NBAA Denounces Obama’s Attack on Business Jets

Posted by: Prince Jets  Jun 18, 2014 11:06 AM

In Thursday night’s first Presidential debate between Mitt Romney and President Barack Hussein Obama, Obama again brought up the tax breaks for corporate jets. Its seems its become a convenient mantra for him to loop private aircraft owners in with “hedge fund managers and oil tycoons,” who it seems are evil just due to career choice and being more successful than the average person. 

During a section of the debate discussing ways of cutting the US deficit, Obama suggested raising corporate taxes. He said:

“The oil industry gets $4 billion a year in corporate welfare. Basically, they get deductions that those small businesses that Governor Romney refers to, they don’t get.”

“Now, does anybody think that ExxonMobil needs some extra money, when they’re making money every time you go to the pump? Why wouldn’t we want to eliminate that? Why wouldn’t we eliminate tax breaks for corporate jets? My attitude is, if you got a corporate jet, you can probably afford to pay full freight, not get a special break for it.”

National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen had this to say in response:

“At a time when both candidates claim to be putting job creation at the top of their agenda, it’s unfortunate that the President tonight denigrated the business aviation industry, which is responsible for 1.2 million American jobs and $150 billion in economic impact. The President’s comments completely mischaracterized the businesses and groups that depend on an airplane, the majority of which are small- to mid-sized businesses, farms, flight schools, medical care providers and emergency responders that use the aircraft to connect communities and grow their businesses. That’s why dozens of governors have recognized the industry’s importance, and over 100 Mayors have written the President to ask him to stop attacking it at a time when many businesses and communities are still recovering from the economic downturn.”

This isn’t the first time that Obama has shown his dislike for private jets. As mentioned in that article, he of course failed to mention where this particular tax break originated. That’s right. From his own stimulus bill. Oh, the irony.

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