Your airline ticket fees being used to fund jets/airports of corporate execs

[NewJeffCT]

Yet another example of how Team Bush is screwing over everybody in favor of the richest 1%... I think they've thought of just about every way possible to suck money out of the system.

Fliers' Fees Benefit Corporate Execs, Private Pilots
With Little Oversight, Billions In Federal Aid Going To Small Airports
April 17, 2007
By BOB PORTERFIELD,
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO -- The federal government has taken billions of dollars from the taxes and fees that airline passengers pay every time they fly and awarded it to small airports used mainly by private pilots and globe-trotting corporate executives.

<snip>

"They're making out like bandits," said Bob Poole, director of transportation studies at Southern California's Reason Foundation and the author of several studies on air transportation costs. "It's not only that airline passengers are paying more than their fair share, but they're being overtaxed to give private jets a free ride."

<snip>

J.T. Wilson Field in Somerset, Ky., got more than $12 million since 2001, much of it through the influence of local Rep. Hal Rogers, a longtime Republican member of the House Appropriations Committee who uses the airfield for trips home. Wilson Field is home base to 26 small planes and one jet. Despite millions in improvements, including a passenger terminal, the airport has yet to see scheduled commercial service.

<snip>

Austin Municipal Airport, about 90 miles south of Minneapolis, is home base for 25 small planes and three jets, at least two of which are owned by Hormel Foods, a Fortune 500 company with headquarters nearby. Since 2000, the airport received nearly $16 million in federal funding. More than two-thirds of the takeoffs and landings are by small, private planes.

A lot more here:

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-tickettaxes0417.artapr17,0,4298019.story?coll=hc-headlines-business

[wakeme2008]

1. there is a problem with this

As an inactive private pilot, it should have been noted that private planes pay a high gas tax to cover airport and other costs. Now does the Pork pushers get more for their special airports, yes but not all go to pork airport.

[NewJeffCT]

2. the article does mention that

but, it does seem quite a climb in money towards private airports in recent years...