"Our Industry Needs To Act," He Says
NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen is urging the members of the
organization to 'pump up the volume' against aviation user
fees as President Obama and members of Congress continue to
negotiate on how to avoid defaulting on the government's debts.
Bolen has written an open letter to the members of NBAA, which
was forwarded to ANN. It appears below in its entirety.
Dear Aviation Professional,
As I’ve recently told NBAA
Members, user fees are back, and our industry needs to act. The
situation has only become more pressing, and I need you to take
renewed action; here’s why.
As the stalemate in the
negotiations over the debt ceiling between the White House and
congress continues, and the deadline for finding a resolution looms
ever closer, policymakers have continued to explore a host of
proposals for raising revenues, including user fees. Discussions
have included proposals for per-flight fees ranging from $25 to
$100 and beyond.
Clearly, we need to raise the
volume on this issue with congress. NBAA has established a
toll-free Legislative Action hotline you can use to call upon your
representatives to oppose user fees in any debt-ceiling
legislation. The number to use is 1-877-727-5074.
Once you dial the number, you'll
receive confirmation that you have reached NBAA’s Legislative
Action hotline. You’ll then be asked to enter your postal zip
code, so that you can be matched with your Representative and two
Senators. After that, some simple points you can make in your
conversations with your legislators will be provided.
We need your help to stop user
fees. We know they have greatly harmed general aviation in parts of
the world where they are in place. We know they would create an
enormous administrative burden for compliance with a new collection
bureaucracy. We know that if they were implemented as part of the
current debate in Washington, they would do nothing to strengthen
our nation’s aviation system for the future.
NBAA Members have answered my
previous alert over this issue by using the Association’s
Contact Congress resource to flood lawmakers with messages opposing
user fees. While we are thankful for such an impressive show of
mobilization and support to date, it’s clear that now is not
the time to rest on our laurels.
Like all Americans, the business
aviation community understands that the nation's debt and deficit
are serious issues that must be addressed. But, user fees for
general aviation would be devastating to an industry that directly
generates much-needed jobs and economic activity. I know we can
count on you to call your members of congress today, and ensure
that they understand this message.
Thank you for your continued
support.