They will probably have a party for the Board when Schultz is gone in June – probably at the Country Club.

The Most Qualified:
Probably the most realistic thing I read in all the comments and in other blogs as well as in their documents is what Schultz’s attorney, Antonia Marra, was quoted as saying in the Great Falls Tribune on March 5, 2010, about Schultz applying for the director’s job:

“Will she be the most qualified? Yes,” Marra said. “Does anybody realistically think this board will rehire her? No.”

They probably won’t take the most qualified person although Schultz has led the effort that increased the assets of the airport from $18.5 million to $113 million and the hangar occupancy from 28% to 100% and discretionary grants from $235,000 to $49 million.  Plus, she’s home grown – one of Great Falls’ own who has done well.  That’s not a nice way to treat one of your own, Great Falls.

Wasting $35,000:
So it bothers me and most of my friends the way the Great Falls International Airport Board has wasted $35,000 to look for candidates for the director’s job.  Maybe it’s because they can’t spend that much money in their day jobs, so they feel the need to go shopping with our money.  Absurd.  I doubt they realize that some people in this community live on $35,000 per year or even less.

I also imagine they paid some nice coin to have their Board attorney do the letter that was released to everyone but me, and paid someone to double check it to make sure a typing error does not cost them a cool million or two.
In regards to March 4, 2010, unsigned letter, this part made me LOL:

It is important to note that although Director Schultz talks in terms of “openness” and “transparency,” she has not waived her right of privacy. Rather, she has provided the Board a very selective and limited waiver. Her purported waiver is no waiver at all.

I think the Board is being very childish on this issue. The second paragraph is more of a two-year old child’s temper tantrum, trying to be written in legal mumbo-jumbo, basically saying, “Cindy is not playing fair.”

I would be doing the same thing if I were in Schultz’s shoes – and I imagine each Board member would do the same if they were in her shoes.

The only thing that I believe that Director Schultz has done wrong was try to communicate with the inept members of the City Commission last week during their meeting.  I would have read a letter to them, got my points across, and then sat down.  It seems to me that one person on the commission tried to act like Perry Mason.

The Associated Press:
I saw where the Associated Press picked up the story.  Anyone who is thinking about applying for the Director’s job will undoubtedly do some web searches.  I imagine that will diminish the applicant pool a lot, (I would not work for this board).  You can bet the out-of-state company the Great Falls International Airport Board hired (why they did not hire one from Montana, stumps me) won’t say the search was hindered by a board that has shown they are difficult to work with, not to mention work for.  They are making money on this Circus.

One thing the Board needs to learn is that playing “gotcha” on public boards and in the political arena can be costly.

Conflicts of Interest:
Finally, one comment I read on-line really struck me as interesting.  One official said he thought that stretching conflicts of interest can “go too far.”

So is just a little conflict of interest OK, or does it matter if it’s hundreds, thousands or millions of dollars we’re talking about?

I think the answer is that it really matters who commits the conflict of interest.  I prefer squeaky clean boards and commissions myself.  Don’t you?

Wouldn’t it be Nice?
I’d still like to see the Great Falls International Airport Board members step down, but I doubt any elected official will call for their resignations – because the Board members have power in the community.

The Whole Ball of Wax:
You can read all my comments about this circus by going to the right side of this screen and selecting Categories and then select GFIA.

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