GA's "fair share"

Kyle Boatright wrote:

"Newps" wrote
You're making it a thousand times harder than it needs to be. User fees
will not be on a per use basis, you will pay a yearly fee most probably
based on the weight of your plane. Canada has user fees. Your typical
single engine spamcan pays less than $50 per year for his user fees.
That's Canadian money of course. So even if the average US owner got a
bill each year for $50 it is trivial to the cost of flying.

My objection to this idea goes back to the give an inch, take a mile
argument. Open the door and there's always the chance someone will run a
stampede through it...

This and the "camel's nose under the tent" argument heard elsewhere in
this thread sidestep the question of why taxpayers should subsidize our
(GA pilots) fun. No doubt the gov't can think of a way to implement
user fees in a screwed up way. But I think in principle user fees are a
good idea because then our fun can be on our own dime. Thanks to other
responders who have made excellent points such as how much GA's share
should be compared to airlines, and whether GA use of ATC in class B
should be charged at all.

Jim Rosinski

jim rosinski wrote:

ButÂ*IÂ*thinkÂ*inÂ*principleÂ*userÂ*feesÂ*areÂ*a
good idea because then our fun can be on our own dime.

I can drive for the purpose of "fun" too, but the government (ie. the
taxpayers) funds roads, legal enforcement of driving regulation, the
automobile inspection mechanism, etc.

- Andrew

Andrew Gideon wrote:
jim rosinski wrote:
But I think in principle user fees are a
good idea because then our fun can be on our own dime.

I can drive for the purpose of "fun" too, but the government (ie. the
taxpayers) funds roads, legal enforcement of driving regulation, the
automobile inspection mechanism, etc.

Apples and oranges. Driving is ubiquitous and pretty near a necessity
while personal flying is a tiny, niche market mostly for fun.

Folks here have indicated that GA taxes cover only a small fraction of
the actual costs of running all the FAA stuff it uses. I wonder how
that compares to taxes on automobile fuel and their share of the cost of
maintaining roads, etc. Dunno--but I was happy to see that many were
disgusted with the "drunken sailor" approach that Congress and Bush took
to the recently passed federal highway bill.

Jim Rosinski

Much of the road infrastructure is paid for by user fees, ala taxes on
gasoline, tires, auto registration and tolls.

Mike Schumann

"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
online.com...
jim rosinski wrote:

But I think in principle user fees are a
good idea because then our fun can be on our own dime.

I can drive for the purpose of "fun" too, but the government (ie. the
taxpayers) funds roads, legal enforcement of driving regulation, the
automobile inspection mechanism, etc.

- Andrew

Mike Schumann wrote:

Much of the road infrastructure is paid for by user fees, ala taxes on
gasoline, tires, auto registration and tolls.

Those are taxes, much the same as the fuel taxes we pay to fly. Some areas of
the country do have tolls for roads and bridges. Those are user fees.

George Patterson
If a tank is out of ammunition, what you have is a sixty ton portable
radio.