Online Petition vs FAA User Fees Until Noon June 5

[Dan K]

The EAA has made it easy for you to send a letter to your senators in opposition to FAA user fees for tower service during fly-ins. As most of you already know, tax on avgas is general aviation's financial contribution to these services. User fees for services already promised and paid for is simply double taxation.

http://www.eaa.org/news/2013/2013-06-03 ... ct-now.asp

You do not need to be a member of EAA to make use of this opportunity. EAA simply wants to encourage as many aviation supporters as possible to make their voices heard.

Your window is through Noon (ET) of June 5.

Thanks WIXers.

[Mark Allen M]

Done !!!!

[Dan K]

HUZZAH, MARK!

[Robbie Stuart]

Did it this morning, & forwarded it to several folks!

[p51]

As someone who knows a person who runs a Congressman's office, I can assure you these 'internet letter/petition' things are totally worthless. I've had long discussions with this person on the subject.
Yes, it's the era of e-mails, but anyone can send one with almost no effort. Especially when it's passed along by a group and they get repetitive contacts of the same thing, any lawmaker is going to have that weeded out at the intern level (my friend has interns doing exactly that). This is why you hear so much of lobyists, because they often physically show up or call the office (coherently so, too, not yelling and babbling, they blow those off as well).
When a group tells members to send e-mails to their representatives, it's either a comical lack of understanding of how the process really works or just an effort for said group to make it's members feel 'involved' when they're not accomplishing anything at all...

[Red Baaron]

When mass emails come into a politician's office, especially with the same subject line or title, they are not always read. But they are counted. When they quit coming it or the deadline passes, the total is looked at. If it is significant enough to so show interest from the people, one way or another, its considered. Otherwise, if there isn't enough emails/letters, the subject is ignored. That is why it is important to send these emails as the originator's state. No interest by the people ='s no action by the politician. The FAA does much the same thing.

A lot of prison parole boards operated this way. If you had a murderer up for parole then the family of the victim or concerned citizens can write a letter to the parole board. Every time this murderer comes up for parole, a different color of paper is used for the form letter that protests the parole. These letters go in the file and when that person comes up for parole again, the number of letters in the file for that year and the past are taken into account. This weighs heavily on the parole consideration. No interest in keeping the murderer in jail? Not a lot of extra consideration into keeping them there by the state.

[Dan K]

As someone who knows a person who runs a Congressman's office, I can assure you these 'internet letter/petition' things are totally worthless. I've had long discussions with this person on the subject.
Yes, it's the era of e-mails, but anyone can send one with almost no effort. Especially when it's passed along by a group and they get repetitive contacts of the same thing, any lawmaker is going to have that weeded out at the intern level (my friend has interns doing exactly that). This is why you hear so much of lobyists, because they often physically show up or call the office (coherently so, too, not yelling and babbling, they blow those off as well).
When a group tells members to send e-mails to their representatives, it's either a comical lack of understanding of how the process really works or just an effort for said group to make it's members feel 'involved' when they're not accomplishing anything at all...

I, for one, appreciate your insight. I do find it interesting that you came to the apparent conclusion that (out of a total of 535 congressmen and women) all such office managers would govern their respective staff under the same operating credo as your acquaintance.

I'm assuming that EAA must have received comments along a similar line, thus the following post. Are there observations expressed which do not jibe with your understanding of the process? TIA

http://macsblog.com/2013/06/how-eaas-ra ... ess-works/


The primary reason Rally Congress works so well is that the system has been designed cooperatively with the staffs of Senators and Congressmen. It is the office staffs that handle communications from constituents and they want to receive as many comments as possible. But they need the communication to be in a form that can be read and analyzed and tabulated efficiently.

[Mark Allen M]

Cleaver response Dan but for this one you may want to change your signature

[p51]

I do find it interesting that you came to the apparent conclusion that (out of a total of 535 congressmen and women) all such office managers would govern their respective staff under the same operating credo as your acquaintance.

Actually, their staffers often talk to one another, and I have been advised that the office I know of is run much like many (if not most) of the others as well. That's why I bothered writing that at all.
Look up the term 'slactivism,' I think it applies quite well in this case.

[K5DH]

I recently participated in an online letter writing campaign (not related to aviation). A few days later, I received responses from both of my senators and my congressman. YMMV.

[Dan K]

Thanks for your input, everyone. I'm not enough of a politico to know how much the various congressional staffers share gameplans, thus my question(s).

Do you feel the claim made in Mac McClellan's blog is accurate..that "Rally Congress" was designed cooperatively by staffers and is tabulated by same?

Perhaps the only meaningful measure of this petition's effectiveness is if the FAA drops the user fee for aviation event traffic control.

[mustangdriver]

One of the gentleman handling this effort is my good friend and co-worker. I asked him about it. It DOES indeed help!

[Robbie Stuart]

Well fellows, the way I see it is signing an online petition is better than doing nothing at all!

[Mark Allen M]

I recently participated in an online letter writing campaign (not related to aviation). A few days later, I received responses from both of my senators and my congressman. YMMV.

I have as well, (more than once), in the commercial development, ranching and wine industries in the Santa Barbara County area. It certainly does work and it's very affective if your cause is solid and responsible. It's a well designed program that has produced more productive Congressional results than anything I have seen recently. And I completely agree with Robbie's statement. Don't ever think for a minute it's a waste of time. It's not. If you do your cause has lost before it ever had a chance to win.

As someone who knows a few Congressman, I can assure you it's NOT totally worthless.

[Zachary]

a comical lack of understanding of how the process really works

Boy, I for one am so grateful that you are so well-versed in how the process works that you are able to enlighten us all with your criticism of EAA's efforts to protect GA. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!