Constitution, free market set path

It is a sad statement that we have to remind people that the market will determine what will happen in private enterprise.

But that's the position we found ourselves in when discussing the future of Piñon Aero Center at the Minden-Tahoe Airport.

It's one of those things like saying someone is innocent until convicted in a court of law, or that the popular vote is not necessarily the last word when it comes to the law. They are things we were all supposed to learn in school, but people still seem to need reminding.

First, some history. Piñon Aero's approval occurred eight years ago. They didn't start putting up buildings during that time because they didn't have a market.

There is a need for hangars at the airport, and Piñon Aero is going to fill that need. Will they be attracting jets from San Jose? Maybe, but the market will make that determination.

Lately, the market has not been kind to business, but that doesn't mean it's never going to be kind. When things start to change it will happen quickly and there will be a lot of people who are unhappy about it.

Residents implemented a weight ordinance in 1984 that was given its due by the county for a lot of years. The federal government has said the county ordinance doesn't carry any weight with them. That's where what is popular collides with what is legal. If a court says the will of the people violates the Constitution, the court is right until overturned.

There are countries where neither market nor Constitution hold sway. But we get the feeling those aren't places we'd like to live, either.