Airlines Ask Congress for Fuel Tax Relief

[SillyGoose]

Sep 14 4:03 PM US/Eastern

By LESLIE MILLER
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON
U.S. airlines once again asked Congress for help Wednesday, saying taxes and fees imposed after the Sept. 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina and record-high fuel costs were pushing some of the nation's oldest carriers into bankruptcy.

Lawmakers said they'd consider ways to help the beleaguered airline industry, but offered little in the way of specific proposals during a hearing of the aviation subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee.

"The airlines have been in crisis in the past, but I don't think I've ever seen anything like this," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. "I don't think we should ignore any option."

(continued at link)http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/14/D8CK84FGE.html

*****

more federal handouts on the way for the corporations while working class Americans get the shaft.

[Mistress Quickly]

1. Screw that

make some of those airline execs, even the retired ones, pay back some of the millions and millions of dollars they've received, even when the government bailed them out before.

Screw the bloated airlines who screw over their workers.

[Carla in Ca]

19. Amen, I'm sick of the excuses they use.

They will ALWAYS have an excuse. I guess it's about time the Postal Service boo hoos to congress. Cut the fraud, waste and abuse!

[dchill]

2. I'm sure Bush will "allow" us all to bail them out...

just like after 9/11. But what about the rest of us? Surely he can "feel our pain." NOT. Whatever fuel costs one of us, it should cost ALL of us. Enough corporate welfare.

[Fovea]

3. Not only no

but hell no. Let 90% of the carriers go under, and let's get high speed rail. That is the kind of progress we are told capitalism is good for. But note how the 'free market' does not apply to certain industries. IMO, if the free market is not capable of managing an industry, then it probably should either be a public good, or go away.

I am tired of congress sucking off the airlines every time something goes wrong.

[BR_Parkway]

4. So, lets see who in that industry purchased which politians?

Hmm, according to www.opensecrets.org - 74% of the $50,957,619 went to all those fiscally conservative, free market capitalistic Repugs.

http://opensecrets.org/industries/indus_gif6.asp?ind=M&type=P

http://opensecrets.org/industries/indus.asp?Ind=M

But now we need corporate welfare? WTF? Have the courage of your convictions, you've already paid very good money to have the kind of gov't policies that you want, now let the market do it's thing. And if it crushes you against the rocks, well, just get over it.

(no wonder they're freaking bankrupt, buying your own congress - critters has gotten horribly expensive - maybe we need a new index, the Congressional Purchase Index, compute quarterly how much your pet legislation will cost you.

[newscott]

5. What happened to free enterprise?

Screw them.

[Rambis]

6. No bankruptcy for you!

F the airlines if they can't survive in the "free" market.

[sarcasmo]

7. The average citizen doesn't get fuel tax relief. So I say NO for

Corporate Amerika. However there are two playing fields here and the Repukes who control the White House will give it to them, IMHO.

[cmdrxog]

8. Triple the tax

Use it to provide some relief for those of us who won't have any heat this winter. Cut the salaries and pensions and perks of the CEO's that screwed their workers over already; greedy pigs, how many damn toys do they need.

[Democrats_win]

9. What will they do with the extra money? Pay pensions? Pay strikers?

The money will go directly to the financial industry, which is the same industry that is demanding poor people liquidate their lives to pay billionaire CEO's.

[Rainscents]

10. Fuck them! Average America can't even get any breaks and this basters

want Tax Payers help bail out their ass? HELL NO!

[daleo]

11. Every airline's costs are going up equally

So there should be nobody at a competitive disadvantage. The cost of auto, bus, and train service will also be affected by rising fuel prices, so there is no competitive disadvantage by mode of transport.

[0007]

12. And as soon as the airlines get every break possible

the airfares will go sky high.

[LeahD]

13. Heard Delta will be filing today,

but I've been away from the radio and don't know if there's been an announcement yet. There go the pensions for employees, and the PGB steps in.

[LeahD]

15. Delta and NW have filed now.

[ThumperDumper]

14. Scrooom! When was the last time...

anyone got good service from an airline?

Besides, airline employees act like they can treat people any way they want and not get fired and that pisses me off.

We need some good, healthy, competition in the airline industry.

.

[Nashyra]

23. I beg your pardon

With amost 30 years in this industry, the way a passenger is treated is indicitive of how that passenger has treated the employee. Not always but more often than not.

[Puglover]

24. Bravo Nashyra

27 years in the industry here. I'm always amused how some people on this progressive board slaver with anticipation at 1000s of airline employees losing their lively hoods because they didn't get a window seat on their last flight.
:eyes:

[ThumperDumper]

25. You all must not work for

United here in Denver, or any airline in Philly or AWA or...

It's not ALWAYS the passanger. Airline employees DO FREQUENTLY have bad attitudes in general. And it's not always ME that has the problem. I notice when they're rude to other people who don't deserve it.

If the shoe fits, wear it. If it doesn't, don't.

You should wish the bad ones would get the boot so that the quality ones, such as yourself, could better earn performance-based increases. ;)
A little competition among airlines should help that along.

.

[Parche]

26. industry

20years here, have you watched the show Airline?

That is one of the best shows out there
Shows how some morons are allowed to fly

[rfkrfk]

16. FOUR cents a gallon, is too much for these whores to pay?

{four point three cents, $0.043 a gallon}

US domestic flight, tax is four cents a gallon.

international flight, tax is zero, zero,
not one 'effin penny.

airlines want more money for the scabs

edit, spelling

[manly]

17. the poor airlines

Why don''t the fucking oil companies subsidize the airlines? After all, partners in crime ought to help each other. Why should our tax dollars be given to the airlines?

[LeahD]

18. If one of the majors goes under, liquidates,

you'll see a dramatic change in ticket prices. Currently, they're cutting each other's throats to fill the seats, and the fares don't cover their costs. Should get very interesting if someone goes belly up.

[IndyJones]

20. No way! How about forcing the oil companies to stop gouging?

[sandnsea]

21. My own airline ticket experience

My mother passed in August 2000. I got the cheapest quick airfare I could get, Portland to St. Louis, $650.00. On one of those cheap airlines the oldest carriers are complaining about now. My father passed a few weeks ago, I again got the cheapest quick airfare I could find, this time Portland to Little Rock which is higher than into St. Louis. $450, Delta. They don't have to sell the tickets that low, nobody else was. We're being hosed.

[ladylibertee]

22. NOT gonna happen