All's quiet, but ... You know what happens when government gets very, very quiet

The holidays might still be in full swing -- more than a few people picked this week for their holiday vacation -- but there is still an eery quiet surrounding the city and its continuing saga of an alleged Air Force museum.

And you know what that means ... be very, very leery.

The Air Force museum has been touted as a plan in progress -- and officials have said it will not go forward until or unless it has the blessing of the community.

Yet, there continues to be activity that suggests that perhaps the public's opinion might not be such a deal-breaker.

Allegedly, there has been, and is continuing to be, an effort to collect public opinion on the project, beginning with a hand-selected group of "stake-holders" who were tasked with offering their views on the plan and the costs. The makeup of that committee did not seem like it represented an unbiased solicitation of opinions on whether this project would move forward. We will wait to see if the poll results suggest a real cross-section of opinions.

There has already been plenty of money spent on this project as if it were a done deal. And there are more than a few people involved with it who are not so happy about criticism surrounding it.

But the bottom line is that there is reason to question this move -- at this time, and with finances in this condition.

It is not a strike against honoring the airmen or the wing. It is a statement that perhaps, doing it later, and better, is a much more reasonable plan.

We will see what happens next. But if you have an opinion, now is the time to offer it.

Published in Editorials on July 5, 2012 10:36 AM