- 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
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"