Compared to previous governors and Cabinet members, Gov. Rick Scott is saving Florida millions of dollars in air travel expenses.
In fact, Scott personally picks up the tab for all official and personal flights on his Raytheon Hawker 400 jet.
"Governor Scott does not bill Florida or get any reimbursement for his private [jet] flights. It's his plane and he pays the bills," says Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the governor. "Any time his plane flies, he pays for it -- whatever the reason for the travel."
Such clear-blue-sky transparency is a far cry from the controversial itineraries of his predecessor and previous Cabinet members.
In 2009, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum took flak for their frequent use of state planes.
Sink took hundreds of flights on state aircraft at taxpayer expense. McCollum logged fewer trips but, like Sink, often dispatched state planes to pick him up near his home. Both Sink and McCollum -- each of whom ran for governor -- faced ethics complaints over their trips.
Gov. Charlie Crist tended to avoid the state planes, instead relying on private-jet owners to ferry him around.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported in 2009 that Crist hopped on businessmen's planes more than 100 times during his first two years in office. All were Republican Party fund-raisers, who either gifted the flights or were reimbursed by the state party.
Crist said he paid for his private flights, but declined to say how much.
Gov. Jeb Bush got the jet set revved up in 2003 when the state bought a $5.3 million Cessna Citation jet for his use.
Citing the $3.5 million-a-year cost to maintain the state's two planes, Scott sold the Cessna and a King Air 350 turboprop last month.
State Senate Ways and Means Chairman J.D. Alexander had previously called for the sale of at least one of the planes, noting the propensity for top politicians to mix business and pleasure in the air.
But when Scott actually sold both aircraft for $3.66 million, the Lake Wales Republican accused the governor of overstepping his authority. Scott responded that the sale was within his scope of responsibility, and he advised his colleagues to find alternate means of transportation.
Scott's Hawker 400 is a seven-passenger, twin-engine jet that can hit speeds of 539 mph. Selling for $7 million-plus, the plane's manufacturer, Raytheon Beechcraft, calls it "the world's best light-jet value."
In addition to maintaining, fueling and staffing his jet (which requires a two-pilot crew), the governor pays to park it.
"Just as hes taking a salary of just 1 cent, he pays for all expenses related to the operation of the aircraft out of his own pocket, even though its for state business," said Brian Burgess, communications director for the governor's office. "He pays the tie-down fees, too."
Even the old Department of Management Services sign has been removed from the parking spot "because that's no longer being funded by the state," Burgess added.
After shuttling Scott to Washington, D.C., last week for meetings with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and others, the governor's jet was back in service Tuesday, heading to the Midwest.
Starting in Chicago, Scott is scheduled to make a two-day, four-city swing as part of a "Share a Little Sunshine Tour" to promote Florida tourism.
The jet will carry Scott, two staffers from VisitFlorida, up to three staffers from Scott's office and an FDLE agent -- again, all on the governor's dime, Burgess said.
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 801-5341.
