Long airport lines and flight delays figure prominently among the potential horrors of the so-called sequester. But if such an outcome persuades the flying public of the folly of relying on the general budget to pay for airport-related services, maybe it isn’t so bad. For we’d have better transportation investments — and more reliable federal supervision — if airline passengers paid the full cost of the government services they use.
Currently, passengers are only paying for part of what it takes to keep them safe. About 70 percent of the Federal Aviation Administrations’s revenues in 2012 came from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which is in turn funded by excise taxes that come directly or indirectly out of fliers’ pockets — the 7.5 percent ticket sales tax, the passenger tax of $3.80 per flight segment, and the fuel tax of 4.3 cents per gallon. Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration’s proposed $7.6 billion 2013 budget includes $2.5 billion in fees, to be collected from airlines and passengers.
Comments
This makes too much sense to be taken seriously by our idiot politicians. Excellent, simple, low-cost solution. Another benefit might be that if more positions are actually funded then less overtime will be paid.
"Why should ordinary taxpayers, many of whom never get on a plane, have to fund the security-line-heavy lifestyle that many others live? The 2009 National Household Travel Survey shows that 58.5 percent of air trips are taken by people in households that earn over $100,000, whose residents take on average 10 times more air trips annually than people in households with around $50,000 in earnings."
If we want to make this about class warfare, why should ordinary, hardworking Americans, many of whom never abuse EBT cards or go on welfare while working under the table, have to fund the waste, fraud and abuse that is the welfare program? Common sense shows that people who make over $100,000 per year, on average, work harder, lead more stressful lives, and are unlikely to depend on welfare benefits.
So sorry that you hate that person bagging your groceries or other workers with limited skills. We all were not born with equal intelligence and physical skills. To suggest that all workers in dead-end jobs are lazy fits in with why Romney was not elected.
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need -- Karl Marx
"Why should ordinary taxpayers, many of whom never get on a plane, have to fund the security-line-heavy lifestyle that many others live?" asks the moron who already knows the answer. Because it lowers the cost to the flying public which helps to move the economy. Why does everyone pay for our roads? They don't use "every" road, grandma should only pay for her road. Why do I pay taxes for schools? I don't have any kids in school.
We are starting to sound more and more like a country of selfish little twerps. I don't use it. Why should I chip in for the cost of the nations infrastructure. It seems to me it would follow I don't support religious institutions therefore any portion of my tax that goes there should be sent back to me. Same goes for our foreign adventures at this point. Give me back the money. Fact is I have no plan to visit any national monuments or federal parks. I'd like that portion back too, I'm quite if I go line by line I can find a lot of things I don't use so I want my money back. Following that logic though I'd only get a portion back because I have to pay the charge for printing the money. I don't know how this petty, selfish little libertarian nonsense slipped into the national conversation, but it does make for some pretty stupid ideas and stands on its head what it means to be a "nation".
Glasser is like the business professor in Rodney Dangerfield's movie Back to School. Prof. Eddie hoe does National Security fit into your neat little package? Why don't you apply this approach to The billions of transactionsthat take place daily in the financial sector. Solve a problem professor , forget these insipid , in. Perfect environment , sophomoric proposals.
Edward Glaeser is certainly a "Jack of All Trades". It wasn't that long ago when he was telling us about that AWFUL VIDEO that was the cause of the Benghazi, Libya embassy atack.
So, pay for the right to get frisked and wait through long lines?!