On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 11:57:34 -0700, "Peter Duniho"
wrote in Message-Id:
:

Gore was pretty clear in his interview with AOPA that he felt
privatization of ATC was a good thing too.


Because Gore's White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security
initially conceived of the idea, that is to be expected:

http://www.airportnet.org/depts/regu.../gorefinal.htm
A Vision for the Future

To compete in the global economy of the 21st Century, America
needs a healthy, vibrant aviation industry. In turn, the health
and vibrancy of aviation depend on improved levels of safety,
security and modernization. For the last fifty years, the United
States has led the field of aviation. But, that position is being
challenged, both by competition from abroad and by weaknesses in
our own systems.

These weaknesses can be overcome. The Commission believes that it
should be a national priority to do so. This report outlines steps
that can set government and industry on a course to achieve that
goal together. Heading into the next century, our activities,
programs, and results should define aviation safety and security
for the rest of the world.

Leadership in aviation goes far beyond having strong, competitive
airlines. It means assuring leadership in communications,
satellite, aerospace, and other technologies that increasingly are
defining the global economy. It means more than the highest
possible levels of safety and security for travelers.

The Commission's report reflects a focus on this vision: to ensure
greater safety and security for passengers; to restructure the
relationships between government and industry into partnerships
for progress; and to maintain global leadership in the aviation
industry.

Key Recommendations

In the area of safety, the Commission believes that the principal
focus should be on reducing the rate of accidents by a factor of
five within a decade, and recommends a re-engineering of the FAA's
regulatory and certification programs to achieve that goal.

In the area of air traffic control, the Commission believes that
the safety and efficiency improvements that will come with a
modernized system should not be delayed, and recommends that the
program be accelerated for to achieve full operational capability
by the year 2005. In addition, a more effective system must be
established to finance modernization of the National Airspace
System and enhancements in safety and security.

....

2.5. The users of the NAS should fund its development and
operation.

The current system of funding the ATC system provides little
direct connection between the excise taxes paid and services
provided or the amount made available to the FAA through the
budget and appropriations process. Replacing the traditional
system of excise taxes with user fees offers the potential to
correlate revenues and spending more closely.* Importantly, a
financing system would not only help ensure adequate availability
of funding , but would also build incentives for efficiency and
safety into the system -- both for the users and for the FAA. The
National Civil Aviation Review Commission is the proper venue for
resolving the details of a new user fee system, and the Commission
expects that it will be formed and begin its work in the very near
future. The Commission urges the NCARC, in designing a new
financing system, to ensure that any changes in the relative
amount of revenues generated from any segment of the aviation
industry do not result in undue economic disruption within any
segment of the industry, and that the fees are not discriminatory
or anti-competitive among carriers. In addition, non-business
general aviation users of the NAS should not be adversely impacted
by any new financing system. This will help ensure that general
aviation users will be full and willing participants in the
modernized NAS.


--

Irrational beliefs ultimately lead to irrational acts.
-- Larry Dighera,