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Dear Members,
FYI...
Below is an article regarding the debate on Bush's Administration proposal
to dramatically increase security fees on airline tickets.
Teddy
MEC President, AFA-CWA
Subject: New Bush Aviation Tax - Increase Security Fees on Airline
Tickets
Many of you may have seen that the
Bush Administration proposed in its budget to dramatically increase the security
tax on airline tickets. This has been just one of the many controversial
issues in the Bush Budget but has been getting a lot of attention lately on
Capitol Hill and has one of the most direct impacts on our industry.
Senate Turbulence Greets Plan to Raise Airline Ticket Security Fees
By Sara Kehaulani Goo
Senate Republicans and Democrats united in criticism yesterday of President
Bush's proposal to increase security fees on airline tickets, saying that the
costs of securing the nation's aviation system should be paid for by government.
Bush has proposed adding $3 to the existing $2.50 fee airline passengers pay for
each flight. Fees would be capped at $8 for one-way tickets that involve
multiple stops, and at $16 for a round-trip ticket.
Lawmakers yesterday said they opposed the proposed fee increase because it would
not provide additional funds to improve airline security. Instead, the estimated
$1.5 billion raised by the new fee would simply replace funds now provided by
the government. No senators voiced support, and some representing rural areas
argued that their constituents would be hit disproportionately hard because
nonstop air service is not available from many of the communities. Passengers
who need to connect through a hub airport to reach their destination would incur
twice the fees as those who fly nonstop because the fee is levied for each
flight segment.
David M. Stone, assistant secretary of the Transportation Security
Administration, told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
yesterday that the suggested fee is "in the interest of fairness and
equity" because airline travelers who use the system should shoulder more
of the costs than taxpayers.
Under Bush's proposal, airline travelers would provide 73 percent of the total
government funds for airport security screening, compared with 36 percent
currently paid by passengers. Bush's budget would also reduce the amount that
airlines pay for security to $350 million from the $750 million the government
expects to receive in fiscal 2005.
If passengers are expected to pay more for airline security, they should see
some benefit, several lawmakers said. "One of my disappointments is I can't
identify, as a passenger, any significant improvements in technology" at
the airport checkpoint, said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). "I don't see any
real difference except now I have to take off my jacket as well as my
shoes."
Stone said the agency is working to acquire more explosive detection
technologies, such as walk-through detectors like the one installed last week at
Baltimore-Washington International Airport, for use at dozens of airports this
year.
Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.) said the TSA should reconsider its fee model
because people who live in rural areas often have little choice but to take
connecting flights, thus paying additional fees. "It's fundamentally unfair
to people in rural areas because there's no nonstop flights," Dorgan said.
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