Sky high

State should cut back on plane funding

Gov. John Engler is making a rare decision in the interests of his constituents, supporting a move that could save $1 million annually. Engler's idea comes after an internal audit review recommended the state scale back its current fleet of executive commuter aircrafts. With discussion and attention focusing on the recently proposed state budget, the governor's efforts to slash lavish and unnecessary spending on aircrafts should result in more money for education.

Currently, the state's air fleet is made up of 16 planes. Five planes are maintained by the state's Department of Natural Resources for firefighting and three are used by the Michigan State Police. The remainder of the fleet is left idle for most of the time, and many of these planes carry no more than five passengers at a time.

The state also owns a plane specifically intended for aerial photography, which is seldom used. The internal audit found that at least six of the planes were used during only three days in the 1997 fiscal year and five or more planes were airborne just 22 days in that year. This is an example of how taxpayers' money is wasted by the state government. These funds should be applied to initiatives that benefit the welfare of Michigan's citizens.

During the recent National Governor's Conference in Washington, D.C., Engler and his aides flew out on a Friday and returned late the following Tuesday - times when commercial flights were unavailable and much more expensive. While such planes provide easier access and allow administrators to avoid the congested airports, these situations are rare, and the planes are used infrequently.

Engler has not released a detailed plan describing how he plans to cut back on the planes. There have been arguments about how many planes should be reduced and whether all planes should be replaced.

But whatever the final plan is, Engler must cut back on the size of the state's fleet of planes. Engler may need one or two planes for official purposes, but he does not need eight.

Politicians are notorious for the perks they receive. It is ridiculous that so much money is spent on these extravagencies.

There is no shortage of sectors in the state that could benefit from extra funding.

With $1 million saved by scaling back the air fleet, Engler must take immediate advantage of this opportunity to improve the educational entities of the state, an area where he notoriously underspends. Engler should find other areas within his office to cut back on and return that money to the state's universities, to which he is only guaranteeing a 1.5-percent increase.

03-17-99