City of Santa Monica taxes kids STEM education
Editor:
Outrageous but true. The City of Santa Monica aggressively taxes our kids STEM education, trying to close Santa Monica Airport against the wishes of the Federal Government. Is there no limit to how low a local government will stoop?
Two weeks ago, I took three groups of three kids aged 8 to 14 years old on their first half-hour flight in a small airplane out of SMO. The event was organized by the Santa Monica Chapter 11 of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) with their Young Eagles program, to encourage interest in aviation and offer a practical lesson in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and history, and more. You can see pictures of all the happy kids at www.Facebook.com/EAAChapter11
In an effort to “starve” the airport into bankruptcy (their own words), the city council taxes all aircraft landing at SMO, even those based here that are already paying for tie-down or hangar space, in my case $16.44 per landing for my borrowed Piper Cherokee 140 model weighing about 2,100 lbs, about sixty percent of the weight of Mayor Tony Vasquez’s automobile, plying the streets of Santa Monica city-tax-free.
So to take nine Santa Monica kids flying and give them a highlight to their day and educate them on STEM, I was taxed a total $65.76 for four landings at SMO while volunteering the airplane and my time to Santa Monica kids STEM education. Why would any progressive city government discourage STEM program education volunteer efforts? Landing fees are already waived for medical mercy flights so why not for broadening children’s education?
Although Santa Monica is just one of over 5,000 public use airports in the nation, it accounts for 45% of all legal actions filed with the FAA in 2016 over compliance with Federal law. Stealing from kids STEM education to pay attorney fees in an effort to close SMO and redevelop the land is just short sighted. No wonder the Federal Government is investigating the City. Nice work City Council.
Dave Hopkins
Santa Monica
