Aviation groups are raising the alarm after combing President Barack Obama's first budget and finding the term "direct user charges" in relation to FAA funding. In fact, the Obama administration targets raising $7 billion annually, roughly half the FAA's budget by "repealing some aviation excise taxes and replacing these taxes with direct user charges." The charges would begin in 2011. The language is on page 129 of the budget (View the PDF.) Not surprisingly, general aviation groups are unanimous in their opposition to the language.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/news/7-billion-in-aviation-user-fees-in-obama-budget