Most passengers don’t realize that a wildly disproportionate amount of taxes they’re paying for airport improvements goes to more than 2,800 fields across the USA that they’ll never use. Since the Airport Improvement Program began in 1982, $15 billion — about a third of the money collected for the program — has gone to the smaller airfields with no scheduled passenger flights. By contrast, the nation’s 30 largest airports, which enplaned more than 500 million passengers last year alone, got about $13 billion. How to explain such a senseless allocation of taxes? It’s the same two words responsible for earmarks and other political distortions: Congress and lobbying. We don’t argue that this network is unnecessary. The Airport Improvement Program, however, wasn’t intended to be a piggy bank for the small-plane lobby. Air passengers shouldn’t have their pockets picked to fund an extravagance that benefits a select few. — USA Today editorial
Kansas has 141 airports serving 7,602 pilots and 6,509 general aviation aircraft. Kansas is also home to 24 charter flight companies, 110 repair stations and five flight schools that provide 115 jobs. The total economic impact of general aviation in Kansas is $7.1 billion. Most Kansas communities are several hours away from an airline hub. General aviation is the primary way goods and services are transported from big cities to small communities, providing the tools that businesses need to function. Not only is the aviation industry a driver of economic growth and vitality in Kansas, small airports are also used by the National Guard, law enforcement, air ambulances, search-and-rescue operators, flight schools, small businesses, charitable organizations, farmers and ranchers, as well as for medical care and organ and blood transplant. The necessity of a vast aviation industry is evident — for rural communities, for the economy and for emergency providers. — Gov. Mark Parkinson, letter to USA Today
17 Comments
It’s called pork. Earmarks for the politically correct conforming citizens of Oceania.
Unfortunately, there will more bad news for the aviation industry in the new future. Buyers of aircraft and contract maintenance are themselves beginning to falter and go under.
It’s sad because the future of transportation, in my opinion, is not on wheeled vehicles, but through the air.
I think it is foolish endeavor to grind up nature’s course with highways, street signs and other things that scar the landscape.
There are only a few fixed wing air ambulances- that does not justify giving money to airports. Most air ambulances are helicopters because of their ease to set down nearly anywhere. They also only require a small slab of concrete.
This is something I am not willing to give money to as a taxpayer. Not when schools and elderly & disabled people are suffering. There is no justification for this.
Crop dusters can pay for their own airports in a coop. Think of Moundridge- do you really think that town needs an airport? Newton is all of ten miles away. I think if we are paying for airports, taxpayers should say that the town has to have at least a population of 10,000 before money goes to it.
Moundridge Airport statistics
Aircraft operations: avg 26/day *
57% transient general aviation
42% local general aviation
1% military
Haven;t found how much they get in federal dollars
“This is something I am not willing to give money to as a taxpayer. Not when schools and elderly & disabled people are suffering. There is no justification for this”
Tell me, are you just as concerned about the Ted Kennedy Institute receiving 20 million dollars?
There is not enough information here to really know anything. HOw small of airports are being served. HOw much tax revenue at the pump at those airports are being generated? How much is the deficit between the amount of tax moneys raised vs how much is being spent? How far away is the next “large” airport? Aren’t there equally wasteful programs?
Hooray for tax subsidies for corporate farms and rich Republicans with private planes! Hooray!
thomastwit are democrats too stupid to get private pilot licenses? Or just too dumb to be able to afford their own planes?
Roach,not at all to either of your questions. But it’s pretty clear that you’re too stupid to be able to make the inference that, since 80% of the party affiliation in rural Kansas is Republican, and since the airports we’re talking about are in the same aforementioned rural parts of Kansas, that chances are pretty much certain that the bulk of the private plane owners in rural Kansas are Republican.
Simple logic. Simple math. Apparently, you’re not up to the challenge.
(But thanks for taking that bait.)
LJ, I used to live in Moundridge. I have friends in Moundridge, I used to date a guy from there. I have spent a lot of time in that town. I have NEVER NEVER EVER seen a plane land there. Ever.
Nor take off from there.
So I find 26 a day hard to believe.
The numbers came courtesy of your federal government. WHether you find them hard to believe or not. They are not mine. I thought it fairly high for a town that size also.
Farmers as a group, trend to be Democats. Something about liking subsidies
I don’t even think there are 26 planes there. Ever driven by there?
Farmers are not democrats. Good grief. That’s why all the rural areas vote bright red all the time?
Nope, republicans just know if they want to keep the hardcore christian biased old white man vote, they’ve got to allow for farmer welfare.
I actually had a farmer once tell me he didn’t understand why farmers voted republican all the time- as their incomes went up everytime democrats were in office.
Wow. Nice little example. I got several too. I have had several Farmers, though they ideaologically lean Republican, tell me they vote Democrat–Because the Democrats put money in their pockets.
See, I got ancedotes too. Big deal.
NOpe, never driven by the aiport there. . I told you where the statistics came from. I don;t live anywhere near there, and could care less.