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Post by Tex on Feb 23, 2013 11:55:27 GMT -6
The Obama administration, citing the budget impasse, has threatened to shut down or drastically curtail hours at 100 airport control towers in the US, 25 of which are in Texas. Texas depends heavily on the air traffic system due the the long distances and sparsely populated areas which cannot support adequate train infrastructure. Some of the airports include East Texas Regional (Longview, Kilgore) which has some commercial air traffic but has heavy private and industrial traffic at all hours and Austin, which had 9.43 million passengers last year.
This is the typical government response to any budget curtailment: cut the muscle so they will leave the fat alone.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Feb 23, 2013 13:36:54 GMT -6
Why is the Federal Government funding airport control towers in the first place? The airports should be providing this as a commercial service and paying for it with fees to the airlines, passed along to the passengers of course. Let those who use something pay for it, not all of us.
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Post by Merlot Joe on Feb 23, 2013 13:39:08 GMT -6
Scare Tactics. Scare the public by threating to take away some programs like airport control towers, teachers, police, or Medicare Benefits. By doing this it causes a rise in the voice of the public and the politicians are then forced to make a move even if it is not a good one.
You don't here Obama saying he is going to cut welfare or make it harder for people to get it, or other socialist programs.
Cut the lean meat away from the fat and keep the fat for dinner.
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Post by Tex on Feb 23, 2013 14:27:57 GMT -6
They do charge landing fees and aviation fuel taxes. These towers are part of the national airspace infrastructure and were fully staffed in 1960 when the federal budget was in the $80 billion range. Now, with 3.5 trillion, there is a billion for Obama to take 80 airliners full of his friends on vacation in India but not to staff airport control towers in major Texas cities?
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