Wed, Feb 22, 2012
Alliance For Aviation Across America Facilitated The
Effort
Mayors representing more than 100 communities in 48 states wrote
to President Obama on February 14, urging him to recognize the
contributions of general aviation to the U.S. economy and to drop
his user fee proposal.
“General aviation supports 1.2 million American jobs, over
$150 billion in economic impact annually, and is a vital economic
engine for our national economy," the letter states. "General
aviation aircraft and the airports they utilize are a literal
lifeline to our communities, providing access for business growth,
law enforcement, disaster relief, medical care and other services.
The vast majority of businesses and organizations that own and
utilize general aviation are not wealthy CEOs. Rather, 85 percent
are small to mid-sized businesses and organizations that rely on
these aircraft to reach far-off plants and customers, serve rural
markets without access to commercial aviation, or deliver medical
care and other services.”
The letter comes as the President has once again put forward a
“user fee” proposal in his fiscal year 2013 budget.
Like other proposals put forward by past administrations, this one
is vague in how fees will be charged and exempts piston aircraft
and Canada-to-Canada flights in an attempt to divide-and-conquer
the GA industry.
“These taxes would mean not only an additional tax burden,
but a huge administrative burden on businesses, farms and
organizations that use general aviation, and that would have to
keep track of invoices for fees for thousands of take-offs and
landings," the mayors continued. "At a time when our government is
supposed to be finding ways to reduce government spending, we do
not understand why some in Congress seek to create huge, new
bureaucracy within the FAA to administer these new
taxes.”
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