Thu, Apr 03, 2003
Not on Principle -- His Objection is to the Amount
Ari Fleishcer, speaking for the President, told
reporters Wednesday, "The administration does not oppose some
assistance for the airlines, but given the economic facts on the
ground we believe that the level of airline assistance recommended
by the House and the Senate committees are (sic) excessive." That
means that the Administration (the President) doesn't mind giving
taxpayer money to airlines; he just doesn't think this is the
right time to give away so much.
The House proposal would have funneled $3.2 billion into the
amazing shrinking airline industry; the Senate was trying to give
away three hundred million dollars more than that.
Fleischer added, "It's important for tax dollars to be used in a
way that recognizes any additional burdens that the airlines have
incurred as a result of the war, not as a result of previous
existing factors in the economy that affected the airlines."
In plain
English, Ari is saying that the President thinks that, if the
US-led war, per se, were to hurt that particular industry,
then certain players in that industry should get paid for their
inconvenience; but that the industry's own problems don't merit
another taxpayer bail-out.
Fleischer did not mention what other industries should expect
taxpayer monies, once the airlines are helped by some 'appropriate'
amount; nor did he say if additional monies would be justified,
should the war go on longer than some indeterminate amount of time;
nor did he mention why an indefinitely-continued overcapacity
(tying up assets in unprofitable enterprise), in any industry is a
good thing, worthy of taxpayer support and official
encouragement.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]