The Legislature’s swat last month against Governor Kristi Noem’s pitch to buy a new plane for her interstate campaign travels was, like Noem’s ask itself, only a brief distraction. Amidst the spending binge made possible by the misappropriation of federal coronavirus relief dollars, the Legislature approved $5 million to help Governor Noem keep up with the jetset and show up at her Texas fundraisers and Florida fascist-fests in a fancier flying machine.
The $5 million added this year’s Transportation budget in Section 12 of Senate Bill 64 could buy a lot of plane. AVBuyer.com lists five private jets—three Cirrus Vision SF50 G2s, a Cessna Citation M2, and a Honda HondaJet—only three years old or less for under $3.5 million. Wow—add the money we’ll make by selling off two of the planes Kristi deems beneath her tastes, and we could get the $3.4M HondaJet (the coolest-looking of the five bargains available) and $3.25M 2020 Cirrus (it comes with gold-tinted windows and a parachute for the whole plane!). They each seat five behind the crew, which is just right for Kristi to haul Bryon and the kids around America, and she could have the pilot and co-pilot be her bodyguards in Bangor and Laguna Beach. And when she has a date with Corey Lewandowski at Mar-a-Lago, she could take the Honda to Florida and leave Bryon the Cirrus to fly around the state making more small-town videos.
Governor Noem may economize on her jet-get to buy some new signs and letterhead. Now that Governor Noem’s plan to bury the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources has withstood Legislative opposition, a Pierre source tells me the Governor plans to rename the Department of Transportation as the Department of Roads and Bridges… because she can’t stand having anything trans- in South Dakota.
Next Governor in 2023, sell the jet! Buy mountain bike with own pocket money.
Just hope its a Friday build.
A twin engine turboprop is better suited for intrastate transportation than a jet. Turboprops require less runway space and can land and take off on a variety of surfaces. Jets require a longer runway and need a hard surfaced runway whereas a turboprop can land and take off on grass runways. For long trips, the governor can fly commercial. That’s how Thune, Rounds and Johnson primarily travel back and forth from South Dakota to D.C.
I hope the new plane is very snazzy, but we know it will increase the caseload of Noem Derangement Syndrome amongst the libbies in the legislature, like Mr. Nesiba and young Ms. Taffy who he puppets.
A broom would be adequate
MAN oh Man does this upset me. The home town values of this governor is not in line with SD needs.
$5 Million is much less than the waste, fraud and abuse the 1 party inbred legislators and Americans Governor AKA South Dakota Governor Noem burn thru each legislative session. Maybe she will move on after the newness wears off. Can November 2022 come soon enough!
Grudznick, I’m confused on your stance: do you think the Governor needs to be spending $5,000,000.00 more on travel/a jet? Do you really think the condemnation you see here is personal – that it would not be levied against ANY governor making this purchase with state funds (especially in the context of how government travel has been used so far by this governor)?
I believe I am seeing you slip pinto your partisan defense reflex.
A terrible waste of the Coronavirus relief money!! Of course Covid Kristi could care less, as it is all about her. Amazing that it takes a JET to get to one end of the state to the other. I HOPE THAT SHE WILL PAY FOR HER CAMPAIGNING OUTSIDE OF SOUTH DAKOTA FROM HER PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN FUND. ONE AGAIN KRISTI AND THE MAJORITY PARTY IN SOUTH DAKOTA ABUSE TAX PAYER MONEY! ISN’T THAT THE MONEY THE REPUBLICANS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL ARE CALLING EXCESSIVE SPENDING.OF COURSE?
THE REPUBS FORGOT WHERE THE TRUMP TAX CUTS OF 2017 WENT…83% TO CORPORATIONS AND THE TOP EARNERS!! I THOUGHT THAT WE LEARNED DURING THE REGAN YEARS THAT TRICKLE DOWN DOSEN’T WORK, OH OH I FORGET THE REPUBS SUFFER FROM MEMORY
LAPSE!!!
Come on folks, think of kristi navigating with her boys like Jason. What could happen?