Quote Originally Posted by Joe LaMantia View Post
This is just another example of why we have "problems" in congress. Both parties agreed to the "sequester" because they couldn't agree on what to "cut" and what to "fund". Our system is all about money, who pays and who benefits. Congress holds the purse strings and decides what to spend all revenues, there are no real trust funds just a big bucket called the US Treasury and Congress decides what to do with it every year. Yes, the President submits a budget, but it is always "amended" by Congress. Both parties have "earmarks" to satisfy the various "home crowds" and we all want to protect something. EAA and AOPA are just trying to protect there little corner and that is what the membership expects. Reality is slowly arriving, that we have changed the basis of this economy and can no longer hold the status quo. What is needed is a real agreement that has long-term positive impacts for the country as a whole. It's clearly not going to happen, so we get a whole lot of distractions over small things that don't have a big impact. This whole tower fee thing is a nit compared to what the challenge that we face. As far as the poll goes, I agree with Floatsflyer and I'm not voting.

Joe
I agree with Joe. Also, I have to ask: Given what I've read at these forums, many people here think that government spending should be curtailed a lot. Well, this is a perfect example of that. Airventure is already heavily subsidized by local and federal support, even if largely indirectly. Why should taxpayers in rural Kentucky or NYC or coastal Maine help foot the bill for what is basically a big party for a group of people who, compared to many in this nation, are doing fairly well financially? If you are one of those who goes around grousing about tax dollars being wasted, who says that we should ALL tighten our belts in a recession (as misguided as that is), then welcome to the reality that you've been whinging for. The pay-to-play Oshkosh tower imbroglio is EXACTLY what you have been demanding - you just wanted the goring to happen to someone else's ox, right?