At the onset of the financial crisis, the frenzy in Washington, D.C., led all political discussion, as new economic buzzwords such as bailouts and stimulus became fixtures in the national vernacular. Cue the auto executives' infamous jet visit to Congress, and GA suddenly was ensnared as a target of choice to symbolize fat cats and corporate greed in ensuing tax debates. The financial implications of this became clear at the federal level, as user fees for jets and other large-scale aviation issues reemerged. Meanwhile, far from the spotlight of D.C., beneath the radar of the 24-hour cable news machine, some of the most pivotal decisions to shape the financial future of GA were actually being made in the nation's state capitals. With record state budget shortfalls and required balanced budgets, state governors and legislators needed to find revenue fast, and GA-with the newly skewed perception of the industry-was targeted early and often with a flurry of onerous new state tax hikes.
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