AOPA President Boyer delivers pointed statement against user
fees at congressional hearing  April 5, 2005  AOPA President
Boyer delivers pointed statement against user fees at
congressional hearing  Click for larger image Click for larger
image Congress shows scant support for user fees  John Mica
There was little support for user fees among the representatives
attending Wednesday's House aviation subcommittee hearing.
Government witnesses (FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, DOT
Inspector General Kenneth Mead, and GAO's Director of Physical
Infrastructure Issues Dr. Gerald Dillingham) all testified that
the aviation trust fund surplus would be exhausted sometime
around 2007 and that current aviation taxes alone won't cover
the FAA's budget.  FAA Administrator Blakey said, "The FAA needs
a consistent, stable revenue stream, one that is fair to all
users of the system, and one that is not tied to the price of an
airline ticket, and reflects our actual cost to provide the
service." User fees? Well, not just yet.