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Governor's Jet Puts to Shame Nearby States

Posted on: Friday, 8 July 2005, 21:00 CDT

New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson isn't the only Western governor taking political lumps for wanting to fly in a new jet.

Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski has long wanted his state to replace two Beechcraft King Air turboprops -- one 25 years old, one 27 years old.

His administration plans to buy or lease a jet -- or perhaps a newer turboprop.

Earlier this month the Alaska Department of Public Safety issued two requests for proposals for aircraft, "despite opposition by some lawmakers and residents who contend a jet is simply a luxury item for the governor," The Associated Press reported in a June 10 story.

"The Democrats like to say that Murkowski thinks he's too good to ride with the people on Alaska Airlines," Andrew Petty, a reporter for the Juneau Empire, said in an interview Friday.

A recent look at several Western states -- including all of those that border New Mexico -- indicates that most states do not own jets.

In fact, Richardson will be the only governor in the Southwest to travel in a state-owned jet. And New Mexico's $5.5 million 2005 Cessna Citation Bravo will be more expensive than any state aircraft in the region.

Although Murkowski is a Republican and Richardson is a Democrat - - and even though the amount our state is spending is more than twice the amount Alaska is fighting about -- the tone of the criticism is remarkably similar to what Richardson has been receiving.

"It's really tough to gauge the reaction," Mike Chambers, a spokesman for Murkowski, said in a telephone interview Friday. "So much of it is partisan-fueled."

Petty said Democrats are the main critics of the governor's plane proposal. "Republicans seem to avoid (the issue) like the plague," he said.

New Mexico has signed a contract to buy the Cessna, which can carry eight passengers and two pilots at a speed of 463 mph. The Legislature's budget this year included $5 million for a new plane. Administration officials have said they will get the other $500,000 from selling one of the state General Services Department's three twin-engine turboprops.

When the purchase was revealed to the public, it caused a firestorm. The state Republican Party bought radio ads poking fun at the new jet's leather seats and wet bar and saying the plane was proof of Richardson's "lifestyle of the rich and famous."

Richardson, who said the plane is needed for safety reasons, argues that other state agencies will use the plane far more than the governor. Murkowski has made similar arguments.

Because Alaska is so large, so many areas are remote and so many rural airstrips are small, Chambers said, a jet, or at least a more modern plane, is necessary.

Like Richardson -- whose initial plans to buy a new plane without legislative approval were thwarted last year by Attorney General Patricia Madrid, who said the proposal was illegal -- Murkowski's earlier plans were sandbagged by other government agencies.

Murkowski tried to use Homeland Security funds to buy a $2 million jet last year, but that plan was rejected by the federal government.

This year, the Alaska Legislature removed his $1.4 million budget request for leasing a 1983 Westwind II jet.

The administration wants to spend about $2 million for a new plane, Chambers said, though part of that price could be offset by selling one of the old King Airs.

Wyoming has two

One state managed to spend about $12 million on two jets a few years ago with virtually no controversy -- despite the fact the expenditure was more than twice that of New Mexico's and six times more than what Alaska is proposing.

Wyoming purchased two Cessna Citation Encore C560 jets, trading in four older planes as part of the deal, The Casper Star-Tribune reported in a 2001 article.

But the Star-Tribune's longtime statehouse reporter who wrote the story, Bill Luckett, said Friday that there was little public reaction to the purchase.

Dave Kingham, a spokesman for the Wyoming Department of Transportation, agreed. "There were a couple of dissenters, maybe a couple of letters to the editor, but no big controversy," he said in a phone interview.

Tom Gould, a senior pilot with the Wyoming DOT, said one of the jets carries 11 passengers while the other holds eight.

"The governor uses these quite frequently," Gould said. He said the jets are a perfect fit for his state, which has high altitudes and short airfields.

The jets were purchased during the administration of Gov. Jim Geringer, a Republican. The current governor, Dave Freudenthal, is a Democrat.

Alternative funding

In at least two states, governors pay for travel -- whether for state business or for political appearances -- out of their campaign funds.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is an investor in Warren Buffet's company Netjet, so the movie star- turned-politician has various models of business jets at his disposal, a Schwarzenegger political adviser said last week.

California taxpayers don't pay for Schwarzenegger's trips, the adviser, Marty Wilson, said. Schwarzenegger's campaign organization pays for trips involving state business or political appearances. Schwarzenegger, who lives in Los Angeles and commutes to Sacramento, pays for this travel out of his own pocket, Wilson said.

Why does Schwarzenegger's campaign pay for state business travel? "In the budget climate of California, the governor feels he shouldn't unduly burden the taxpayers," Wilson said.

Likewise, in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry, also a Republican, travels in chartered planes -- all paid for by his campaign, Perry spokesman Robert Black said.

"He mainly uses a King Air 200," Black said, referring to a turboprop plane. "If he has to go clear across state, he might charter a jet."

While it might seem like a good deal for taxpayers to have the governor's campaign organization pay for all air travel, the executive director of a government-watchdog group in New Mexico said private funding for this purpose is not the solution.

"It seems to me if a public official is going to be doing the state's business, he should travel in a plane paid for by taxpayers," said Matt Brix of New Mexico Common Cause. "Otherwise there's the appearance of special favors by donors."

During his 2002 gubernatorial campaign, Richardson flew on planes belonging to supporters such as Santa Fe businessman Gerald Peters and the Mescalero Apache tribe. The use of these planes was listed as in-kind donations on campaign-finance reports.

Since being elected, Richardson's political-action committee has paid an aviation company belonging to Peters for some out-of-state trips.

King Air is king

The most popular make of aircraft with Southwestern state governments by far is the Beechcraft King Air, a twin-engine turboprop manufactured by Raytheon, an aircraft company based in Wichita, Kan.

New Mexico has two King Airs in its fleet -- one of which the state plans to sell to help buy the Cessna. Here are the planes that transport governors and other state officials in other states.

Arizona: Democrat Gov. Janet Napolitano uses a 1988 King Air B200 for in-state travel, said spokesman Seth Scott. "When she travels out of state, she goes commercial." The King Air is owned and operated by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The cost of the plane was unavailable. According to Beechcraft's Web site, a current model King Air B200 can travel up to 336 mph.

Colorado: Colorado last year purchased a new 2004 King Air B200 for about $3.8 million, said Police Capt. Cris Meredith of the Colorado State Patrol. That cost included the trade-in for the state's old 1981 King Air, which was purchased used in 1985, he said. The plane, which seats 10, is owned and maintained by the State Patrol, which has five planes in its fleet, including three small Cessnas. Taking a poke at New Mexico's new jet, Dan Hopkins, a spokesman for Republican Gov. Bill Owens, said,

"We don't have a wet bar."

Oklahoma: Democratic Gov. Brad Henry flies in a King Air 350, which is part of a fleet of 12 planes operated by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. "It's a '95 or '96 model,"

Maj. Mike Grimes said. "We bought it used seven or eight years ago." Grimes didn't know Friday how much the state had paid for the plane.

Utah: State government purchased a King Air in 1999 and another in 2000, said Tammy Kikuchi, spokeswoman for Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. One is a King Air B200, which cost $3.5 million and seats eight passengers. The other is a King Air C90, which cost

$2.2 million and seats six. The C90 can fly at speeds up to 283 mph. Pat Morley, director of state Aeronautics Division, said there was some criticism when the planes were purchased. "There were some people who called them 'the governor's yachts,' " he said.

Source: The Santa Fe New Mexican

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