Here Go Your Tax Dollars ~ Flying Up Up And Away ~

Your tax dollars are being frittered away by your representatives in Washington. Actually they are flying away.

Well, what's new about that? Fact is this is not new. It's been going on since the 1970's. No blame is being placed on any administration.

One would think considering the dire economic straights we find our country in, our law makers would be looking to any and all excesses to reduce our deficit.


It's hard to picture Athens, Ga. — population 112,000, home to the University of Georgia and about 90 minutes from Atlanta — as an isolated, rural town. But the federal government does and pays Air Midwest $1 million a year in subsidies to provide 13 weekly flights between Athens and the airport in Charlotte, N.C., a scant 82 miles away.


Athens qualifies for the subsidized flights under a 1978 law, passed when airlines were deregulated, to maintain "essential air service" to isolated and rural communities that can't attract service.

Athens is one of 24 communities within 90 miles of a good-sized airport that benefit from $22 million a year in government-subsidized air service.


In 2003, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.,(now D-Pa) made sure that Lancaster, Pa., got subsidized air service, even though it's less than 70 miles from Philadelphia International Airport.

Congress has consistently ignored proposals to cut spending and serve only the most remote communities. Lawmakers also blocked a plan to require 10 communities to pick up a small part of the subsidies so they'd have a stake in marketing flights to residents.

A roundtrip in Montana, from Lewistown to Billings' airport — a two-hour drive — costs passengers $88 with a 30-day advance purchase on Big Sky Airlines. Quite a deal, right? That's because the government pays a subsidy of $1,343 per passenger. In 2006, just two people a day on average took the flights.


This is just an example of the 24 special deals that exist across the country. I've provided some other articles that have been written on this subject for further information.

It's pretty easy to drive 90 miles to a larger airport to catch a flight. Perhaps these rural subsidies need to go the way of the dinosaur. Millons in tax dollars are being wasted annually with no hope in sight of it being abated.

other reference

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/01/our-view-on-sub.html

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/nation/story/68744.html

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20090924/ARTICLES/909249982?Title=Thanks-taxpayers-for-the-cheap-airline-ticket-123-million-worth

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