I think that pilots and the AOPA are right to fight against user fees, because
nothing should be allowed to happen without a fight, however in truth if
limited user fees do become a reality it will not signal the end of GA in the
US. In all likliehood, the costs will be modest, compared with the increases
that fuel costs and insurance costs have in store for us. Don't give in without
a fight - but don't overdramatize either.

Wow -- that's an incredible understatement of the problem.

Airports -- and the national air space -- are funded by a variety of
things, but the lion's share comes from fuel taxes. It is a simple
and relatively efficient way of collecting revenue, not unlike the 12%
sales/hotel/motel tax we must collect from our guests here in Iowa.

Adding another layer of bureacracy to collect new "user's fees" (AKA:
Taxes) amounts to just another insane power grab by the governmental
elite. Once created, this cadre of money-sucking, under-worked gubmint
employees will NEVER go away, and the overhead to maintain this
structure will NEVER be "modest" -- even if the tax starts out
tolerably small.

The equivalent would be if the State of Iowa were to set up a toll gate
out front of the hotel to collect $5 from every guest -- AND continued
to collect the sales/hotel/motel tax. Better to simply raise the
sales/hotel/motel tax, no?

Unless you're suggesting that the current fuel taxes would/should be
eliminated under the "User's Fee" plan? I wouldn't oppose that,
philosophically, although such a tax collection system would be
incredibly less efficient than the current one.

I think the "big fight" that the AOPA needs to be involved in is airport
closures. That's the big threat.

Agreed -- but the airports won't be threatened with closure if GA is
expanding and healthy. User's fees can only hurt GA, which will result
in airports closing.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"