Richard Carson, chairman of the University of California, San Diego economics department, challenges the conventional wisdom that the region needs a new airport and has provided his unsolicited analysis and opinions for free.
Seth Young has not. He’s the consultant the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority hired to analyze Carson’s findings. Young has countered Carson’s arguments and reinforced the idea that the regional will suffer great economic harm without a new airport.
Young, an associate professor in the college of business at Florida-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, has so far earned $30,000 for his work. Authority spokeswoman Diana Lucero said he’s been compensated for analyzing Carson’s findings and a 2001 economic impact study crafted when the Port of San Diego ran the airport, as well as for making three presentations to the authority.
Young has a $49,000 contract with the authority that runs from December 2005 to December 2006.
Young has been contracted through the International Aviation Management Group, the small firm of which he’s president.
– ROB DAVIS