Sam Blue, chief operating officer of Blue Airways, that has served as the Red Wing Regional Airport’s Fixed Base Operator and caretaker for the City of Red Wing, says he was disappointed in the city’s decision to not Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to land tomorrow and campaign for Donald Trump.
Blue says Kennedy’s campaign called him Thursday afternoon and offered the airport $10,000 to use a hanger for a Trump rally on Saturday.
Blue called the City of Red Wing and asked if that was a problem.
According to Blue, city officials responded after conferring with City’s Attorney’s office of Amy Mace is a shareholder of Squires, Waldspurger & Mace, P.A. in Minneapolis and said it would not be able to acomplish allowing Kennedy’s plane to land.
Blue says it was disappointing not for political reasons, but that the airport really could have used the $10,000 because they need to purchase of equipment that costs $7,000-$8,000 and that would have covered that.
He says the airport also missed an opportunity for publicity and that Kennedy’s campaign noted they had had no problems with any other airports in Wisconsin while campaining.
City Council Administrator, Kay Kuhlman says it was a timing problem with very short notice, which Blue also acknowledged. Kuhlman says with nearly 200 people expected to attend the rally and the City being responsible for safety and traffic, there simply was not enough time for that to happen.
A Private Use of Public Property (PUPP) Application to the City Council is generally required for privately hosted events, regardless of of the timing involved.
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