USPA President Steve Uslan sends us this email from Drew Coats, a partner in Coats & Evans, P.C., a law firm specializing in aviation law, which operates a Piper Aerostar, an Aero Commander Shrike, and a Cessna 172.
As you may know, the FAA has historically been funded by a federal tax on all types of aviation fuels for all types of aircraft, along with a tax on airline tickets. President Bush has proposed scrapping this proven, efficient and equitable means of funding the FAA, and in particular, air traffic control services, and replacing it with a new tax scheme where the airline industry (not Congress) would set taxes for everything from using air traffic control services to getting a student pilot's license, which entirely new bureaucracies would then collect.
Based on the results of similar tax schemes in Canada, Australia and the EU, every industry group in the US, including NBAA, AOPA, EAA, NATA and GAMA, believes this system would all but kill general aviation. Even for users who can afford this radical regressive tax, it will destroy the utility of general aviation by running scores of aviation related small businesses (FBOs, repair shops, parts vendors, flight schools etc.) out of business.
General aviation is vital to our nation's economy. It is also of great importance to me, both personally and professionally. I intend to personally contact as many elected officials as I can to express my concerns about this massive tax increase. I have attached a copy of my draft letter to my elected representatives which explains my views on the subject in greater detail.
If general aviation is important to you and/or your business, I ask you to join me and contact your congressman, US Senators, and any other members of Congress you know. Please ask them to join the bipartisan opposition to so-called aviation "user fees". You may easily locate the contact information for members of Congress here:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
http://www.house.gov/zip/ZIP2Rep.html
Sincerely,
Drew Coats
Coats & Evans, P.C.
Post Office Box 130246
The Woodlands, Texas 77393
(281) 367-7732
(281) 367-8003 (facsimile)
Coats@TexasAviationLaw.com
www.TexasAviationLaw.com
Jan Hoynacki, Executive Director
United States Pilots Association