AP: FAA shutdown to continue as Congress leaves

[China]

So the government needs all the money it can get and what do they do? Let a billion dollars slip away. :doh:

FAA shutdown to continue as Congress leaves
(http://news.yahoo.com/faa-shutdown-continue-congress-leaves-205209095.html)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is likely to lose more than $1 billion in airline ticket taxes because lawmakers have left town for a month without resolving a partisan standoff over a bill to end the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The government already has lost more than $200 million since airlines are unable to collect taxes on ticket sales because the FAA's operating authority has expired.

The Senate recessed on Tuesday until September, erasing any possibility for quickly resolving the issue. The House left Monday night.

Click on the link for the full article

[wantarace17]

ridiculous on both sides

[Larry]

Well, they wanted to take advantage of the cheap airline fares.

(I'm wondering: When this tax stopped, did the airlines lower their prices? Somehow, my gut says . . . )

[skinswillwin06]

Nope.

http://consumerist.com/2011/07/airlines-not-passing-on-savings-of-not-having-to-pay-faa-taxes.html

[Btubes18]

Actually airlines raised prices...a freaking month recess, they just had a two vacation a few months ago.

[gbear]

budget aware eh?

First step for budget closer to balance is keep therevenue stream flowing. Lost tax revenue because sides can't agree is stupid. Closing airports primarilly in Dem districts is petty. The union forming remaining different from other industries is what the Republicans are fighting. It's interesting to note the closing's lost revenue has already cost more than the expenses in the bill. For a party wanting to ballance the budget, it seems an odd messsage, and leaving 74,000 unemployed (70,000 construction contractors and 4000 FAA) seems odd for either party in terms of jobs message.

[Larry]

Now, when I first read about this, my opinion was that what the Senate should to is to send the bill back to the House, with the ENTIRE subsidy removed, instead of just in Dem districts.

But that would assume that the dens actually had the ability to actually overcome the obstructionism, and bring something to a vote.

[gbear]

I used wrong number for number of jobs lost (still in the tensfo thousands though)

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/08/04/faa.jobs/index.html

[ixcuincle]

http://twitter.com/LukeRussert/statuses/99201260997197825

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Majority Leader Reid announces agreement to reopen #FAA