New York: Flying Air-1 duplicates services already offered by Mercy Flight

Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh made another pitch Monday to keep the county’s police helicopter, a day before the county Legislature could vote to sell Air-1 at public auction.

Walsh said he was confident that he could raise an estimated $595,000 to pay for Air-1’s operations next year. Legislators have stripped all funding for the helicopter’s operation from the 2012 county budget.

Most users of syracuse.com believe the helicopter is a waste of money. Here's what one person, SyraKing, had to say:

"Where is the money going to come from? Are you going to reduce take home cars or cut staff?

"The helicopter is duplication of service and it competes with private industry (Mercy Flight) which is communist. Private companies by law are not to be in competition with government services.

"Air 1 -- Walsh, who has no money to support it still wants it at the expense of county taxpayers. No revenue and it still gets funding. No effort to get certified and still they want funding. A year to raise money and they have $20,000.

"FAIL -- Sell it!"

 http://www.syracuse.com