We dislike excessive government fees as much as the next person, but are perplexed at the denunciation that has followed the Federal Aviation Administration charging $5 for registering a drone.
For example, the vice president of the Consumer Technology Association maintains “the decision to impose a five-dollar registration fee — a drone tax … will hamper registration and discourage compliance.” And yet he actually supports the registration system.
Yes, incentives matter, and had the drone fee been significantly larger, it would indeed act as a deterrent to compliance. But seriously, if you can’t afford a $5 fee, how did you ever afford a drone in the first place?
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