EAS Threatened

[azpilot]

March 2, 2004 -- The Bush administration proposes slashing $63 million in federal subsidies that help maintain air service to rural communities. Congress established the subsidy 25 years ago, when airlines were deregulated, prompting carriers to consider dumping unprofitable routes to rural communities. The subsidy was due to expire after 10 years, but powerful supporters in Congress have kept it alive. NPR's Howard Berkes reports.

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1700945

- AZPilot

 

[BFE]

Good,
And hopefully Amtrak is next!

 

[jobear]

In theory a great program but, from what I've seen a total waste of Taxpayer money.

Bear

 

[FlyingAggie]

JoBear wrote:

In theory a great program but, from what I've seen a total waste of Taxpayer money.

Change your name to Miss Informed.

It is not the tax payers that pay for EAS. It is those who travel internationally ON airlines that pay for EAS. It is the international tax that shows up on an international ticket. If you are traveling on a EAS route the tax can not be applied to that route. So basically it is not every tax payer paying for it. Only international travelers.

 

[jobear]

JoBear wrote:


Change your name to Miss Informed.

It is not the tax payers that pay for EAS. It is those who travel internationally ON airlines that pay for EAS. It is the international tax that shows up on an international ticket. If you are traveling on a EAS route the tax can not be applied to that route. So basically it is not every tax payer paying for it. Only international travelers.

Do you honestly expect me to believe that 50 million dollars in taxes is collected from international travel and spent on EAS? (that is the EAS annual budget) Nice try, follow the link to the NPR story then to the Government office that handles it, This program was supposed to expire in 1988 but some Pork barrel politics got involved and it has been maintained albeit at a reduced rate.

signed
Informed

 

[FlyingAggie]

Do your research....

That article does not prove that EAS is paid by the taxpayer. It just says that Bush Admin wants to cut cost in EAS by reducing some cities and making local govt. pay for some of it( If that would happen then yes the tax payer would pay some), But at this time it IS paid by international travel.

So MISS INFORMED aka JoBear, yes you are wrong. Call your local congressman or DOT and do a little research.

 

[jbud]

Change your name to Miss Informed.

It is not the tax payers that pay for EAS. It is those who travel internationally ON airlines that pay for EAS. It is the international tax that shows up on an international ticket. If you are traveling on a EAS route the tax can not be applied to that route. So basically it is not every tax payer paying for it. Only international travelers.

Geez...if you're going to be that cocky make sure you at least know what you're talking about:

"In the Rural Air Service Survival Act of 1996, Congress instructed that the EAS program was to be funded from fees assessed on international aircraft flying over, but not landing in the United States. However, since foriegn airlines successfully challenged the legality of the FAA in collecting these fees, EAS funding was taken from the FAA's appropriations pursuant to the statute"
From http://ntl.bts.gov/data/GAO/rc00185.pdf

It wasn't a tax that "shows up on an international ticket", it was a fee charged directly to a foreign airline. A fee that doen't exist anymore. All the money that the FAA collects from everything gets dumped into a big pot and the EAS funding comes out of there.

P.S. I know it's hard to admit that you're wrong after being such a horse's a$$, but you should try.....

 

[Jose Whales]

Do you honestly expect me to believe that 50 million dollars in taxes is collected from international travel and spent on EAS?

jobear,

Yes sir! I expect you to believe the truth and the truth is that when an international carrier flies in USA air space that Air Carrier is charged a tax. That Air Carrier then taxes their passengers that are on that flight to absorb the cost of the tax. That money is then paid to the US DOT and then that money goes to the EAS funding to the tune of $50 Million. You federal tax dollars are NOT used to pay EAS contracts. You should contact you Congress or Senate Representative, Governor, or the DOT. I have and that is where the info is. Ignorance is no excuse for for running your mouth.

 

[jobear]

Sorry if I'm being stubboron but if you look at how it was set up in 1996 it WAS funded by overflight fees with the extra to be used for safety enhancements.
Read AIR-21 EAS funding was added post 911, the money alloted was increased significantly in porportion to the amount recieved from the overflight fees.

JW it's a fee not a tax BTW

I am not trying to be assinie about this just trying to gleen all the facts out of it.

Bear

 

[414Flyer]

When i lived in Gallup, Mesa would have more flights in there each month, courtesy of EAS, than they actually had passengers on those flights in that month. Often, on fridays, the air marshal was the only passenger.

 

[CiFIknow]

When is a fee not a tax??

 

[dogg]

A fee you choose to pay. A tax the government puts a gun to your head and gives you the option...........

 

[CiFIknow]

Ah, I see. So you happily pay "fees". But I digress...

 

[brew3departure]

When you say it's a complete waste of taxpayer money, do you base it on the two or three cities for which Skyway flies the EAS? I don't know if I remember - Manistee, Ironwood and Iron Mountain, right?

I think some of the folks west of the Mississipi might disagree with you on that. Lakes used to do alright on some of their EAS routes in WY - don't know how it is now, though.

-brew3

 

[IP076]

I'd say the program needs some restructuring, not doing away with. Some of the City's that currently get EAS funding are within reasonable driving distance to a major airport. IGM, PRC, GUP are just a few that I can think of right now.

I'd think that anything that was within 2 hours driving distance of a major airport should not have EAS service.

Look at some of the places in the western plains states though, like Williston and Dickinson, North Dakota. Where are they supposed to go?

 

[General Lee]

move to Bismark or Fargo

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[MetroSheriff]

They should but a reliable long haul capable vehicle. Better yet, put the wheels back on the double-wide and tow the tornado magnet a little closer to real airport.

Hillbillies.

Why should ANYONE but those travelling from those jerkwater towns foot the bill.

Sure you can have air service, the ticket from Boise to Moose Testicle, ID will cost you $17,300. Riiiight. Didn't think you'd like that.

Next...

 

[IP076]

Just remember, if those hillbillies didn't live up there, who would harvest, heard, whatever, the food that feeds your family?

Or, do you not eat?

I agree that the EAS program is to expansive right now, but I do think that some area's need subsidies to have required service. Think, most of those people don't just go on the EAS airline, they connect to another Airline (maybe yours) and pay money.....that may have not been spent if they had to drive 6 plus hours just to make it to an airport....

I'll have to ask though, if EAS goes by by, does that pretty much equal a by by to Great Lakes???

 

[smellthejeta]

I'll have to ask though, if EAS goes by by, does that pretty much equal a by by to Great Lakes???

I thought they were trying to get out of their EAS work anyway. I know when the bailed out of ORD, they got out of a lot of EAS stuff to the you pee. How much stuff out of DEN is EAS?

Granted, I probably grew up in EAS country and didn't know it, but does anybody actually have a list of which cities are EAS cities? If an airport has more than one carrier, does that mean it is NOT EAS?

 

[Cardinal]

The majority of Great Lakes' destinations are EAS, and admittedly many of them are not benefitting society. I mean, Pueblo? Practically no passengers, spitting distance from Colorado Springs and drivable to Denver.

 

[belchfire]

As someone that wears the uniform of the
most bottomfeeding airline in the industry,
I am proud to point out that airlines that are
dedicated to using 19 seat aircraft and
serving unprofitable markets can only
exist through the doling out of the
government cheese.

And I really want my two, er now you need
to make it three, dollars!!!

And to those who think eas is a waste of
money and is a new thing, well, the airlines
that were serving those cities before de-
regulation were underwritten by the feds
for doing so in the form of mail contracts...
just a little ancient history...