|
United States Pilots Association |
Last week’s issue of AOPA's daily news blurb trumpets the fact that TSA has relaxed the requirements for transient pilots to be badged at commercially served airports (some 400) around the country. This is great. What a relief. I can finally get to MY airplane after hours without being arrested. What a great country we live in. TSA has given me back what I already have (had).
What they do not say is who is to pay for the cost of this "enhanced" security. This is pure and simply a tax passed on to the airport owner/operator and every business located on the airport, as well as the individuals who must be badged. Common sense tells you that if the cost of all of this is X dollars per year, the hangar rent, FBO charges, fuel prices, etc. will all be increased to pay for this. Here is another question. If you go through the onerous procedure of being badged at airport A, why cannot the badge be recognized at airport B or C? It has been done that way in Hawaii for twenty years.
The fact that the other alphabet organizations are still "negotiating" before Congress is ludicrous. This administration never met a tax they did not fall in love with. What is needed here is one or two airports to tell the government to take their contrived security program and fund it solely by the government. Otherwise the airports should refuse to go along with the program. If the government then tries to increase fees or taxes, let them justify why the program is needed at all. Tell us what the threat is. We are on the airports all day long.
There are forty-five congressional representatives already signed on as supporters of General Aviation. Do you all really believe that negotiating with the alphabet groups is responsible for the elimination of the user fee proposals? We can win the Security battle as well, if we can find one or two courageous airport owners to fight back.
My gut tells me this is just another tool for the airlines to drive us out of joint use airports. What do you think?
Steve Uslan, President
United States Pilots Association