HEATED - They pollute. You pay (literally).
Hi all, welcome to an early edition of HEATED! Arielle here. Today, Emily is bringing you the news of the millionaires using your tax dollars to pay for their private flights; I'm bringing you some news of the world; and we're both bowing down to one very majestic dog. If you want to support our important work instead of the 1 percent, please consider a paid subscription. We promise not to spend it on a private jet. They pollute. You pay (literally).How regular taxpayers are subsidizing the ultra-wealthy's use of climate-polluting private jets.Just 70 miles south of Pittsburgh in rural Farmington, Pennsylvania, there is a luxury resort called Nemacolin. Best known as the lavish location where ABC filmed The Bachelor during pandemic lockdowns, the 2,000-acre property hosts three hotels, seven eateries, a casino, two spas, and two golf courses. It also has a private airstrip for guests to land their jets. Nemacolin’s private airstrip, however, is not that big. (It’s also temporarily out of service). So the resort suggests the nearby Connellsville Airport as another option. It’s a “private airport” just 18 miles away, the website says. But the Connellsville Airport is not actually a private airport. Despite not hosting any commercial passenger flights, it’s funded primarily by public dollars. And though the airport does host some public benefit—it’s used for mail-carrying flights and agricultural flights, among other things—its major benefit is for ultra-wealthy private jet users looking to avoid the 90-minute drive to Nemacolin from Pittsburgh. The Connellsville Airport is not an outlier airport. It’s one of almost 3,000 general aviation airports across the country that aren't used by commercial airlines; are used heavily by private jet travelers; and are funded primarily by taxpayers, according to a report released Monday by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and Patriotic Millionaires. (Other high-profile general aviation airports favored by the rich include Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles, Reno-Stead Airport; and Bandon State Airport near the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon). Titled “High-Flyers 2023: How Ultra-Rich Private Jet Travel Costs the Rest of Us and Burns Up Our Planet,” the report highlights several ways private jet owners and users not only benefit from taxes paid by the little people, but avoid paying those same taxes themselves. Overall, the report found, private jet travelers pay just 2 percent of the taxes used to fund the Federal Aviation Administration—despite making up 16 percent of all flights. Meanwhile, the report found, commercial fliers pay about 70 percent of the taxes used to fund the FAA. “In effect, commercial passengers subsidize the carbon and convenience of the High Flyers,” the report authors said. Here are some other findings from the report:
Ultimately, the point of the report is to show yet another way that the world’s richest people not only avoid paying for the climate crisis they primarily cause, but shift those costs onto those who are less fortunate and more vulnerable. “People argue this is a ‘private choice,’” Kalena Thomhav, one of the report’s co-authors, told HEATED. “Well it’s not a private choice when public dollars are involved.” Some more news to start your week
Catch of the day: His Excellency Däg Hammarskjold was adopted by reader Sarah in mid-2020, with a clear mandate to bring love and healing to the world. May Däg the dog reign supreme (over our hearts)! Want to see your furry (or non-furry!) friend in HEATED? It might take a little while, but we WILL get to yours eventually! Just send a picture and some words to catchoftheday@heated.world. You're currently a free subscriber to HEATED. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
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Tucker Carlson's toxic environmental legacy
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Carlson's show helped popularize a greenwashed form of white nationalism that falsely blames environmental problems on immigrants.
Why U.S. conservatives are flirting with eco-fascism
Friday, April 21, 2023
As we approach Earth Day, it's worth remembering that not everyone shares the same view of what "environmentalism" means.
The climate cost of L.A.'s police choppers
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
For their unnecessary joy rides over LA, celebrities have been called “climate criminals.” What, then, should we call the LA police?
Environmental injustice in Tennessee
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
The Legislature removed an effective climate justice advocate who was representing one of the most-polluted districts in the state.
Elon Musk's climate censorship
Friday, April 7, 2023
With Musk's new policy, climate publications like HEATED can no longer effectively share their work on Twitter.
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