Once again, rural conservatives want government to bail them out

[Zorro]

There really is nothing quite like boot-strapping “independent” rural conservatives and libertarians going to Big Government asking for yet another handout. The latest example comes courtesy of Politico, which reports on the plight of rural communities losing airline service.

The story starts deep in the heart of Texas, in the border community of Del Rio, population 36,000. American Airlines pulled out of their “international” airport, forcing people in the area to drive nearly three hours to the nearest airport in San Antonio.

“Talk about a low blow,” Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, the congressperson for Del Rio, a predominantly Hispanic community, said in an interview. “I’m frustrated to no end. … If these major companies want rural America to thrive, they need to be investing in rural America, not pulling the rug out from under us.”

Imagine thinking that “major companies want rural America to thrive.” Republicans are the party of laissez-faire economics, where business is supposed to have unfettered and unregulated access to whatever the hell it wants. And sure, conservatives have thrown out much of their “pro-business” rhetoric in their current “woke woke woke” hysteria, but demanding big corporations provide air service to communities as small as 36,000 is a new level of disdain for market economics.

The industry’s airport desertions pose a serious risk to the economies of these communities, and local leaders believe that a lack of air service threatens a teetering rural America that already feels forgotten by the rest of the country. It’s also driving city officials to plead with state legislatures and Capitol Hill for help.

Look at that, those libertarian and conservative elected officials, with their overwhelmingly conservative/libertarian electorates, are now begging the government to bail them out. And if such a thing were to happen, where would the money come from? From the same places that have been subsidizing rural America for far too long—the urban cities they loathe so much.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/28/2166352/-Once-again-rural-conservatives-want-government-to-bail-them-out

[SWBTATTReg]

1. This seems to be a recurring theme, that big business (and others smaller in scope) are pulling out

of rural America, and they scream and yell about it (rural America). It's all about follow the money, and if there is no money to be made or it simply costs too much for companies to do business in these communities, then the business(es) have no choice to close down shop and move elsewhere.

A simple supply and demand, economics principal, that these folks, who want to live in their slice of America, must simply get used to.

Don't point your hateful fingers at the urban centers of America...far more people choose to live in these urban areas for many reasons, that urban centers offer far more amenities, far more choices in life adventures, far more choices in shopping, far more choices in everything, for there are jobs plenty for everybody, and everything is centralized, easy for everything to get everywhere.

I sense panic here, but these folks may be panicking too early. Who knows, maybe competition will open up a smaller commuter airline now that space is open and available at the airport? Maybe there's enough demand to support such businesses. The Lake of the Ozarks had the same thing when Ozark Airlines closed down operating in a lot of smaller towns, but smaller commuter airlines popped up (especially for the Lake of the Ozarks crowd), so some airline service did remain.

[Baked Potato]

2. A Conservative bailout is the government returning the gold

to God’s chosen ones and true believers.

A Liberal bailout is redistribution of Conservative owned gold to the slothful masses of ungrateful and lazy Democrats.

[Probatim]

3. Forgotten by whom? The conservative legislators they elected?