FAA User fees
Moderators: GAHorn, Karl Towle, Bruce Fenstermacher
FAA User fees
I saw this on the Backcountry site, thought it would be important here also. This is a link to send a letter to your congressman opposing FAA user fees. http://www.nbaa.org/userfees
God forbid we should ever be twenty years without a rebellion. ***Thomas Jefferson***
Very important stuff ... just drafted some letters a few minutes ago.
Things I have read on other forums and web sites highly suggest getting a paper copy to the rep - it takes a little more effort to "ignore" it (compared with deleting an email). According to some, a fax may be better these days due to terrorism threats with mail. Especially if you're eating a powdered donut while sealing the envelope .
Some have also suggested a phone call.
I plan to do both - fax and call. Keep your eyes on AOPA, EAA, and NBAA web sites for more specific instructions related to timing of votes and debates that your particular rep may be involved in.
Thomas
Things I have read on other forums and web sites highly suggest getting a paper copy to the rep - it takes a little more effort to "ignore" it (compared with deleting an email). According to some, a fax may be better these days due to terrorism threats with mail. Especially if you're eating a powdered donut while sealing the envelope .
Some have also suggested a phone call.
I plan to do both - fax and call. Keep your eyes on AOPA, EAA, and NBAA web sites for more specific instructions related to timing of votes and debates that your particular rep may be involved in.
Thomas
Thomas Short
1948 C170 N3949V
RV-8 wings in progress
Indianapolis (KUMP)
1948 C170 N3949V
RV-8 wings in progress
Indianapolis (KUMP)
Does it really matter? If you look at all privatization, it seems good at the beginning but falls downhill in years to come. The costs to provide esculate and the company in charge wants to keep charging more for their services. If you read histories of other countries and services, I don't want their problems.
John
John
John Hess
Past President 2018-2021
President 2016-2018, TIC170A
Vice President 2014-2016, TIC170A
Director 2005-2014, TIC170A
N3833V Flying for Fun
'67 XLH 900 Harley Sportster
EAA Chapter 390 Pres since 2006
K3KNT
Past President 2018-2021
President 2016-2018, TIC170A
Vice President 2014-2016, TIC170A
Director 2005-2014, TIC170A
N3833V Flying for Fun
'67 XLH 900 Harley Sportster
EAA Chapter 390 Pres since 2006
K3KNT
Dave,
We had a similar conversation last November; see http://cessna170.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3656
On the second page of that thread, I talked about user fees that exist in Europe, which make it quite a different place to fly -- not the kind of freedom we have here.
The problem really is that the first few fees the government imposes are the camel's nose inside the tent. It's a large shift in funding philosophy, and once you make that shift, the user fees keep increasing and piling on.
In England you used to have to pay quite a bit of money for a preflight weather briefing (until the internet made it possible for pilots to get them free from Sweden). In Ireland there are ATC facilities who will bill you for any radio contact with them at all. If we ever get these kinds of fees in the US, it will drastically change the way we all fly -- and not in a good way. Let's not even start down that path.
Best Regards,
John
We had a similar conversation last November; see http://cessna170.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3656
On the second page of that thread, I talked about user fees that exist in Europe, which make it quite a different place to fly -- not the kind of freedom we have here.
The problem really is that the first few fees the government imposes are the camel's nose inside the tent. It's a large shift in funding philosophy, and once you make that shift, the user fees keep increasing and piling on.
In England you used to have to pay quite a bit of money for a preflight weather briefing (until the internet made it possible for pilots to get them free from Sweden). In Ireland there are ATC facilities who will bill you for any radio contact with them at all. If we ever get these kinds of fees in the US, it will drastically change the way we all fly -- and not in a good way. Let's not even start down that path.
Best Regards,
John
John Renwick
Minneapolis, MN
Former owner, '55 C-170B, N4401B
'42 J-3 Cub, N62088
'50 Swift GC-1B, N2431B, Oshkosh 2009 Outstanding Swift Award, 2016 Best Continuously Maintained Swift
Minneapolis, MN
Former owner, '55 C-170B, N4401B
'42 J-3 Cub, N62088
'50 Swift GC-1B, N2431B, Oshkosh 2009 Outstanding Swift Award, 2016 Best Continuously Maintained Swift
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The proposed user fees are just a symptom of a much larger problem - accountability. In my former life I had to deal with large local, state and federal bureaucracies. My experience has taught me that 50% of government spending is wasteful. A good example is the local General Services Agency for the county you live in. The GSA was developed with the intention that the agency would "service" those agencies in the county providing mandated functions, i.e., Police, Fire, Hospital, etc. The Police, Fire and Hospital agencies must present and obtain approval from the Board of Supervisors for their budgets - accountability. The GSA, whose Director is appointed by the County Administrator, who controls the county budget, simply divides his increased costs, i.e, staff, vehicles, buildings, etc. into the number of agencies being served and calls that his budget. As a result, the GSA quickly becomes the largest and most costly organization within the county structure. The local Police Chief can have the battery in a patrol car replaced at the local garage for $100. The GSA charges the Police Chief $400 to replace the same battery. If the FAA was managing the budget funded by existing sources in a responsible way there should be no need for user fees, or at least a good record of justification for an increase in funding. I believe it is time for a serious audit. You can't put a gasoline fire out by pouring more gasoline on it.
In the case of the FAA/ATC the problem is not so much waste due to bureacracies as it is the present administration who has made it a habit to re-direct public money to private/corporate friends who are hired to "manage" the public resource. This is why toll-roads, school vouchers and charter-schools, Flight Service, military mess and vehicle service etc are all being "privatized." All privatization does IMHO is take available resources (which are supported by taxes and claimed to be inadequate already) and allow a corporation to "skim" some of it off for profit, (as if that didn't further reduce what was already inadequate.) I am not a fan of privitazation. User fees are just another step in that direction because they re-direct public money. Notice the proposals Boeing, etc. are making to take over ATC services.
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
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The news reported the White House is behind that and the White House confirmed it and has made that the official stance based upon her being No. 3 in succession. She expressed a preference to ride the airlines.Hineywheel Bill wrote:Aw heck, don't worry about it. Nancy Pelosi will handle this for us, she's big in aviation (or at least she likes BIG airplanes).
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons.
- Bruce Fenstermacher
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George I'm sure you'll be able to supply a transcript as thorough as you are with these things, but I believe she offered to ride the airlines, not that she preferred the airlines.
Actually I think all politicians should be regulated to nothing bigger than a Cherokee Six. They'd be spending more time meeting and learning about their constituents and GA and less time in capital hill screwing around with stupid ideas as this.
Actually I think all politicians should be regulated to nothing bigger than a Cherokee Six. They'd be spending more time meeting and learning about their constituents and GA and less time in capital hill screwing around with stupid ideas as this.
CAUTION - My forum posts may be worth what you paid for them!
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
Bruce Fenstermacher, Past President, TIC170A
Email: brucefenster at gmail.com
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This wouldn't be the first wrong position taken by the administration based on wrong or incomplete intelligence. Let her (and the Secret Service) ride JetBlue, or better yet, Greyhound.gahorn wrote:The news reported the White House is behind that and the White House confirmed it and has made that the official stance based upon her being No. 3 in succession. She expressed a preference to ride the airlines.Hineywheel Bill wrote:Aw heck, don't worry about it. Nancy Pelosi will handle this for us, she's big in aviation (or at least she likes BIG airplanes).
Back to issue at hand, i.e. user fees. If anyone thinks that Uncle Sugar will only take just a little bit and won't come back for what's left of the Sunday dinner chicken on the second helping, then you probably don't have enough judgement to be flying an airplane in the first place. If they get their foot in your front door on Monday, by Tuesday night they'll be sleeping in your bed and you'll be on the couch, if you still have a couch. If it's government, be it Republican or Demeocrat, be afraid, be VERY afraid! Bill N76447