All their disads are non-unique – a Privatization’s inevitable internationally
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- 2ac – regional econ – georgia – brink 2ac – regional econ – georgia – congestion hurts econ Oh
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Georgia econ decline decks national military readiness Nunn 14 – (Michelle Nunn, 7/3/14, “Michelle Nunn On Georgia's Military Bases,” https://votesmart.org/public-statement/892010/michelle-nunn-on-georgias-military-bases#.VbJePLNVgSU)//twemchen Georgia has a crucial role in bolstering our national security. Navy submarines from King's Bay patrol the oceans with nuclear weapons to deter potential adversaries from striking us. The Air Force repairs jets, manages logistics and houses surveillance aircraft at Warner Robins. And it flies the world's premiere close air support jet and rescue helicopter that support our men and women on the ground in Afghanistan at Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta. At Ft. Benning, home of the infantry and elite Army Rangers, the Army trains a wide variety of soldiers, from recruits to officers, to perform a wide variety of jobs, from jumping out of airplanes at Airborne School to driving tanks. At Ft. Gordon near Augusta, home of the Signal Corps, the Army trains soldiers in signals intelligence and provides cutting edge cyber capabilities. Ft. Stewart is home of the legendary 3rd Infantry Division, which fought in World Wars I and II, Korea, and Iraq. Hunter Army Airfield, just down the road in Savannah, is home to a battalion of Army Rangers and Nightstalkers, pilots who fly our special operations forces on the most dangerous missions. And the Marine Corps repairs the majority of its ground combat equipment at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. The last thirteen years of war have highlighted the importance of our National Guard, Reserve and the civilians who support our war fighters. Dobbins Air Reserve Base is home to Air Force reservists and civilians, as well as guardsmen and reservists from the Army, Navy and Marines. Georgia's installations also serve as major economic drivers in communities across Georgia. The Department of Defense employs more than 140,000 in Georgia, the 5th most of any state, and our installations have a $20 billion economic impact. But Congress' chaos driven budgeting process and failed leadership has hurt Georgia's bases. Sequestration -- the self-inflicted, across the board budget cuts triggered when Congress couldn't agree on a budget -- forced furloughs for Georgia defense workers and created uncertainty that hurt Georgia's economy. And last year's shutdown led to mandatory furloughs for thousands of employees at Georgia's military bases and slowed the VA's ability to process benefits. Over the years, Georgia and our nation have been fortunate to have had bipartisan political leadership in Congress dedicated to our country's security. As Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, my great uncle, Carl Vinson, was considered the father of the two-ocean Navy. In the Senate, Richard Russell almost single-handedly guided defense policy during his 13 years as chairman of the Armed Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee. And my dad, Sam, led the Armed Services committee as the Cold War ended and helped to secure Russia's vast nuclear arsenal during his 24 year tenure in that chamber. Since then, Senators Max Cleland and Saxby Chambliss also served Georgia honorably as members of this important committee. In the U.S. Senate, I hope to follow in the footsteps of great Georgia leaders who have fought to keep Georgia's military bases at the forefront of innovation and make them indispensable for our military. And I'll work hard with like-minded leaders to bring common-sense budgeting back to our nation's capitol. Keeping Georgia's Bases Strong Georgia bases play a crucial role in the present defense of our nation but they need missions for the future in order to retain this preeminence. I will focus on these missions and work closely with our military leaders and our community leaders to ensure that we compare favorably in every competitive measurement and that we have the most efficient and effective workforce and physical facilities that are so important to our Georgia bases and our nation's security. Our state enjoys significant advantages over other states when it comes to military facilities. The communities that surround our bases do a great job in sustaining and supporting those bases and their military neighbors. The great work of our business and community leaders -- as exemplified by organizations like the 21st Century Partnership -- has helped keep Georgia at the forefront of our national security infrastructure. Georgia bases host some of our nation's most critical military and maintenance capabilities including cutting edge cyber technology, the most important leg of our nuclear deterrent, and ground combat power. The civilian workforce that supports our great military at Georgia bases is a well-trained one, borne out of decades of experience maintaining advanced military equipment at places like Warner Robins and Albany. Global nuclear war Caves 10 (John P. Jr., “Avoiding a Crisis of Confidence in the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent”, Strategic Forum, 252, January, http://www.ndu.edu/inss/docuploaded/SF%20252_John%20Caves.pdf)//twemchen Perceptions of a compromised U.S. nuclear deterrent as described above would have profound policy implications, particularly if they emerge at a time when a nuclear-armed great power is pursuing a more aggressive strategy toward U.S. allies and partners in its region in a bid to enhance its regional and global clout. ■ A dangerous period of vulnerability would open for the United States and those nations that depend on U.S. protection while the United States attempted to rectify th problems with its nuclear forces. As it would take more than a decade for the United States to produce new nuclear weapons, ensuing events could preclude a return to anything like the status quo ante. ■ The assertive, nuclear-armed great power, and other major adversaries, could be willing to challenge U.S. interests more directly in the expectation that the United States would be less prepared to threaten or deliver a military response that could lead to direct conflict. They will want to keep the United States from reclaiming its earlier power position. ■ Allies and partners who have relied upon explicit or implicit assurances of U.S. nuclear protection as a foundation of their security could lose faith in those assurances. They could compensate by accommodating U.S. rivals, especially in the short term, or acquiring their own nuclear deterrents, which in most cases could be accomplished only over the mid- to long term. A more nuclear world would likely ensue over a period of years. ■ Important U.S. interests could be compromised or abandoned, or a major war could occur as adversaries and/or the United States miscalculate new boundaries of deterrence and provocation. At worst, war could lead to state-on-state employment of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) on a scale far more catastrophic than what nuclear-armed terrorists alone could inflict. 2ac – regional econ – georgia – brink 2ac – regional econ – georgia – congestion hurts econ Oh https://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/03/05/Cohen_Coughlin.pdf Congestion has been and continues to be a problem at many airports throughout the United States. For example, in the first five months of 2001, over 25 percent of the flights arriving at the nation’s 11 busiest airports were more than 15 minutes late.1 Despite a decline in travelers and flights in 2001, which was associated with the recession that began that spring and the September 11 terrorist attacks, congestion remained a problem in some locations.2 For example, 16.2 percent of the flights bound for Lambert–St. Louis International Airport from May 1, 2001, through June 30, 2001, arrived late, with an average delay of roughly 55 minutes. Using the same period one year later, 16.3 percent of the arriving flights were delayed, with an average delay time of roughly 56 minutes.3 Congestion imposes costs on both the users and providers of airline transportation services. A common response is to expand the capacity of airports in the most afflicted regions. Consequently, airport expansions have occurred and are occurring in many major cities, including Atlanta and St. Louis.4 Figure 1 shows that the amount of federal, state, and local government spending on airports increased in all but two years between 1986 and 1999.5 Federal, state, and local funds for U.S. airports in 1999 totaled over $20 billion, up from $11 billion in 1985 (using constant, 1996 dollars). Expansions are costly, complex, and controversial. For example, the cost of “Phase 1” of the current expansion of Lambert–St. Louis International Airport is $1.1 billion. The key component of this project is the construction of a new runway.6 To add this runway, the approved project entailed the acquisition of more than 1,500 acres of land, which ignited protests from affected homeowners and businesses; the reconfiguration of seven major roads; the movement of some airport support operations and the Missouri Air National Guard facility; and the construction of a new school.7 We begin our analysis by providing a discussion of how congestion arises and how it can be dealt with. Because the air transportation services provided by one airport are related to the services provided by many airports, delays at one airport have adverse effects on the movement of passengers and freight at other airports.8 Thus, the expansion of one airport can assist the movement of passengers and freight at other airports. This interdependence provides an economic justification for a decisionmaking authority above the level of individual airports, such as a governmental body, to be involved in the approval as well as the financing of expansions. However, when both congestion and network externalities are present, the appropriate government actions may be to levy a tax, to provide a subsidy, or possibly to refrain from any intervention. To justify a specific airport expansion, its benefits must exceed its costs. We examine how the benefits and costs of expansions are measured. We use the expansion of Lambert–St. Louis International Airport to illustrate many of the key points. We also examine two controversial aspects of expansions—the displacement of people and the environmental effects. The controversy as well as the cost of expansion projects has spurred the search for alternative ways to reduce congestion. One alternative that we examine, which reduces congestion by using existing capacity more efficiently, is congestion-based pricing of landing fees. ANALYZING CONGESTION IN THE AIR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK Expanding the capacity of an airport entails a multi-year capital expansion project to construct a runway and/or a terminal. The financing of expansions generally includes funding provided by a governmental body. An alternative in some cases to increasing an airport’s infrastructure is to use its existing facilities more efficiently. This alternative approach to reduce the adverse effects of congestion can be implemented in the short run via the setting of appropriate prices or taxes. The potential role of taxes/subsidies in responding to congestion as well as network externalities can be explained using marginal benefit/marginal cost curves.9 A potential traveler who wishes to fly from St. Louis to Boston, for example, faces two costs—the airfare (“x” dollars per trip) plus the opportunity cost of travel time (“y” dollars per hour). In Figure 2, with the units of measurement being dollars on the vertical axis and passenger trips on the horizontal axis, the marginal benefit (or demand) curve has a negative slope. This curve indicates, for our example, that when the price of air travel from St. Louis to Boston is high, only the few people who value their trips highly would choose to travel. As the price of a trip is reduced, more travelers will take this trip. The explanation for the shapes of the private and social marginal cost curves is slightly more complicated.10 The shapes hinge on the impact of congestion costs. At air traffic levels less than QC in Figure 2, the marginal cost curve is flat. The flatness indicates that congestion has not set in yet, and the cost for passengers is the monetary cost of their tickets plus a “fixed” value related to the opportunity cost of travel.11 Consequently, the “social” marginal cost curve coincides with the “private” marginal cost curve. For air traffic levels greater than QC, however, the marginal cost curve is upward sloping. The positively sloped part of the private marginal cost curve can be understood by considering the notion that, beyond some threshold level, when a particular individual chooses to consume additional air travel, he adds additional traffic to the system, which slows down his own travel. Additional passenger trips translate into more flights, which is one source of congestion. In addition, more passengers cause more crowded airport terminals, creating delays at ticket counters and security checkpoints. When passengers anticipate these delays, they arrive at the airport earlier and increase their travel time. Moreover, additional passenger trips result in increased delays at the baggage claim carousel at the end of a trip. Thus, we are assuming that trip time varies directly with the number of passenger trips. This longer trip time increases the marginal passenger’s own trip cost, due to the higher opportunity cost of the travel time, which is added to the monetary cost. When accounting for congestion in the manner described above, the social marginal cost curve differs from the private marginal cost curve. Namely, when an additional passenger uses the airport more, in addition to increasing his own travel time by adding to congestion, this passenger increases the travel time of other airport users as well. This passenger does not take this additional cost into account, so existing travelers could be made better off if the would-be passenger did not travel. This additional cost causes the social marginal cost curve to lie above the private marginal cost curve. This increase in total travel time can be calculated by multiplying the total number of airport users by the additional travel delay that the marginal user generates. At levels of passenger trips slightly greater than the congestion threshold, QC, this travel congestion externality is small, so the difference between the social and private marginal cost curves is relatively small. But as the number of passenger trips rises, an individual increasing his air travel adds greater cost to other travelers, due to the assumption that trip time is an increasing function of passenger volume. As a result, the difference between the social and private marginal cost curves is larger at higher levels of passenger traffic. The socially optimal level of air traffic in this context occurs at Qtax in Figure 2, where the marginal benefit curve intersects the social marginal cost curve. Note that this level of passenger trips is less than QP, which is the level of passenger trips associated with the intersection of the marginal benefit and private marginal cost curves. One way to achieve the socially optimal level of passenger trips, which requires the marginal benefits of air travel to equal the social marginal costs, is through a congestion tax on air travel from St. Louis to Boston. In Figure 2, a tax per unit of air traffic volume equal to the distance from PP to PS will yield this socially optimal level of passenger trips. The cost associated with the tax forces each traveler to pay for the costs that his travel imposes on others. The net gain resulting from the tax is represented by the triangle ABC. The net gain reflects the fact that for a level of passenger trips QP, marginal social costs exceeds marginal benefits by the distance from B to C. The tax causes passenger trips to decrease from QP to Qtax and eliminates the gap between marginal social costs and marginal benefits. Thus, the net gain is the sum of the differences between marginal social costs and marginal benefits as passenger trips decrease from QP to Qtax. A congestion tax, however, is not the only policy option. An alternative policy, shown in Figure 3, is to expand the airport at which the congestion is present. Airport expansion shifts the private and social marginal cost curves rightward. In addition, the congestion “threshold” occurs at a larger number of passenger trips, increasing from QT to QTX. Whether congestion persists depends not only on the size of the expansion, but also on the elasticity of air travel demand.12 If travel demand is relatively inelastic, then it is likely that the expansion leads to a new equilibrium level of passenger trips, QI , below the congestion threshold. In this hypothetical example, the relatively inelastic demand implies that consumers of air travel are not very responsive to the lower cost of travel, so quantity demanded does not increase by enough to create additional congestion. If demand is relatively elastic, however, then it is possible that the new equilibrium, QE, will occur above the congestion threshold, and the social marginal cost will be greater than the private marginal cost. Because consumers are relatively responsive to changes in the trip cost, the expansion 2ac – regional econ – georgia – congestion hurts tourism 2ac – regional econ – georgia – tourism key to econ 2ac – regional econ – georgia – airport key to econ Stuff Brett Smith is a believer. As the managing director of Propeller Investments, Smith is convinced his plan for the privatization of Briscoe Field could result in tremendous economic benefits for the area. “I look for projects that are interesting, that create jobs,” he said. “I look for projects that can make a difference.” Smith believes he and his company can make a difference in the greater Gwinnett community by bringing commercial airline service to the Lawrenceville airport. “I believe in this,” Smith said. “This will create history.” THE PLAN Two years ago, Smith approached the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners with the idea of privatizing the airport and adding commercial service. Smith, who attended school in Atlanta and spends a good deal of time in the area on business, said he became frustrated with the amount of time it took to get through Hartsfield-Jackson airport. “We own a company out in Cobb County,” he said. “I was coming down to Atlanta and I made the mistake of flying on Continental and ended up in the D Concourse. I was here for a day meeting and I didn’t have anything other than my briefcase and it took me 45 minutes to get out of the terminal.” Smith felt there had to be a better solution for business travelers trying to reach destinations in the suburbs. “We started looking at all the airports in the area,” he said. After what he describes as “a lot” of homework, Smith decided Gwinnett’s 500-acre airport would be the perfect candidate. “There’s significantly high unemployment,” Smith said. “You have infrastructure that really could be improved, particularly 316 which is a nightmare.” According to Smith, privatizing the airport could solve both of those problems. “A project like what we envision would force the state to fix it,” he said. “I thought that was a positive.” As for the economic impact, Smith estimates privatizing the airport and introducing commercial flights could add $1 billion each year to the local economy and create as many as 20,000 jobs over the next ten years. THE OPPOSITION Leading the opposition to Smith’s plan is the group Citizens for a Better Gwinnett (C4BG). Last month, the group held . The purpose of the meeting, according to group member Jim Regan, was to ensure commissioners know citizens are paying attention to discussions and developments regarding future plans for Briscoe Field. Though on opposite sides of this issue, Regan and Smith do have one thing in common – . However, the similarities end there. Regan takes issue with Smith’s assertion that polling showed support for commercialization and privatization. “[The poll] didn’t mention commercial aviation,” Regan said. Instead, according to Regan, the questions focused on economic benefits, costs to the county and jobs. “If you ask the right questions in a poll, you can get the answers you want,” he explained. Regardless of what Smith’s poll numbers indicate, Regan and . Smith maintains those issues should not be a concern. “If you look at examples of what we are proposing – Palm Springs, Greenville-Spartanburg, Westchester County – in all of those cases, home values have increased over the past 10 years,” he said. In contrast, Smith said home values around Briscoe Field have plummeted during the same time period. “If you bought a home in Lawrenceville 10 years ago next to the airport and try to sell it today, you’ve lost 30 percent,” he said. With commercial service, Smith says businesses would move to Gwinnett and companies would continue to grow causing home prices to increase over time. As for noise, Smith plans to prove homeowners have no need to worry. “The general aviation airplanes that are currently flying out of there are noisier than the next generation aircraft the airlines fly,” Smith said. “That train that goes by the airport is 10 times louder.” Smith would not disclose the date, but said within the next few weeks he plans to hold a demonstration at the airport. “I’m going to land a 737 and, four minutes later, a plane that currently goes in there is going to land. A few minutes later, the 737 will take off and the other plane will take off and people can judge for themselves,” he said. The time of the demonstration will be announced a few days in advance. Regan said he looks forward to the demonstration and hopes the 737 will fly landing circles as part of the event. “If we’re going to do it, let’s do it right,” Regan said. “I’d love it if he would do that on a Saturday or Sunday when everyone is home.” Smith is convinced people’s fears will be allayed once they hear the 737 land and take off from Briscoe Field. “I’m willing to do this because I know what the outcome is going to be,” he said. “The noise is not an issue. People say it is because they don’t know.” UP NEXT The county has not yet issued a request for proposals (RFP) for any airport related projects, but did issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) for firms interested in submitting proposals to privatize the airport. The county received responses from Smith’s company, American Airports Corporation, and Gwinnett Airport, LLC. Smith is waiting on the county to act. “The thing I want to convey to everybody is that we have an opportunity here,” he said. “If enough people are involved in the process, we can make it work for everybody.” Smith strongly believes his proposed project has the potential to take the region out of the recession quickly. “I know that what we’re offering is the best option,” he said. “It really takes Gwinnett to the next level.” 2ac – regional econ – georgia – econ key to military d Nunn 14 – (Michelle Nunn, 7/3/14, “Michelle Nunn On Georgia's Military Bases,” https://votesmart.org/public-statement/892010/michelle-nunn-on-georgias-military-bases#.VbJePLNVgSU)//twemchen Georgia has a crucial role in bolstering our national security. Navy submarines from King's Bay patrol the oceans with nuclear weapons to deter potential adversaries from striking us. The Air Force repairs jets, manages logistics and houses surveillance aircraft at Warner Robins. And it flies the world's premiere close air support jet and rescue helicopter that support our men and women on the ground in Afghanistan at Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta. At Ft. Benning, home of the infantry and elite Army Rangers, the Army trains a wide variety of soldiers, from recruits to officers, to perform a wide variety of jobs, from jumping out of airplanes at Airborne School to driving tanks. At Ft. Gordon near Augusta, home of the Signal Corps, the Army trains soldiers in signals intelligence and provides cutting edge cyber capabilities. Ft. Stewart is home of the legendary 3rd Infantry Division, which fought in World Wars I and II, Korea, and Iraq. Hunter Army Airfield, just down the road in Savannah, is home to a battalion of Army Rangers and Nightstalkers, pilots who fly our special operations forces on the most dangerous missions. And the Marine Corps repairs the majority of its ground combat equipment at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. The last thirteen years of war have highlighted the importance of our National Guard, Reserve and the civilians who support our war fighters. Dobbins Air Reserve Base is home to Air Force reservists and civilians, as well as guardsmen and reservists from the Army, Navy and Marines. Georgia's installations also serve as major economic drivers in communities across Georgia. The Department of Defense employs more than 140,000 in Georgia, the 5th most of any state, and our installations have a $20 billion economic impact. But Congress' chaos driven budgeting process and failed leadership has hurt Georgia's bases. Sequestration -- the self-inflicted, across the board budget cuts triggered when Congress couldn't agree on a budget -- forced furloughs for Georgia defense workers and created uncertainty that hurt Georgia's economy. And last year's shutdown led to mandatory furloughs for thousands of employees at Georgia's military bases and slowed the VA's ability to process benefits. Over the years, Georgia and our nation have been fortunate to have had bipartisan political leadership in Congress dedicated to our country's security. As Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, my great uncle, Carl Vinson, was considered the father of the two-ocean Navy. In the Senate, Richard Russell almost single-handedly guided defense policy during his 13 years as chairman of the Armed Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee. And my dad, Sam, led the Armed Services committee as the Cold War ended and helped to secure Russia's vast nuclear arsenal during his 24 year tenure in that chamber. Since then, Senators Max Cleland and Saxby Chambliss also served Georgia honorably as members of this important committee. In the U.S. Senate, I hope to follow in the footsteps of great Georgia leaders who have fought to keep Georgia's military bases at the forefront of innovation and make them indispensable for our military. And I'll work hard with like-minded leaders to bring common-sense budgeting back to our nation's capitol. Keeping Georgia's Bases Strong Georgia bases play a crucial role in the present defense of our nation but they need missions for the future in order to retain this preeminence. I will focus on these missions and work closely with our military leaders and our community leaders to ensure that we compare favorably in every competitive measurement and that we have the most efficient and effective workforce and physical facilities that are so important to our Georgia bases and our nation's security. Our state enjoys significant advantages over other states when it comes to military facilities. The communities that surround our bases do a great job in sustaining and supporting those bases and their military neighbors. The great work of our business and community leaders -- as exemplified by organizations like the 21st Century Partnership -- has helped keep Georgia at the forefront of our national security infrastructure. Georgia bases host some of our nation's most critical military and maintenance capabilities including cutting edge cyber technology, the most important leg of our nuclear deterrent, and ground combat power. The civilian workforce that supports our great military at Georgia bases is a well-trained one, borne out of decades of experience maintaining advanced military equipment at places like Warner Robins and Albany. Directory: file -> view view -> Western Europe after wwii view -> Author study: paul fleischman view -> Qpa1 7ela study Guide view -> Arctic Oil/Gas Neg view -> November 1970 Approximately 150,000-500,000 deaths Bhola Cyclone Bangladesh view -> Grade Level: 6 Unit of Study: Caribbean glce view -> Citation: Duffield, Katy view -> Table of Contents Lesson # view -> Chinese Wind Energy Disad Download 1.61 Mb. Share with your friends:
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