I sent the Gov a message after the cuts were officially made a few days ago. I pretty much told him how disappointed I was and that he'd have trouble obtaining my vote the next election.
So yeah, I'll take just a little bit of credit for this one. -- maybe Santa Claus does read letters.
Arch_Genesis wrote:I sent the Gov a message after the cuts were officially made a few days ago. I pretty much told him how disappointed I was and that he'd have trouble obtaining my vote the next election.
So yeah, I'll take just a little bit of credit for this one. -- maybe Santa Claus does read letters.
St. Louis-China trade effort to get $1.1 Million from stateSt. Louis Business Journal - by Kelsey Volkmann
The leaders of efforts to make the St. Louis region a hub for trade with China have more good news.
Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration said it was providing $1.1 million in federal community development block grant funding toward landing a Chinese freight airline to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, said Mike Jones, the head of the commission behind the effort and chief policy adviser for St. Louis County Chief Executive Dooley.
“We are back in the game,” he said.
Jones and other commission members had told the governor’s office that they’d have to cancel their work after the state said it could provide only $300,000 toward the effort.
^ About time. It's still not the full amount of monies originally pledged, but it's enough to keep the ball rolling, I hope.
Focus 1: Nixon: what an idiot. Almost lost the whole thing for the State. I don't know if Peter Kinder's running in 2012, but I'll pledge monies right now to throw Nixon out and get a StL-centric governor elected.
Focus 2: The President's in Beijing (or just left). What are the chances of his discussing the Hub with Premier Hu? I'm sure both are aware of it, but the level of discussions being so focused in a wholly political nature (arms to Iran, NKorea, etc) may have knocked this off the itinerary. Any insights?
Yeah, that there's not enough to speculate about. It's clear that our nations are interdependent. If there is value for the Chinese, then they may be inclined (but to be honest I haven't yet read any usage scenarios that are plausible and/or anything more than a hope and a prayer.) Chicago is currently the nearest large-scale, international air-freight hub. How cheaper/faster/better can we be? Is there a real problem currently? Is trade growth to and from China projected to be that great in the future that it will be? Quantifiably project the real cost measured in inefficiency and capacity constraints over time. I know that Paul McKee has aspirations and St. Louis thinks it would be super duper but what is the real problem being solved here?
What kind of investment / commitment is necessary from China and us? It's not as if the weakness in financial markets doesn't affect them either. And what kind of return could they and we expect? Here is the biggest question -- why is none of this activity being driven by the private air-freight market? If there is a true problem to be solved and a profit to be made, why the hell aren't they driving it or visibly backing the plan?
- World’s two largest market-based economies with interdependent and increasing trade of goods & services.
- Dedicated & fully utilizable air facilities providing foothold in established markets & gateway to others.
- Sweetheart deal being done locally to promote it (assuming Nixon doesn’t act preventatively).
- Clean slate of expanded developable land in direct proximity.
- Comparable setups at proximate airports for competition (UPS, DHL, & FedEx), into which China Air could establish a logistics base.
- Access to multiple ground-based transportation facilities, including road, rail, and river.
Macro:
- Mutual need to expand commerce and exchange of goods & services.
- Capitalist economies currently involved in mutual integration for shared necessary benefits.
- Expansion into new markets for commerce.
- Chinese finance: Raising the RMB to a higher peg, nearing a float, while the PRC keeps buying as much gold as possible for their state reserves.
- Chinese sovereign wealth funds still flush with cash after the Great Recession and seeking new private equity investments, including development.
- US finance: Seeking a major economic impetus resulting in new jobs, new companies, and new markets for existing products & services.
- Mutual expansion needs for international port facilities to increase facilitating trade.
Local:
- Cheaper than Chicago.
- Less congested airfields than Chicago.
- First-mover advantage to Saint Louis.
- Planning & studies currently underway for long-term facilities integration.
- Pre-established key relationships between the powers-that-be in StL & Beijing.
The domestic private air freight market is already set up in Louisville, Indianapolis, and Memphis. For this to really move forward, we won’t see UPS, FedEx, or DHL here as much as we’d see China Air sending their jets to Lambert. The domestic companies won’t be setting up new shops here, and we’re not seeking the establishment of a redundant hub for domestic air carriers. This is for China Air coming over into the US markets and basing them at Lambert for international service, with the potential for hubbing at Lambert for domestic flights.
Any news stories of economic integration or new commerce notes from this week in Beijing, plese post or direct. Thanks.
Perhaps St. Louis is such a favorable entry point compared to other options (Memphis, Indy, Chicago, etc.) that we won't have to give away the state to get the hub here....just searching for an explanation as to why MO isn't going full speed ahead and funding whatever is necessary to move this along.
SAINT LOUIS (KMOX) -- Governor Jay Nixon says he still has high hopes for landing a China hub at Lambert-St. Louis airport.
Governor Jay Nixon, who has been working on getting Lambert-St. Louis airport to be a China hub, says he will be meeting with the Chinese Ambassador in Washington, D.C. in December.
Nixon adds that reigniting Missouri as a transportation and trade hub is something that is part of the future economic future.
Earlier this month, the Governor announced the state will be kicking in one million dollars in federal community development block grant funding to help St. Louis land the Chinese freight contract.
matguy70 wrote:Earlier this month, the Governor announced the state will be kicking in one million dollars in federal community development block grant funding to help St. Louis land the Chinese freight contract.
Here it is from as per the P-D. Will see if the the state and region is willing to play ball or if the show me mentality will keep the old hangers around for a few more decades. All I get from the PD blog is people who day dream about the good ol TWA days or those still bitter about the house that is already gone.
12.01.2009 12:02 pm
Airport to ink deal to build at least $40 million in cargo facilities
By Tim Logan
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis airport officials are preparing to sign a deal to redevelop 76 acres on the north side of Lambert St. Louis International Airport’s runways into air cargo offloading facilities
I wonder if we could impress China by having an "Everyone is Asian Today" celebration. Kind of like everyone is Irish on St. Patty's day.
Here in the Midwest, we could take a ton of dollars off their hands in exchange for tons and tons of wheat and corn. I'm not sure why they are considering Las Vegas as a cargo hub. What would Vegas export to China on the return flights? Poker Chips?
St. Louis region steps up effort to attract Midwest-China cargo hub
Adam Allington, St. Louis Public Radio (2009-12-02)
ST. LOUIS (St. Louis Public Radio) -
The Midwest-China Hub Commission is spending big to lobby Chinese companies to route their exports through Lambert Airport in St. Louis, and Lambert Airport has announced plans to build a new 40-million dollar air freight terminal.
St. Louis County Economic Development Council is expected to approve payment Wednesday of $931,000 to former DHL executive Guenter Rohrmann to negotiate with the Chinese.
The money doesn't guarantee anything, but Hub Commission Chairman Mike Jones says at least it buys St. Louis a seat at the negotiating table.
Can't find the KMOX link because it's off their web site but big dinner tonight in Washington hosted by China Ambassador to US. Attending are both Senators, flock of Missouri Congressmen, STL area politicos including Mike Jones...
sirshankalot wrote:Can't find the KMOX link because it's off their web site but big dinner tonight in Washington hosted by China Ambassador to US. Attending are both Senators, flock of Missouri Congressmen, STL area politicos including Mike Jones...
Bring it home...
Midwest-China Hub Commission heads to D.C.
St. Louis Business Journal
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Zhou Wenzhong has invited the Midwest-China Hub Commission to attend a dinner Thursday at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Sens. Kit Bond, R-Mo., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., will attend the dinner along with Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon.
Other guests include U.S. Reps. Ted Akin, R-Mo., Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., Lacy Clay, D-Mo., and Blaine Leutkemeyer, R-Mo., St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and area labor and business leaders.
Ambassador Zhou said he is honoring the Midwest-China Hub Commission to demonstrate China’s continued commitment to the development of a St. Louis commercial air cargo hub.
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Zhou Wenzhong has invited the Midwest-China Hub Commission to attend a dinner Thursday at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and U.S. Sens. Kit Bond, R-Mo., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., will attend the dinner.
Other guests include U.S. Reps. Todd Akin, R-Mo., Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., Lacy Clay, D-Mo., and Blaine Leutkemeyer, R-Mo., St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and area labor and business leaders.
