Marginal Improvement to Cost More Than all of DEN

You could build a whole new airport for less, but LAX is bent on spending about $9,000,000,000 to do a total facelift, turning that airport into what Mayor James Hahn called, "the safest and most secure airport in America."

It's not that there's a problem, now, or even that there's been a problem in the past that could be solved by such a project; but public works projects are always welcomed by politicians, in a down economy -- and what could be more politically acceptable than building a "safer" airport?

• Has LAX been a debarkation point for terror attacks? Well, no.
• Will LAX be able to control security at feeder airports, or airports that have flights that go to Los Angeles? Well, no.
• Was September 11 a demonstration of a breakdown of airport security? No, again.

Given that there have been no terror attacks mounted out of LAX, just how much of an improvement can be expected, for the expenditure of nine billion dollars? Well, reducing the terror attack rate from zero to... um -- what's going on here?

To put $9 billion into perspective, Denver International, even with all its monumental cost overruns, was built of whole cloth for much less. In fact, DIA, plus the perfectly-good airport it replaced (Stapleton), together cost less than this proposed security remake of LAX. (Lest you think that Denver isn't a valid comparison airport, please refer to emplanement figures just released by the bureau of transportation statistics, and reported in ANN earlier this week, that show Denver as the next-busiest US airport, after LA.)

Don't like comparisons to "tiny" Denver? Remember that the O'Hare rebuild (terminal, a new runway, land acquisition, the works) will cost "only" $6.6 billion -- and that's presumably with Mayor Daley's friends lining up for all the contracts!

The Rand group had a look at the proposal, and is reported to have said that the plans might have a "slightly positive" effect on security: it could be a little more-difficult to get a car bomb in; but a briefcase bomb, for instance, would not face any greater scrutiny. Might more lives be saved -- with less money -- by adding or improving runways, adding tower personnel, or building a reliever airport? Local press haven't asked Mayor Hahn those questions.

FMI: www.lawa.org