"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:8C5ae.8520$r53.7576@attbi_s21...
- The FAA, from the Federal Airport Improvement Program, will pay 90%
of the costs for airport improvement (runway widening or extension or
resurfacing, taxiways, aprons, and so forth).

That's because the Feds have decided that maintaining an aviation
infrastructure is in the interest of the country, and they understand that
a local government entity is too small to pay the entire bill. Thus,
they spread the cost over many users, rather than over just the few in
(for example) Iowa City, Iowa.

Now I suppose that premise is open to debate, too -- but that's the
concept at the heart of the Federal subsidy. In that regard, runways are
no different than freeways. We all pay for them -- and we all get to use
them, if we choose.
--
Jay Honeck

No, there is a fundemental difference. The road tax on gasoline pays for
all the roads and the taxes on aviation do not come close to paying for
airports. Most of the 90% is coming from non-aviation sources. Aviation is
heavily subsidized but so is everybody with an AGI under something between
$100K and $200K/yr which is most taxpayers. Same thing with SS, recipients
are getting way more in benefits than they paid in.

Ask your local FBO's how much fuel they sell and what the taxes are and
compare it to the airport budget then estimate the number of flights, figure
$10 per weather briefing and see how the numbers come out.

Mike
MU-2