"It's the safest, most efficient in the world, and the
national economy benefits from our leadership in
aviation. Just look at the facts: In 2005, the United States
had nine times more departures than United Kingdom and four times
more airports than Brazil. And general aviation is a large part of
the U.S. aviation industry. In 2004, 68 percent of all aircraft in
the country were GA."
Source: AOPA President Phil Boyer, addressing
the AAAE on the FAA's proposal to enact user fees... and why (says
AOPA) they're wholly unnecessary.