Gov. Scott orders Fla.'s 2 remaining planes sold

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — As promised, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has ordered the sale of the last two state executive aircraft.

Scott issued the directive during his first full day on the job, saying it's the first of many steps he'll take to cut spending. The operating budget for the planes is $2.4 million this year.

One is a jet-powered 2003 Cessna Citation Bravo and the other is a 2000 King Air 350. Bids will be opened on Feb. 9.

Scott said lower-cost travel options exist for himself, cabinet members and other top officials.

Use of the planes dropped in the past couple years after former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and others drew criticism for taking along family members and making frequent flights to their hometowns.

The state sold a third plane in 2008.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-06/gov-scott-orders-fla-s-2-remaining-planes-sold.html

why does the governor need damn private jets? And who pays for them?

That 2.4 million dollars will pay for vaccination clinics, potholes or fund some foodbanks.

Floridians, this is going to be one hell of a term. I empathize and sympathize.

Florida is a pretty big state. Having a plane does allow the governor to fly from Tallahassee to Miami if there is a problem (ie Hurricanes). Do you know how hard it is to get a flight from the Capitol to Miami?? This is just a ploy - like Caribou Barbie. Alaska is a huge state - they needed a plane, too.

The key is maximize its use and not restrict it to just the Governor. As I understand it WalMart has a small airline worth of planes. They also maximize their use.