Press Release
Alliance for Aviation Across America Urges Adoption of Nelson-Sununu Amendment Striking the “User Fee” Flat Tax from the Senate FAA Reauthorization Bill
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Washington, DC – The Alliance for Aviation Across America today released the following statement calling upon the Senate Commerce committee to adopt the Nelson-Sununu amendment, which would strike the “user fee” flat tax from S.1300, or the Senate Commerce Committee bill for FAA reauthorization:
“We applaud the Nelson-Sununu amendment, which strikes the regressive, “user fee” flat tax from this bill. This provision would harm small businesses and towns across the country, while the big, commercial airlines would be awarded a huge windfall.
“This “user fees” tax codifies the misguided notion that a jumbo jetliner carrying 300 passengers should be taxed at the same amount as a small aircraft carrying 5 people. Not only that, it would require an entire new federal collection bureaucracy within the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) just to administer this tax. This is even though the FAA itself has admitted that is the commercial airlines that drive the vast majority of the air traffic costs with their complex hub-and-spoke system.
“We need to modernize our air traffic control system through a progressive and fair system that does not target small towns and businesses and works within our current, efficient system of excise taxes. Such a system would create incentives for fuel efficiency and environmental sensibility, follow international norms, and protect small towns while avoiding the creation of a new tax collection bureaucracy inside the FAA.
“We commend Senators Nelson and Sununu for this bi-partisan effort to stand up for small businesses and towns, and call on the entire committee to adopt their amendment to strip the new “user fee” flat tax from S.1300.”
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