more FAA funding issues....

[tshort]

Sent to me by my dad, who is not a pilot and only involved in GA through me:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070415/ap_ ... cket_taxes

We've got a fight ahead. This is the stuff being disseminated to the public by the press. Make sure to call / write / email your reps in congress and the senate!

Thomas

[170C]

This same article, probably edited somewhat, appeared in the Fort Worth Star Telegram this morning. Now the air carrier's are seeking to get the passengers involved in pushing for user fees.

[Robert Eilers]

Yep - Front Page Article in our local paper this morning.

[aturner]

I'm certainly opposed to additional user fees and fuel taxes, but I think the article does outline a problem: pork barrel spending on small airport infrastructure. Clarion Co. is currently expanding its 4100 ft. strip to 4900 ft., and spending 1.6 million in our tax dollars in the process. This is an airport with 20 airplanes, and nothing larger than a Bonanza. It is news when we get a corporate jet flying in. Flying around the country I see lots of big expensive projects at small, quiet airports. I have a hard time seeing the utility in these projects, and do regret that my tax dollars aren't being spent on something I actually would use (e.g. upgrades to the airtraffic control system). The project did get our local congressman John Peterson on the front page of the paper, and we reelected him in part because he brings the bacon home. It also earned the ire of John McCain, who cited it is his long list of pork-barrel projects a couple of years ago ("earmarks" - spending projects tacked onto often unrelated bills). As always, we fail to elect fiscally responsible representatives to office, and thus pretty much get what we deserve.

[Robert Eilers]

The impression that a great deal of tax payer money is being spent on small airports is a deception. In order to fully appreciate how little is spent on small airports it is necessary to look at how long the airport has been in operation and compare years of operation to federal dollars spent - the picture becomes a little clearer. One important factor contributing to small airport spending is being overlooked. Much of the latest airport spending at small airports is due to TSA requirements -talk about irresponsible spending of Tax dollars. The FAA maintains airport standards and inspects airports to insure the standards are met. Airport managers must expend airport funding to met the standards. Which small airports should we do without, or close - how do we determine which airports deserve to remain in operation and which do not. Lets look at the subject a different way - which local or state roadway should we close and which should we continue to fund? After-all, the roadways in North Dakota get far less use than the roadways in California. The airport structure within the United States large and small is one of our greatest resources. It is a mistake to question the importance of a small local airport simply because the major airlines don't use them. The value of a small airport to the community it serves cannot be measured by the number of aircraft hangared or tied down. Once the research is done the value to the local economy of the local airport becomes more clear.

Lets consider what inspired this thread - an article in local newspapers appearing simultaneously across the country and presented as an article by a local journalist. Is this journalism or is this commercialism. When the printed press is not harrassing us in our homes pleading with us to pay for a subscription, they treat us like we are stupid. I believe the death of the printed press is on the horizon and it will be a suicide.

[GAHorn]

I'm certainly opposed to additional user fees and fuel taxes, but I think the article does outline a problem: pork barrel spending on small airport infrastructure. Clarion Co. is currently expanding its 4100 ft. strip to 4900 ft., and spending 1.6 million in our tax dollars in the process. This is an airport with 20 airplanes, and nothing larger than a Bonanza. ....

Andy, I'm sorry to see you hold that opinion. Let me ask a probing question about this: You say no airliners fly into your airport? Hmmm... Well, how many airline ticket taxes do you suppose pay for that airport...versus...how many airport-improvement-dollars is generated by all the taxes on the fuel burned by those General Aviation* airplanes landing out there? Hmm?

And how much Air Traffic Control is out there at that local airport? I'll bet security screening is a nightmarish excersize everyone out there must go thru in order to travel thru your neighborhood's gateway to the world, huh? When your mayor's wife has a heart attack, or your community has a disaster, I wonder how much your local airport will be worth to you as Life-Flight's jet rushes an organ transplant to her, or disaster relief services rush community aid to you guys. Eh?

And the jobs that are out at that airport... Wonder how much money that circulates locally? And that "million dollar" paving job..... even it is being done by an out-of-town contractor.... brought in how many hotel, meal, service-related dollars to your town? Probably has a few locals employed too, right?

The AP article is an unvarnished, piece of yellow-journalism promoted by the airlines who want GA out of "their" airports. Guess what? We don't spend as much time at "their" airports as they'd like the general public to think. There's no GA gates at "their" terminals! We don't want to fly next to them. And they are the ones who require the vast majority of ATC and FAA services anyway! Not to mention security screening costs! DOH!

All the airline pilots had better quit sitting on the sidelines and speak up! It's their executives who are about to ruin it for everyone. Yep. The same guys who are doing such a fine job running their airlines!

JOIN AOPA!

*(Answer: It ain't airline passengers who are paying for small town airport improvements! It's the guys/gals who are flying in/out of your local airport who are paying that bill. And your local airport is a great community asset that generates lots of community income with plenty of hidden benefits.)

[phantomphixer]

FYI The airlines want us to pay the big bucks with user/fuel tax. Did you know we already pay $0.21 a gallon. They want us to pay a total of $0.70 a gallon. Did you know that they"Big Airlines" only pay $0.043 (thats 4.3cents)a gallon. I suggest you write your Senators and Congressmen about fairness at the pump. I've already wrote one. Working on the other.

[N2255D]

For anyone who has not written to their Senator or Congressman yet, this site has a well written letter you can send.
http://www.aviationacrossamerica.com/

[GAHorn]

phantomphixer has a good point. If the airlines paid the same fuel taxes as GA did...the system would have an even larger excess of funds. I don't believe the "ticket tax" that airline pax's pay doesn't meet that criteria. What do you suppose the average airline pax consumes in gallons per flight?