Dear Mr.  Kelly:

I believe your recent article in Spirit will be very effective, but not in the way you hoped.  It was thought provoking in that it seems odd that the billion dollar commercial aircraft industry is blaming GA for congestion when the average Joe sitting in the terminal can only see commercial aircraft on the ramp. It is also a mystery as to how fees will remedy this situation. Someone who is cognizant of the true situation sees the user fee issue for what it is, a first strike at the emerging air taxi market. A market that is emerging due to the commercial providers' inability to provide acceptable service to a significant fraction of their customers. GA pilots are simply collateral damage. This is helping galvanize the GA community.

You should remember that GA pilots have an above average level or resources available to them. They are, for the most part, members of the 5% of the population that pay 90% of the federal income taxes.  Revenues that have been directed to the benefit or your company.

Stimulated by your article, I have contacted my state's representatives to provide them with well reasoned arguments as to why user fees would be counter productive. I have also told them that I consider this a "litmus test" of whether they represent the people of my state or will be swayed by a special interest, and that I will vote accordingly.

In simple terms, this situation is analogous to east coast fishing industry in the '70s where hyper competition over a limited resource destroyed the resource. In this case, however, the commercial fishing trawlers are blaming the dwindling profits on a couple of guys in a canoe on the Chesapeake.

You may believe your own propaganda but a wise man would know better.

Regards
Brent Regan
Pvt. Inst, SEL, HP
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho