July 19, 2011
By Selena Shilad
Your article, “Corporate jet tax hike hits ailing plane makers,” rightly highlighted the vast misinterpretations of general aviation that have taken place in recent years [seattletimes.com, July 13].
Contrary to President Obama’s recent comments, the vast majority of small to mid-sized businesses that use general aviation rely on this tool to serve customers and maximize their reach to markets in far-off places.
In addition, for literally thousands of communities throughout the country without commercial airline service, general aviation represents the only way to access vitally needed services and resources. It provides access to business tools, medical care, law enforcement, disaster relief, fire fighting, postal service and a host of other important services.
Surely, when the president vilified general aviation close to 10 times recently, he didn’t intend to target those who rely on charitable flying on business jets to get access to lifesaving medical treatments, the small towns where the key employer relies on aircraft to get to larger markets across the country, or the thousands of farms across the nation that use these aircrafts to keep their business running. But, this is exactly what he did.
At such a vulnerable time in our economy, we need to be doing everything we can to support a sector of our economy that drives 1.2 million jobs and supports more than $150 billion in economic impact, not denigrating it.
– Selena Shilad, executive director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America, Washington, D.C.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestvoices/2015659601_cutstoprivatejets.html
Source: THE SEATTLE TIMES
Date: 2011-07-19