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MRP-01-11-Wasting-on-a-State-Plane
Background on “Air Jay” Nixon’s excessive travel:
-In 2009 & 2010, Jay Nixon spent nearly $400,000 in taxpayer money flying on the state plane—averaging one trip every 3 days.
-Nixon has charged his nearly 250 flights to various state agencies, diverting money away from their already-stretched budgets.
-On April 6-7, 2010, Nixon flew to Kansas City, Columbia, and St Louis to announce that he was cutting travel reimbursement for everyone else in state government—costing taxpayers $2,370.
-On March 1, 2009, taxpayers were billed almost $1,300 to fly Nixon and his wife to a college basketball game.
-Nixon has come under fire from Republicans, Democrats, and the media for his excessive use of the state plane:
-The Missouri House of Representatives voted 155-0 to shine a light on Nixon’s travel expenses.
-The former State Auditor, a Democrat, criticized Nixon’s practice of billing state agencies for his airfare.
-The current State Auditor, Tom Schwiech, has announced that he will review Nixon’s travel practices in an upcoming audit.
-The St. Louis Post-Dispatch called it “robbing peter to fly Jay,” the Jefferson City News-Tribune declared that “many of the governor’s flights are self-serving, dog-and-pony show photo opportunities ” and called Nixon a “flying freeloader,” and the SE Missourians called on Nixon to “use his own budget to cover his” use of the state plane.
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