GA User fees

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 20:55:03 GMT, Jose
wrote:

Skylune, in a different, way OT thread, intones...
It kinda reminds me of AOPA logic. For example, user fees: they argue
simultaneously that (1) GA uses very few FAA services and therefore user
fees are not necessary and (2) user fees would impose a ruinous financial
burden on the GA industry and reduce safety (because pilots might be less
inclined to use ATC, flight following, etc.) This is weird and
disingenous reasoning.


Serveral things need to examined.

1) If user fees are implemented, then there will a large majority of
users that will avoid them by flying to places where they are
non-existant or decline services. If these fees can't be avoided,
then people will stop flying. Either way, the funding will not be
raised. Private pilots will be taxed out of the sky. Should I be
squeezed out of airspace in favor of commercial operations? No.

2) Commercial operators should pay a larger share because businesses
exploit resources for profit and are very efficient at it. I don't
mean this in a negative way, it is just the purpose of business.
Highway use taxes are much higher for commercial operators because
they consume percentage wise more of the highway infrastructure. I
don't know about you, but I've never used a weigh station or an escape
ramp. The weigh stations are there because companies were overloading
the roads. Should I be penalized because businesses are require more
overhead? No.

3) Left unchecked, business entities will consume all of a given
resource. SPAM is a wonderful example of this. Email is free and
most of it is commercial. Eventually, email will not be free and why
is that? Because of commercial abuse of the resource. Fees balance
social cost. Airlines pack in flights and require increased
infrastructure to support their schedule. If they spaced their
flights over a 24 hour period, congestion would be less of a problem.
I as a private individual can choose to fly during non-peak hours and
I do. The ATC infrstructure is not designed for me. Should I pay for
large percentage of it? No.


Jim

http://www.unconventional-wisdom.org