Obama & General Aviation
Everyone wants to know; “What will Obama do about _________ (you fill in the blank)?”
We know from many sources that our president-elect believes in aviation as a transportation system, as an airline system, and as an FAA that needs improvement. But what does he think about general aviation (GA)? That’s corporate jets, Piper Cubs, LSA, and everything in between. I set out to learn for myself, and found it hard to find much specifically about Obama and GA.
I will make a prediction; Obama will be no friend to GA.
Obama is, by all accounts, a died-in-the-wool liberal. He believes in “share the wealth.” He wants to tax the rich and give to the less fortunate (my ancestor, Robin Hood did that, but not legally). Being a liberal is no crime, and evidently most Americans agree with Obama—the man did get elected.
I cannot imagine a man who wants to share the wealth being a true friend to general aviation. I still remember and can’t forget that Ted Kennedy—a pretty liberal fellow himself—wanted to ground all—repeat, all—GA during an early fuel scare.
It seems to me that people who believe in share the wealth must see general aviation as rich folks frivolously flying little jets while less wealthy folks ride the middle seat on airlines.
I imagine that a sincere liberal sees GA as crowding the airways and airports at the expense of the airlines and the general population. Would a liberal not believe sincerely that GA folks are elitists playing on the backs of the general public?
Remember, all of this is “as I see it” and as I “imagine.”
Sincere liberals believe that they know what the country needs, and that’s what makes them dangerous.
I am sore afraid.
Robbie–
Ah, thank you so much and I agree with you.
Ralph Hood
Interesting…
First I must say that 52% of the people “bought” Oboma’s commercial, neither candidate gave any real details to their “plan” if they had, does anyone really think that even 10% of the population would have read and understood it? Anyone who really understands the mess we’re in knows this was much more than the last 8 years in the making. Clinton signed the bill to “persuade” Fany and Fredy to “get every American in a home” (more like forced them to). And who at AIG thought that investing their collected premiums for mortgage insurance into mortgage backed securities was a good finical plan?? (Must have been Pres. Bush since it is his “economic policies” that got us here – lol).
Was no one paying attention to the first bail out bill that didn’t pass congress?? The main reason it didn’t pass is because every senator got thousands of call from us “little peons” who said we didn’t agree with the bail out. I saw senator after senator on tv saying they “had to vote against it because they got so many calls opposed to it, They were scared to pass it!!
The best way for us to survive any administration is to consistently call your representatives – put their # on your speed dial and call often! And tell your friends and coworkers to call, they are suppose to listening to the people.
BTW I make less than $250k (unless you count GROSS sales, did anyone think to ask Oboma if he meant gross or net – just a thought).
One last thought – can you balance the budget, pay for the extra proposed spending, cut taxes for 95% of the people and think that the remaining 5% can posably pay for the balance? I’m no super math geek but I don’t think so.
Chip & Allen–
Thanks to both of you for your comments.
I have flown GA from California to Key West and from Alaska and Canada to the Yucatan. I have never, ever made $250,000 in one year, much less more than that. Of course I had to go into aircraft sales and insurance to do all that.
Thanks for writing.
Ralph Hood
George Myers—
Thanks for the kind words. I needed them.
Ralph Hood
Ralph, I’m with you. My whole family thought I was rich simply because I owned a plane. Imagine what they thought when I mortgaged that plane to buy Moontown Airport. And yes, they are all liberal democrats. You already know about the luxury taxes we pay on airplanes. The thing that might save us is that with no planes there will be no taxes. Seems they tried to destroy the luxury boat business by over taxing it but had to back down.
Dave Hook—
Thanks for your gentle words.
Again let me stress that the BLOG was/is my opinion, as was carefully explained.
Ralph Hood
Dave Montgomery–
Regarding your comments…
First, I am very impressed that you studied at the Chicago School of Economics, home of Nobelist Milton Friedman.
Second, please don’t hold me responsible for anything McCain et al said. My BLOG, was, as stated, my opinion. It stated that I believe Obama will not be a friend of GA. I stand by that BLOG. Wouldn’t change a thing if I rewrote it tomorrow.
Thanks again for writing,
Ralph Hood
Ralph:
I certainly understand your concerns. The litmus test I am going to use is the action (or inaction) taken by the Obama Administration concerning the TSA’s Notice of Public Rulemaking for the Large Aircraft Security Program. I think it’s excessive. Let’s see what the new DHS Secretary and TSA Administrator do with it between the closing of the public comment period on December 29 and the publishing of the Final Rule.
Just like you I, too, am concerned. I’m withholding my final rulemaking on the incoming leadership until they give me something concrete to examine. By the way, have you submitted your comments to the NPRM yet? We’re still crafting ours at Planehook.
Thanks for another great article. I always enjoy reading your column in GA News.
Cheers from the Alamo.
Hey Ralph,
Maybe Samar knows something we don’t. Some GA USERS do make over 250K but 99% of the GA PROVIDERS don’t and bad policy will put us all, corproate jet, turboprop, recip, twins, helicopters, J-3 drivers and maintainers out of business. Could be Obama is going to raise us all to 250K then tax the devil out of us.
Hi, Ralph!
I just don’t understand the mass “appeal” of a man who wants to lead the country, when in his entire lifetime, he has never even lead a parade!!! This has to be the most inexperienced politician the voters have ever put in office! I agree with you that this man will absolutely be no friend of aviation, and I CERTAINLY make less than $250K!!!!
Not to “pile on”, my friend, but I just happened to read this—
From today’s Associated Press story “Obama to pioneer web outreach as president”:
“Such freewheeling use of new technology also carries certain risks, as Obama discovered last summer when he signaled he would vote in the Senate for a sweeping intelligence surveillance law reviled by liberal activists. Thousands of angry supporters jammed his campaign Web site to express their outrage — a phenomenon that could easily be repeated when he becomes president.”
Some Liberal, voting for something like that…
Come on Ralph. He’s a Liberal compared to who, and on what issues. Is he a Liberal because he opposed the policies of George Bush ? Gee, it seems like about 52% of the elctorate disagreed with the policies of George Bush and 80 % of the people think Bush’s policies put us on the wrong track. And people call the US a center-right country. And his offhand comment to Joe the Plumber, did he say “spread the wealth” or “Spread it around” ? I believe it was “spread it around”, and it seemed to me that the context he said it in was spreading opportunity around, not wealth. I also think that if you are assuming that the future will be a straightline projection of the past, you are as mistaken as the Wall Street risk managers who built their models on historical data. And yes, I have read Adam Smith. I studied economics at the University of Chicago.
I believe “Liberal” is the tag McCain and Palin tried to stick him with throughout the campaign, along with socialist (hey, he probably did share his sandwiches with kids in school) and “pal” of terrorists (gee, didn’t the US recognize, and don’t we now have diplomatic relations with Ghadafi in Libya, who financed the destruction of an airliner over Scotland ?) I don’t think squawking loudly will be effective with this Administration. I think GA needs to be more thoughtful, more factual and more persuasive in the coming years. It’s a new game. We need to be smart about telling our story. Are you up for it ? Or are you just going to sit around and belly-ache and long for “the good old days” ?
Dave Montgomery–
Hey, as mentioned in my comment to Samar, I am basing my thoughts more than anything else on Obama’s voting record. Then there are also his comments–like “share the wealth”–and sources such as Fortune, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and others. Might I ask if you have ever studied the Wealth of Nations by Adama Smith?
Frankly, I am amazed that there could possibly be any argument on the fact that the man is a liberal.That’s a given.
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
Samar–
Thanks for writing.
Uh, the only “label” I remember attaching to Obama was the label of liberal. Is there any argument about this? The man attached this label to himself by his voting record as a senator.
BTW, are you sure that most people involved in GA make over $250,000 per year. I’m certainly not sure of that at all. Do you have a source for that? Gosh, seems to me that by the time you consider all the Civil Air Patrol folks, plus the people flying old Cubs, Champs, and Luscombes, then add in all the folks trying to get into LSA and the ones already flying ultra-lights–I wonder about that.
Does anyone know? I’d love to hesr from you.
Ralph Hood
Ralph:
Before we assign any of the labels on Obama and start predicting his future coarses of action, we need to thank our lucky stars for the Presidnt-elect’s intellectual prowess. I hope that intelligent-decision-making will over ride all the election season rhetoric and will drive him to do the right things for the nation. It is hard to imagine, othewise, that a President will use his open air campaign byte to Joe-the-plumber as a blue print to run a nation. Then again, most GA users make over $250K.
Where are the facts in this discussion ? I’ve talked with people who were his students when he taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago. Based on their experience, I think we’ll find Obama to be thoughtful and pragmatic, making decisions based on data and other “facts” not knee jerk reaction or based on “liberal dogma”. When I wrote to him about user fees last year (he was my Senator) I got a very thoughtful response pointing out that he is an avid user of GA aircraft and knows the benefits of GA. So I suggest we don’t all get our shorts in a bind. He is a thoughtful man and a pragmatic decision-maker. GA has to continue to make their case, based on facts. I think if we do that, we’ll be OK.
Wiliam–
Lord, as if I wasn’t worried enough already! Now you throw in all of that, and trouble is you’re right. I disagree with you on only one thing. Yes, we can write our “representatives” in Washington, but if more right against us than for us, well, there we go again.
We–all of us–need to watch like hawks and squawk earely and often.
Rise up and be heard, aviators.
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
We keep calling Obama President Elect when in all actuality Nancy Pelosi is the President (in her mind). All kidding aside, the redistribution doesn’t scare me as much as corporate scrutiny of expenses by Congress, global warming and the burning of fossil fuels, and the view that Congress could take that GA should have the same safety record as air carriers.
Corporate responsibility which is currently being closely looked at by Congress (thanks AIG) could be reformed though tax codes which could cripple corporate flight departments. Fossil fuels being burned is a hot legislative target especially 100LL (environuts have been trying to ban lead for years). Can you imagine another user fee added to fuel or ticket prices to offset carbon? FAA reform will be looked at (thanks southwest) and of course when gov’t reforms they go for the touchdown. The FAA has every stat knowing to man to explain why the GA accident rate is higher than the Commercial. Usually their stats can be improved by regulation. But with regulation the reduction of hours flown nationally by GA pilots is the end result.
I still believe in USA aviation and agree Obama’s changes will jeopardize us. But we can stay informed and let our legislative & executive branchs know when they are stepping over our line. Just don’t send Pelosi anything unless she is your constituent (I did and I received a letter back say out of professional courtesy to her peers she cannot hear my voice).
Clyde–
By golly, I hadn’t thought of that! What do “they” say Obama’s down to now? Three cigarettes a day?
Oh well, he gets to ride Air Force One. I reckon they’ll have to let him smoke on that airplane.
Thanks for writing,
Ralph Hood
Ralph,
Don’t “jump the gun” on Obama….he may favor GA as the airlines have a very strict NO SMOKING policy.Poor addicted fellow.
Compassionate Clyde
Mike–
Boy, I was glad to get your friendly comment! Scathing denunciations were/are expected. It’s good to get a friendly word first.
Thanks,
Ralph Hood
Ralph:
You are probably right about Obama’s attitude toward general aviation, but none of these politicians could get elected without us. From statewide through federal offices, they all depend on general aviation to get around their respective territories. You don’t see them riding Delta. And,once elected, they continue to hit us up for free rides on the rubber chicken circuit so they can get around and smooze with their constituency.
The truth is, they all know how valuable we are, but they have to pander to the masses to get/stay in office.
And that’s all I have to say about that.