Information on Export-Import Banks and my views

The Export-Import Bank of the United States is the official export credit agency of the United States.  The bank's mission is to assist in financing the export of U.S. goods and services to international markets.  This Bank enables U.S. companies, large and small to turn opportunities into profitable sales. This helps to maintain and create U.S. jobs, also contributing to a stronger national economy. 

 The Export Import bank does not compete with private sector lenders, but provides export-financing products that fill gaps in trade financing. They assume credit and country risks that the private sector is unwilling to accept.  It was established in 1934 by an executive order, and made an independent agency in the Executive branch by Congress in 1945, for the purposes of financing and insuring foreign purchases of United States goods for customers unable or unwilling to accept credit risk. The mission of the Bank is to create and sustain U.S. jobs by financing sales of U.S. exports to international buyers. The government corporation, Congress of the United States, charters this type of bank. The charter spells out the Bank’s authorities and limitations. Among them is the principle that the bank does not compete with private sector lenders, but rather provides financing for transactions that would otherwise not take place because commercial lenders are either unable or unwilling to accept the political or commercial risks inherent in an underlying transaction.

Since the financial crisis in 2008, the Export-Import bank has played a major role in financing Boeing aircraft. Since 2008, financing has been approximate to one-third of Boeing deliveries, or $8-10 billion per year. Other Export Credit agencies such as Coface, Hermes, ECGD, ECD and BNDES, have also been active players in supporting their manufacturers.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States also plays a vital role in helping American companies compete on a level playing field in the global marketplace. Last year, the bank aided 3,400 companies, large, medium and small, in supporting over 205,000 U.S. jobs. Maintaining a robust network of aerospace suppliers, and facilitating a stronger U.S. presence in the global market. Significantly, nearly 88 percent of these jobs were at small businesses around the country. Many people do not realize that the bank is self-sustaining, and operates at no cost to U.S. taxpayers. In fact, through its fees and charges, the bank brought in more than $1 billion to the U.S. treasury in fiscal years 2012 and 2013. Simply put, the federal deficit will go up if the Export-Import Bank is shut down.  At a time when defense cuts are causing smaller suppliers to shrink their operations, Export-Import bank financing maintains the financial health of a large number of aerospace industry suppliers, providing assistance to 30,000 of them. Many of these suppliers have looked to other aerospace sectors to compensate for lost revenue from the defense downturn. Furthermore, Export-Import financing is a critical tool to the aerospace exporter in both general aviation and space services. From May 2012 to February 2014, the bank financed over $1 billion in business jet exports, supporting over 5,000 jobs. Satellites and space launch services have become the fastest growing sector. Prior to 2010, the bank financed roughly $50 million annually in space services. That number has risen to over $1 billion in each of the last two years. In fact, over 60 percent of U. S. has built commercial satellite exports today that are supported through Export-Import financing.

Equally important, the bank allows U.S. exporters to effectively compete with foreign firms that have their own government-assisted financing. Our Export-Import Bank is one of 59 export credit agencies around the world. Each of them supports the export of manufactured goods in a highly competitive global marketplace. And many of these governments extend more credit, at more favorable rates, than the United States. In fact, as a percentage of GDP, U.S. export credit in 2012 ranked below six other countries. The Export-Import Bank does not cost American taxpayers a dime. It helps our manufacturers compete and sell their products around the world. And since aircraft manufacturing is one of our nation’s biggest exports, it is not surprising that U.S. jobs depend on our government helping to maintain a level playing field. The bank's authority is set to expire on September 30, 2014.

Some solutions are as follows:  Aside from higher lending limits, the immediate effect of the law is to widen financing to include U.S. aviation-industry exports, specifically transactions of U.S. produced goods and services for aftermarket use on foreign-manufactured aircraft. Obama has pressed for the bank’s reauthorization to help aid export sales and job growth. He has set a goal of doubling U.S. exports to $3.14 trillion a year by the end of 2014, from $1.57 trillion in 2009.  The administration is counting on exports to help drive down the unemployment rate, which has been stuck at more than 8 percent since February 2009. The jobless rate was 8.1 percent in April, with 115,000 jobs added, the weakest growth in six months. The economy and jobs are dominant issues in Obama’s campaign.

           

              I really like it when government officials like to use whatever they can to an advantage to win in an upcoming election.  Like promising the world when they know they can’t fix it.  Some of his board members on Washington hill are so wrapped up they are stuck in this thing called the, “Washington bubble” and they start to believe their own lies.  This country needs more than checks to the general public and the government can’t cash.  This is how I stand after serving, I have a totally new view of how the government works.

UAV Problems, History, and a profitable industry that our Government recognizes

     With the advancement in aerial technology in the later 20th century, humans have began witnessing technologies never thought possible.  Most recent discussions have been debating the use of aircraft that fly, maneuver, survey, and even kill other humans without a pilot.  Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are machines that are primarily used for modern warfare by keeping our men and women safe from the enemy.  With terrorism becoming more rampant, the U.S. Government is beginning to see the benefits of utilizing this type of technology for National Security.  What is used for wartime and for the enemy Americans will see military technology exceed it’s boundaries and in the hands of local law enforcement agencies across the nation.  With documented instances of using UAV/systems by the Houston police departments as well as Austin’s police department.  The city of Austin needs to wonder; should the Austin Police department be allowed to utilize wartime surveillance against its citizens? 
     UAV technology has a variety of applications for the Austin area, and therein has potential broad effects on Texas economy.  Although economic figures can be speculative, recent analysis by Frost & Sullivan predicts the global commercial UAV market is worth billions of dollars.  The prospect of available profits has lured many types of investors – from small companies to large defense contractors.  The smaller companies tend to invest in commercial UAVs, while the larger defense contractors are working almost entirely in military applications.  However, larger companies typically enter the market once the industry has established a firm demand while keeping an active watch of their investment. 
     Just as recent as this past decade government agencies are also interested in the role of UAVs in for the Department of Defense (DOD), which tends to favor increased UAV access for homeland security and surveillance of the international border between Texas and Mexico.  For Austin and the state of Texas UAV is primarily concerned with maintaining or improving the level of safety while encouraging the growth of aviation.  Various organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA are interested in using UAVs for scientific research. In addition, branches of the law enforcement community and other search and rescue organizations are generally promoting UAV use to limit costs and improve effectiveness.  Although there are a variety of interests to consider, including the general public, government and private sector, it is important to reach an overall consensus that everyone can accept. 
     The first use of UAVs occurred during WW1 in U.S. airspace.  Although initial flights and tests were erratic the military recognized its potential.  However, the interest of UAVs would take a sharp dip after the end of World War I, as development of pilot less aircraft in the U.S. and abroad declined sharply.  By the mid-to-late 1930s, new UAVs emerged as an important combat training tool.  During World War II, Nazi Germany's innovative V-1 demonstrated the formidable threat a UAV could pose in combat.  America's attempts to eliminate the V-1 laid the groundwork for post-war UAV programs in the U.S. 
     From their early use as target drones and remotely piloted combat vehicles, UAVs took on a new role during the Vietnam War: stealth surveillance.  The success of the Firebee continued through the end of the Vietnam War.  In the 1970s, while other countries began to develop their own advanced UAV systems, the U.S. set its sights on other kinds of UAVs.  During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, the Israeli Air Force, an aggressive UAV developer, pioneered several important new UAVs, versions of which were integrated into the UAV fleets of many other countries, including the U.S. 
     The City of Austin as of Jan. 2011 allowed its first mini UAV to be used by the Austin Police Department.  This allowed the police department to use a wasp drone to reach heights of up to 400 feet.  For now, use of these types of drones for high-risk law enforcement purposes is kept secret, although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stated plans to implement new rules that would allow the routine flying of these drones across the United States by 2013.  Equipped with high-resolution, infrared and thermal-imaging cameras, these drones could provide police with the accurate monitoring of all types of civilian areas and topographies. 
     U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Coryn advocate the use of UAVs technology. They understand that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) currently has five Predator B Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAVs) conducting high-quality surveillance along our nation’s international borders, with plans to deploy two additional Predator B UAVs in the near future.  The State of Texas has requested that CBP consider basing these additional UAVs in Texas to augment the efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies operating along the Texas-Mexico border.  However, the Department of Homeland Security has said that it is unable to take action on this request because the FAA has thus far failed to issue a Certificate of Authorization, which is necessary to enable CBP to safely operate UAVs in Texas.  They urge the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to give priority consideration to Customs and Border Protections pending Certificate of Authorization for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) operations in Texas. 

Here is information on a Current UAV pilot position, take a look any pilot can fly one of these.