Every Generation Should Pay for themselves

[AEW]

I was compelled to make a public statement at the Peaine Township meeting about the latest spending project in our community (Airport). At the time I pen this letter the National Debt is $13,750,377,450,000 (thatâ??s trillions folks) and growing at 1 million dollars every 21 seconds. Each Man, Woman and Child owes $42,249. Each Taxpayer owes $124,663. We are paying $200,000,000 a year in interest on that debt. (I wonâ??t even get into the States financial issues).

No person who attended the Township meeting will be the ones who pay this debt. It will be the burden of our Children and their Children. I cannot express how real and important an issue this is to welfare of our Nation. We must accept the reality of our current fiscal situation and begin to talk and take steps to help correct this problem at all levels of Government. I ask all the Community groups, Township Governments and Individual to sincerely consider ways that we can saved dollars on projects paid by tax dollars. Grants are NOT free money. We must ask ourselves what is a need and what is want. Again,Grants are NOT free money people. We all pay for them.

Though many of the projects over the years have merit, some in my opinion have been wasteful. I hope we can truly evaluate each project by the standard of 1. Is this something our children should pay for? 2. is there a cheaper, better way of getting the project done. 3. What is a real need and what is a want. Lastly, Why is it when something is built or paid for with tax/grant money is always costs a heck of a lot more if it was done privately. This problem is another bubble waiting to burst. Do we sit back and wait or do we as a people try to take small steps to do something about it? Look at your children and ask yourself, â??What kind of America am I leaving themâ?￾

Adam E. Wirth

[medic5740]

I believe that if you watch the video on the very first Airport Commission meeting, you will note that the moneys for these projects do not come out of tax dollars paid by the average person. You should understand that these do come from taxes that are dedicated to airport improvement. By law they cannot be used for anything else. The taxes come from those who use the airports of this country. If Beaver Island doesn't get these funds, then some other airport will since the funds have to be spent for airport improvement. Also, the local matching funds for these projects is so unbelievably low that it appears to be a gift that should not be passed up. If the Beaver Island share is under $6000 out of a $300,000 grant, how can we not accept the gift?

I do not mean to demean your argument about the growing federal deficit, but there are many other areas of finance, not dedicated in the Airport Improvement Plan, that could be discussed instead of the funding of projects for the Beaver Island Airport.

[anna brand]

The money to improve the airport will not come out of tax monies but will the maintaining and operational costs of the new improved airport come out of BI tax payer funds? Anna

[treehugger]

You are right on the mark AEW.

[John Bolton]

Sounds like the 2012 election is already heating up....

[Gillespie]

The big question is, how many generations will it take until that is even feasible!?

[AEW]

This is NOT a political thing. This is a real crisis for our Country that needs to be addressed. Or, we can turn it into a political thing and lower ourselves to the intellectual mental state of "I know you are but what am I" as we dig a deeper hole for future generations. The theory of "Well if we don't spend it someone else will" is NOT an answer. It is a part of the collective cognitive distortion that has created the problem.

[anna brand]

What would happen if BI were to just say "NO" to the grant money which in reality is our tax dollars? What would happen if BI took a stand and said, "We do not want to perpetuate the growing debt of America"? What would happen if BI said, "Thank you but no thank you, taking responsibility starts with us"? What is the worst case scenario if BI says, "We can live with what we have so our children can have a more secure future"?
If every individual is not working to solve the problem than they become the problem. Free money comes with a price and that future cost could be our future security. Now is the time to be involved and asking the important questions. Anna

[medic5740]

The answer has already been posted above. The money, which has to be spent on airport improvement by law, would go to another airport. Since it is money generated by airport traffic and navgas, the money has to go to an airport, not decrease the national debt.

As someone who has been responsible for emergency evacuation of patients from Beaver Island, the improvements at the airport have been and continue to be essential to the health and safety of those who live here and those who visit here. Try to get a patient who has a life-threatening illness off the island when there is very low visibility, when Fresh Air, Island Airways, and Northflight are unable to fly, and you'll know how important the improvements of the airport have been and continue to be.

I'd rather see the money come to Beaver Island than go to Detroit, Chicago, Pellston, or even Traverse City, my home town. We do have 32 miles of water that becomes the biggest challenge in an emergency in bad weather.

I guarantee you that money will be spent by someone at some airport. The other airports are begging for improvements as well. Beaver Island needs these improvements. If the money was coming from income taxes, property taxes, or would increase the national debt instead of coming from use taxes by airport users, then, you might have a valid argument, but the money cannot be used to pay down the national debt since it is dedicated to airport improvement by law. These improvements are needed.

[John Bolton]

And.......do not forget other Just Causes....
is access to public health a citizen's right?
and....
is it right that our country has 716 miltary outposts overseas that we have to support and for what??
and....
is Social Security a safety net for the retired and needy or a ponzi scam for which the Central Banks to pilfer?
and ...
What happened to Term Limits the last time we had a political upheaval in Washington back in '94?
and ...
ad nausea......
Gheeseh.... do we all get worked up or what???
Democracy is run by crisis.
Memories are short and attention spans even shorter....

Sorry Adam, it is ALL political
IMHO:Until our Country embraces true Election Reform(which the Supreme Court has recently set the clock back on that effort several decades)nothing will change.
until then, we have the best Congress that money can buy....and that money is "buying" your tax dollars

[anna brand]

Here is my logic and please shoot holes in it where it maybe faulty because it is debates such as this one that allows an informed public to make better decisions regarding our taxes.
I totally understand that the grant money comes from airport traffic and navgas which means that when someone uses an airport or buys gas for a plane they pay for the actual cost and an additional amount which for lack of a better term is called a "tax". It maybe a hidden tax but it is a tax. Here is my assumption: The tax is not absorbed by the purchaser or provider but is passed onto the customer. The (our) government has stipulated that this tax can only be used for airport improvement but infact the government could eliminate the tax (best option) or stipulate that it be used in a manner that would reduce other government costs and therefore national debt.
My point is at what step in this process do we say enough is enough? Everyone says "reduce taxes" yet hold their hand out for grants and benefits generated by taxes. By accepting the grant (free money) it perpetuates the taxing at the front end. We can't have it both ways. Therefore my assumption that this is not free money but comes at a cost.
A portion of BI Township property taxes goes to maintaining and operating the airport. Again my assumption is that a larger facility may result in the need to ask for a tax increase from local tax payers in the future. A tax increase that may not be necessary with the current facilities.
A big concern is that I have read nothing which assures that in accepting the grant there is a guarantee of improvements for the ability of emergency military or civilian evacuations beyond what is presently in place on BI. In fact much of the grant would be used to benefit privately owned airlines and little to do with health and safety issues for Beaver Island.
I maybe all wet with my assumptions and welcome all comments and take none personally. This is the time to discuss all the issues and concerns. Anna

[AEW]

The debt now is 13 Billion higher than it was just 2 days ago.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

[AEW]

Here is our States finances

http://www.usdebtclock.org/state-debt-c ... clock.html

[John Bolton]

Heck, You are in a lot better shape than we here in the Free Peoples Democratic Republic of California.......
of course you dont have Arrrnold....

[Pat Simmons]

medic5740 is right about what these dollars are meant for and why they should be used locally. Bolton also has good questions. We have short memories about where public money comes from and goes. To try to pay off this huge debt, what's left of Social Security and other programs will be raided by the same people who raided the rest of the system and got us here in the first place. The financial mafia robs the public, then orders government to make the public cover the loss. Its the most successful con job in history, and its working here and in Europe too. Like all great robberies, it was an inside job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F768DJ8Lxow

http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/mo ... nside.html

Take the money for the airport while its still there.