It may be good for business, but in the long term it is not good for societal cohesion. This country struggles harder every year to find things to bind together its many factions... a pretty much impossible task.

It wouldn't be impossible if all of us were the same... followed the
same religion, had the same values, and spoke the same language. But
that's not what freedom is about, is it? It is not =necessary= to be
different in order to be free, but it has to be possible.

That doesn't mean that the government should pick up the tab for every
whim. However, the government is there to serve =us=. =All= of us.
That's what we pay taxes for in the first place.

As pilots, we expect accomodation (by the government) for our pastime.
We make noise about how it is an economic benefit for the rest of the
country that GA is supported and unimpeded, and it may well be true.
Much benefit is under the radar. But that's sort of besides the point.
There are many things I do =not= do, that my taxes go to support. I
do not have children, for example, but my taxes support the education
and entertainment of other people's children. I accept that as the
nature of things, as the government is not here =just= for me.

There are many people for whom a Spanish language version of the
government supported weather operation =is= a service. There are
probably many more such people than there are pilots. It is probably
dirt cheap to provide this service, and I certainly do not begrudge it
to them.

Were we to advocate hacking away at non-mainstream services, we may well
find ourselves without airspace to fly in, so that the leaf blower
brigade doesn't have to listen to the occasional 172 overhead.

Be careful what you wish for. You may get it.

Jose
--
Humans are pack animals. Above all things, they have a deep need to
follow something, be it a leader, a creed, or a mob. Whosoever fully
understands this holds the world in his hands.
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