CAF accused of breach of trust

Source: Odessa American, TexasSept.迷你倉 04--Staff members with the Commemorative Air Force are redoubling their efforts to insist the museums aren't leaving Midland with the headquarters, but those words aren't flying with some locals.President of the CAF Steve Brown issued an 1,100-word news release Thursday promoting the Airpower Museum, the High Sky Wing and Desert Squadron, and an impending expansion.But the news release only made passing mentions that the expansion includes a move of the headquarters, including Brown and several other employees, to a yet-to-be-named location that will also be the flagship of the organization's new base structure.The eight possible expansion locations include six Texas airports, one Kansas airport and one Tennessee airport, and could be determined as early as October.But Brown said the public has been misled by some comments made to local media into thinking the museum and CAF are moving along with the headquarters."We haven't gotten the message out. We haven't communicated the message clearly," Brown said. "What happens is people don't read things clearly. People have gotten confused and think everything is being moved."But speak with people who have been around since the CAF came to Midland in 1991, and you'll hear a different story.A historic moveDavid Smith, who is the executive director of the Abell-Hanger Foundation, said he was one of the architects with Joe Mabee and Ed Jones who helped bring the CAF to Midland from its previous location in Harlingen."We pulled them from the worst slum you can imagine and brought them here and put them in a penthouse," Smith said. "And this is the thanks you get."Smith said after pouring in $1 million for the initial relocation as well as time and resources for the implementation and continued operation of the headquarters in Midland, he believes moving the headquarters could spell the end of the museum in West Texas.He had visited the Harlingen museum a number of times, Smith said, and after joining the Abell-Hanger Foundation in 1983 he was in a position to do something about the poor facilities for the CAF.Smith said the seawater tore at the planes, causing them to be in a state of disrepair that was killing the planes."It was like something out of a third-world country," Smith said. "It was horrible."As a man who loves history, Smith admitted that despite the state of the artifacts, the CAF was something unique and something he wanted to save.One day, he floated the idea with Mabee and Jones."We just wondered out loud," Smith said. "I wonder if that's even possible. Midland and Odessa, West Texas, is a very patriotic place. And people got behind it."With contributions from the Abell-Hanger Foundation, as well as the Mabee Foundation, other local organizations and a favorable $1 per year lease agreement with the city of Midland, the CAF was able to move to Midland.Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, also played a part by advocating for the museum."I've helped the CAF through the legislature for years," Craddick said. "The state of Texas appropriates dollars to the CAF."The moneyCraddick said the CAF is going to receive more than $700,000 over the next two years from the state of Texas.Craddick has publicly denounced the move, and in a Tuesday interview, clarified a July statement released by his office in which he questioned the move in light of all the contributions over the years by organizations in the Permian Basin and the city of Midland."I'm looking at where we put money into the program that we thought was very worthwhile, and what's going to happen to them? Where's it going?" Craddick said. "Why would you move your executive staff somewhere else?"Because money appropriated by the state, programs funded by the Texas Department of Transportation, $300,000 appropriated by Midland County commissioners, and a number of other funding avenues are tied to the organization residing in Midland, Craddick said the儲存funding could be cut.Additionally, Craddick said the CAF could be on the hook for a number of commitments it made and has received funding for, but would be going back on contracts by moving out of Midland.When asked how all of that plays into keeping the museum in Midland, Craddick said they wouldn't be able to afford it with all those financial obligations and funding cuts from moving, plus an air conditioning problem Craddick said could cost as much as $500,000."It may not move tomorrow, but I think that once you move the headquarters and the other, and depending on what they do to maintain and make the necessary repairs out at the museum, I think they will move, too," Craddick said. "And I'll tell you this; so do most of the people out there. Most of the people are afraid to say anything, but they're traipsing through my office."CAF's messageDespite Brown's claims that many are confused, Craddick and Smith both said they are not confused -- quite the opposite."We get it. We see it clearly for what it is," Smith said. "It's a breach of trust, a breach of faith. It's not right."But CAF Board Chairman Neils Agather said while the average person could be confused by the terminology of moving the headquarters, he doesn't believe Craddick is confused.Instead, Agather himself is confused by Craddick's opposition to the move."He's been helpful to us over the years. I think he better than most people probably do understand how we're divided and not divided up," Agather said. "Why he's come out so strong against it, I can't explain it. Because the loss is so nominal."Agather, referring to the loss of headquarters that comprises of between five and 10 employees, also repeated the message that only the headquarters would be moving and that the museum and CAF facilities in Midland would actually be receiving upgrades, renovations, and updated artifacts.The Midland CAF museum is the only accredited museum in all the CAF's 90 units in the country, Agather said, and the CAF hopes to keep it accredited.In a previous story, Brown said the plan is to create an airbase structure that would renovate various wing locations to have aviation attractions, interactive displays and an annual air show, with one "penultimate" airbase where the headquarters would be located.The CAF has narrowed down a group of proposals for the headquarters base to eight locations, including Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Collin County Airport in McKinney, Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas, Ellington Field Airport in Houston, Lackland/Kelly Airport in San Antonio, New Century Airport in Kansas City, Kan., North Texas Regional Airport in Sherman/Denison and Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport in Smyrna, Tenn.Agather said the final location could be determined as early as October or as late as the spring of 2014.An emotional subjectSmith said he was disappointed the CAF plans to move, and upset at the "smoke and mirrors" being given by Brown and others at the CAF."I think that the very least the CAF could do is live up to their end of the bargain, which is to stay here 100 percent," Smith said. "Somebody says 'I'm going to do something' and you shake their hand and expect them to do it."After calling the CAF ungrateful, lacking recognition of the facility they have in Midland and lacking credibility, Smith said overall he is suspicious of the plans portrayed by the CAF.Smith also said he was perplexed and offended at what he believes is a clear first step in the plan to move the entire operation from Midland/Odessa.But neither Smith nor Craddick have the authority to pull the plug."What they're going to do, they're going to do," Smith said. "I'm not happy about it."Contact Jon Vanderlaan on twitter at @OAcourts, on Facebook at OA Jon Vanderlaan or call 432-333-7763.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Odessa American (Odessa, Texas) Visit the Odessa American (Odessa, Texas) at .oaoa.com Distributed by MCT Information Services新蒲崗迷你倉