Archive - Apr 2008 - Blog entry

On April 24, 2008, Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison for willful failure to file federal income tax returns under 26 U.S.C. § 7203.

Snipes failed to pay approximately $70,000 in local property taxes, interest and penalties on a home in Alpine, New Jersey, owned by his company, Kymberlyte Production Services International, Inc. In December 2007, the taxing authority of the borough of Alpine, New Jersey sold the tax lien on the home to a third party. Snipes has two years to redeem the property or risk foreclosure. In 2005, Snipes defaulted on California property taxes, owing over $171,000 in property taxes in that state.] As of February 2008, a home owned by Snipes in Florida is subject to delinquent property taxes of over $15,000

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Emilio Diaz, Father of Cameron Diaz, passed away Tuesday April 15, 2008 in Orange County, California. 

Cameron Diaz had a very good relationship with her father.  Emilio Diaz was an oil company foreman.  He had a flu which developed into pneumonia.  His death was totally unexpected because Emilio was healthy. 

Emilio Diaz is a second generatioin Cuban-American.

Cameron Diaz was seen at her father's funeral.  People reported that she looked fine, sad but positive and happy.

God bless.  We love Cameron Diaz. 

* This is the fourth airline company to bankrupt in 2 weeks.  

Frontier Airlines, Inc. (Founded 1994) is a low-cost airline based at Denver International Airport in Denver, Colorado, USA. The carrier operates flights throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Frontier is a major low-cost airline with two thirds of its US destinations west of the Mississippi River. The carrier maintains its primary hub at Denver International Airport, and provides regional service to the surrounding Rocky Mountain States through a code-share agreement with Great Lakes Airlines.

In March 2007, Republic Airlines slowly began replacing Horizon Air as the operator of their feeder service, Frontier Airlines operated by Republic Airlines; Frontier JetExpress, which was operated by Horizon Air, ceased operations on November 30, 2007.

On April 10, 2008, Frontier announced that it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to its credit card processor, First Data, attempting to withhold significant proceeds from ticket sales. First Data suddenly decided that it would withhold 100% of the carriers proceeds from ticket sales beginning May 1st. According to Frontier's press release, "This change in practice would have represented a material change to our cash forecasts and business plan. Unchecked, it would have put severe restraints on Frontier's liquidity..." Its operation continues uninterrupted, though, as Chapter 11 bankruptcy protects the corporation's assets and allows restructuring to ensure long-term viability.

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This is a third airline company to close in a week (March 30, 2008 - April, 5 2008)

Skybus Airlines (May 22, 2007 - April 5, 2008) was a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, USA. It operated as an ultra-low-cost carrier modeled after the European airline Ryanair and the early years of Southwest Airlines, aimed to be the least expensive airline in the United States. The business model was heavily reliant on flying routes where other airlines did not have direct flights, as Ryanair did in Europe, thus keeping competition to a minimum. The business model also included advertising on the interior and exterior of its aircraft as well as selling merchandise onboard.

The airline applied for operating approval on January 1, 2005,  received approval to operate on March 15, 2006,  and FAA certification on May 10, 2007.It had been granted a waiver to begin ticket sales on April 24, 2007; the first flights out of Columbus began on May 22, 2007. Skybus announced on April 4, 2008 that it would cease operations as of April 5, 2008, citing the lagging economy and the rising fuel costs as causes.

* This is a second airline company to file Chapter 11 this week.

ATA Airlines, Iinc (1973 - April 2, 2008):

On April 2, 2008, ATA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. ATA then announced it was ceasing all services, citing the unexpected loss of a major contract for their military charter business along with recent increases in jet fuel prices. The two flights in the air at the time of the announcement proceeded to their destinations, after which all ATA flights were canceled. 

ATA Airlines, Inc., formerly known as American Trans Air, was an American low-cost scheduled service and charter airline based in Indianapolis, Indiana. ATA operated scheduled passenger flights throughout the US mainland and Hawaii, as well as military and commercial charter flights around the world. The airline maintained focus cities at Chicago Midway International Airport, Honolulu International Airport, and Oakland International Airport.