WELCOME ABOARD, AND THANK YOU for choosing to fly Continental Airlines. If your travel plans include a trip through our Houston or New York/Newark hubs, I hope you have a chance to enjoy our state-of-the-art facilities. Over the past 10 years, we’ve committed more than $2 billion to ensure that these facilities meet your every need. With these key facilities, we’ve been able to grow our international network dramatically.
This growth has been supported by our partners at the Houston Airport System and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. It’s important to Continental, our customers like you, and the cities supported by our route network that we have the ability to continue growing.
In Houston, we’re facing a challenge to that growth. It’s a city charter provision that was approved by voters in November 2004. At face value, the provision sounds like a winner. It says that when city revenue collections reach a certain level, the city must set aside money for taxpayer rebates. But there were some problems with it. The one I’m most concerned about is the inclusion of airport system money in the limit on combined city revenue collections. Let me explain why.
The Houston Airport System is paid for through a self-sustaining, dedicated enterprise fund supported only by the airlines and their customers, other airport tenants, and federal grants. Absolutely no local property taxes pay for airport operations or growth. Since federal law prohibits the use of airport money for anything other than airport purposes, the provision won’t rebate any airport money back to taxpayers. What the provision will do is prevent growth and development at the airport in order to keep revenue collections there from increasing.
Is it in the city’s interest to keep from adding new air service and building new facilities while other hub airports are developing and attracting new service? We all know it isn’t. Limiting growth at Houston’s airports will limit increased flights associated with growth, thus undermining Houston’s position as an important and prosperous center of business. It will also, of course, limit your choices as travelers.
We support the city’s efforts to modify this measure. On November 7, Houston voters will have a chance to fix this problem by approving Proposition G — a proposal by Mayor Bill White and the City Council to amend the measure. We strongly support this modification, which will eliminate self-supporting enterprise funds from the revenue cap and allow us to continue growing and providing top-rate service at Bush Intercontinental.
Speaking of top-rate service, this month I’d like to thank Cleveland-based Chelsea coordinator Lisa Lockhart. She is a shining example of Continental’s 43,000 co-workers who regularly go the extra mile for our customers. You can read more about Lisa in Notebook.
Once again, thank you for choosing Continental Airlines for your flight. We hope to see you again soon.
Political Advertising Paid for by Continental Airlines, Inc.
