May 25, 2012
The Honorable President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama,
I am writing to ask for your support of general aviation in South Dakota. I believe it is imperative to recognize the importance of general aviation to South Dakota’s citizens, communities, and economy. In South Dakota, general aviation supports more than 7,000 jobs and provides more than $800 million in economic impact annually. The small businesses, farmers, charitable organizations, and first responders who count on general aviation and utilize the airports which support it represent a strategically vital resource for our state.
For South Dakota, general aviation aircraft and the airports they utilize represent a critical link to emergency services, economic opportunity, and global markets. Moreover, whether it pertains to crop protection, disaster response, law enforcement activities, or crucially needed services such as blood, organ, or patient transport, the general aviation community is literally saving lives every day.
New tax burdens on a critical sector of our economy will do more harm than good and put many jobs at risk. For this reason, I strongly oppose the imposition of the “user fee” taxes on general aviation operators in any form.
Thank you for recognizing my concerns and those of South Dakota’s citizens, businesses, and farms as you move forward. I am grateful for your careful consideration of this issue.
Sincerely,
Dennis Dausgaard