Posted on 09/05/2009 8:58:57 AM PDT by Jonny foreigner
WASHINGTON -- The European Union is strongly criticizing a congressional proposal to charge a $10 fee to some visitors to the United States and suggesting it may carry a price for U.S. travelers.
If it passes, the EU says, some U.S. travelers to Europe could face retaliation.
The fee now under consideration in Congress would finance a new U.S. program to promote travel, a burden that the EU believes Americans should bear. "Only in 'Alice in Wonderland' could a penalty be seen as promoting the activity on which it is imposed," the European Commission's Ambassador to Washington, John Bruton, said in a statement Friday.
One of the bill's sponsors, Democratic Rep. William Delahunt, said the EU was getting too worked up over what he called "a nominal fee."
But Europeans see the issue as yet another potential hassle that the United States is preparing to burden Europe's citizens with. Visitors from most European countries have long enjoyed the privilege of visa-free travel to the United States.
Early, this year, however, the United States began requiring people traveling to the United States under the visa waiver program to register online at least 72 hours before travel and renew their registration every two years. If the new proposal is passed by Congress and signed into law by the president, it would require all visitors to pay the fee when they register...
A tax for looking at the White House from across the street is next.
Leni
EU to US: “Hey, no fair. We’re the only government allowed to tax Europeans into poverty.”
It's Obama's homestead and he should be able to personally profit off of it in any way he can legally. /MS
EU to US: “Hey, no fair. We’re the only government allowed to tax Europeans into poverty.”
Early, this year, however, the United States began requiring people traveling to the United States under the visa waiver program to register online at least 72 hours before travel and renew their registration every two years.
The way I look at it -- is -- either this visa waiver program and the means to operate it is paid by the American taxpayer -- or -- it's paid by the European traveler wanting that visa waiver.
Better the European traveler pay for it than the American taxpayer... :-)
A nominal fee will never go away and it will eventually go up and up. Sounds like the EU is not buying into Delahunt's attempt at incrementalism.
*lol* true. but a fee for tourists? (ok $10 is not much but punish people for visiting the US and leaving their money there?).
Well, when they come here, they pay the restaurant when they want to eat. They pay the hotel for staying the night. They pay the car rental agency for driving a car. They pay the plane fare for flying over in the first place and/or getting around here.
They can sure well pay the cost for clearing themselves, too, for this visa waiver program (if that's what they want to do)... LOL...
We don't ask the restaurant to give a free meal to them. We don't ask the car rental agency to let them drive around for free for a while. We don't ask the hotels to put them up for a while in order to have them "spend their money here".... LOL..
So, don't bother asking the American taxpayer to fund their vacations either... :-)
However, Europe is not without some guilt of the same sort of fees --- and even more extortionate ones than $10. I was hit a few years ago with a very large "landing fee" for just booking a flight leg with a stop through one European city. The "landing fee" was enough that I eventually canceled that schedule since I was only planning to spend an extra day or two in that city.
A nominal fee will never go away and it will eventually go up and up. Sounds like the EU is not buying into Delahunt's attempt at incrementalism.
I see no good reason for the American taxpayer to fund the visa waiver program for the Europeans. Let the Europeans pay their own way... :-)
well i don´t think europeans wanted this visa waiver program anyway. but i can understand your point why you would
favour Europeans paying for it instead of the american tax payer ;-)
greetings
It's certainly a stupid and counterproductive idea.
Ummm..., so you would prefer that the American Taxpayer pay the costs associated with this visa waiver program -- rather than the Europeans?
well i don´t think europeans wanted this visa waiver program anyway.
It isn't going to be the Europeans who take care of security over there, before people get into this country. We're going to have to make sure all those terrorists and unsavory characters stay on their side of the ocean. Thus, whether they like it or not, that's what they're gonna get. :-)
And, I can imagine the Europeans traveling here would like to have some free nights in the hotels, some free food while they are here and some free mileage on the cars they drive and/or some free plane rides around the country, too... LOL...
But, that would mean someone else is paying for it.
And so, if the Europeans want to travel here, then they have to pay the costs for them traveling here and not try to stick it to the American taxpayer... :-)
It's like a gang war. One set of thieves is whining because the other set is cutting in on their turf.
No, this is clearly Europeans whining about things, because they expect the American Taxpayer to fund part of their trip... LOL...
You missed the point of the fee. The Euro is being told to pay a fee to cover the costs for a US Govt program to promote travel to the USA. Better NEITHER taxpayer be asked to pay for such useless bureaucratic BS.
And, I can imagine the Europeans traveling here would like to have some free nights in the hotels, some free food while they are here and some free mileage on the cars they drive and/or some free plane rides around the country, too...
Early, this year, however, the United States began requiring people traveling to the United States under the visa waiver program to register online at least 72 hours before travel and renew their registration every two years. If the new proposal is passed by Congress and signed into law by the president, it would require all visitors to pay the fee when they register.
Sponsors have been promoting the law as cost-free to the U.S. taxpayer. The EU thinks it should not be.
Of course the Europeans think the American Taxpayer should pay for it... LOL...
well this would definitelly dramatically raise the number of tourists who want to visit the US ;-)
Europeans who can't afford the $10 shouldn't expect to come over here with the American Taxpayer paying the $10 for those Europeans... :-)
but without a joke i still think this fee is counterproductive. because the only result will be that the EU will start to fee american tourists the same way for payback.
Well, the Europeans can see who needs who then and who really wants to go where... LOL...
i agree. while “europe” or in this case the EU is shure not
without guilt about “fees” anyway. i think this what happend to you had nothing to do with a government. because the “landing fee” is something the airports bill the Airlines (no matter from which country they came) for using their infrastructure. and the Airlines just hand the bill over to the passengers.
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