[JYO] Fwd: [dcpilots] It's official :-(

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Better start contacting your reps in earnest:
   
  Today is an exciting day for the FAA. This morning, we are announcing 
proposed legislation that the President is sending to Congress that will 
transform the way the FAA is funded and also provide a stable source of revenue 
to build our air transportation system of the future. (NextGen).
  As you know, FAA?s current authorization expires at the end of the current 
fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2007, and we need new legislative authority to continue 
operating. We are no longer referring to this transition process as "FAA 
reauthorization, " suggesting more of the same, because we are proposing a 
basic reform of the way the FAA is funded and the future air transportation 
system is financed. . 
  The current excise system, relying heavily on a passenger ticket tax and a 
fuel tax, can no longer do the job because it has virtually no connection to 
what it costs the FAA to provide air traffic control and other services to 
aviation. Nor does it provide a stable, predictable source of revenue that 
allows us to plan effectively for the future. .
  In its place, our proposed legislation, called "The Next Generation Air 
Transportation System Financing Reform Act," will generate revenues based on 
the actual costs that users impose on the air traffic system, whether they are 
commercial, business, or general aviation users. We are proposing a hybrid 
funding structure, made up of user fees, a fuel tax, and general fund 
contributions, with each segment of aviation asked to pay its fair share. For 
the first time, the FAA also will be permitted limited borrowing authority 
which will permit a more flexible financing system. You will find more detailed 
information on the public and employee websites, including how we propose the 
costs will be allocated:
   
   http://www.faa. gov/regulations_ policies/ reauthorization/
   
  This is critically important legislation because how it fares on Capitol Hill 
will vitally affect the FAA and our ability to handle future demands, including 
the one billion passengers forecast for the year 2015. Without this reform, we 
will simply not be able to handle that kind of volume without serious 
congestion and delays.
  Over the next several months, this legislative proposal and others will be 
debated in Congress and throughout the aviation community. We will keep you up 
to date on its progress because each of us has a stake in its outcome, both as 
FAA employees and air travelers. 
  Finally, I want to the thank everyone involved in developing this legislative 
proposal, particularly the FAA?s Office of Policy, which has worked tirelessly 
on it for more than a year. 
  Marion C. Blakey



 
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