You’d think with Governor Kristi Noem out test-riding rich people’s jets, she wouldn’t need to hire anyone to help the state buy her a fancier plane. But no: under DOT Consultant Services Agreement 311466, we’re paying Verity Jet Group of Oklahoma $195,000 to help us sell two state planes and acquire a new aircraft:
Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt signed the Verity Jet contract the day after the Legislature approved the state budget that included $5 million for the Governor’s jet deal.
You’d think Governor Noem could simply leverage her extensive social media presence for the good of the state and sell our planes the same way she sells our tourism industry: Enjoy the Freedom… of Owning Your Own Plane! Slap that slogan over a couple of pics of Kristi on the wing, and she’ll spark a bidding war among the conservative cowgirl Twitterati looking for a piece of aircraft. Same for acquiring that new jet: Governor Noem already has plane owners flying to Pierre to let her try out their seats; a quick Twitter invite could easily draw more sellers. But as with other important state functions, Noem is too busy campaigning for 2024 to be troubled with seeing that her Administration does its job and must outsource our state plane swap to consultants.
Don’t we have anyone in South Dakota that can handle these matters?? Why must our tax dollars always be sent to out of state “consultants” ??
Buckobear, that’s my question too. How long will she hire everyone but South Dakotans?
First, put the jets that are for sale on E-Bay Aero
Take bids for 45 days.
Weigh the bids against the Aero Blue Book of used jet values.
If no bids are in the ball park, hire someone to sell them at a set commission.
Decide which model you choose to own.
Offer a cash price bid to the manufacturer. (If current jets are unsold negotiate a trade in value for them.)
If they refuse, offer a cash price to an aeronautics middle man.
If the middle man group refuses, raise your price or sweeten the pot with other incentives.
These transactions are fully within the capacity of a competent Transportation Secretary.
Got one, South Dakota?
“Trade – a -plane” works well too.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2zTNNpXMA4KO6W?format=png&name=large
Replying to
@NateSilver538
Republicans’ refusal to certify the election is a phase change, like when liquid water becomes ice. The reduction in temperature is linear, the consequences are not.
Kristi is a phase change from previous governors. Uneducated, racist rodeo queens do not make for governors. Like Trump.
I think $195K is money well spent to prevent another walk of shame for America’s Governor. Every freedom and liberty loving patriot should throw away their My Pillow for Lindell leaving Kristi stranded in Nashville.
Waste pesos on a plane after every South Dakota worker has a livable wage paying job and higher, when no child goes hungry, when every citizen has affordable health insurance, and so on.
Well….this is a transaction any other administration could easily handle with the talent available within state government or within the South Dakota Aviation Community. This is 195.000 dollars down the poop chute. Who says we don’t have any money???
Arlo, I suspect you, I, or anyone else in this comment section could look at a few spec sheets, talk to a few owners, and choose as good of a plane as these Oklahoma consultants will recommend. Likewise the sale: spend maybe $5K to advertise the planes for sale, post them on the state’s website in a prominent spot, mention them a lot on the DOT and Gov’s Twitter, and take the best offer. It’s not that hard.
That Sioux Falls paper deems this story worth the top spot on its website right now.
Meanwhile, Kristi’s bought-and-paid-for spin blog hasn’t woken up to respond to this latest instance of irresponsible spending by the Noem Administration.
Mr. buckobear and grudznick could have performed this for half that price. We still could, if you bloggers would stop complaining in the blogs and start writing letters to your newspaper.
Quit complaining, g-nick.
. . . or it would not be a problem if Grudznick and his like-minded Republicans would stop electing these folks. You are responsible for the people you have elevated to political office by such margins they feel invincible and therefore, unconcerned with decency.
CH ….Brandon Ray is from Texas (company brainchild)I thought. And this is a relatively new company I believe started in 2018 or or 2019. Follow the money because they sure didn’t get SD account on experience
Well..Cory, I’m not the guy to be buying airplanes…not in my wheelhouse. But..there are several people in South Dakota and a few probably in the Transportation Department who would be very comfortable doing this work. I have the feeling this is a done deal. The plane has already been chosen. This $195,000 transaction will just confirm that the Governor’s choice of planes is a wise one. It’s how they work. It’s also another example of the painful fact that the Governor has a very closed group of people she knows and talks to . She really doesn’t know many people if she has to go to Oklahoma for advice on buying a plane for South Dakota.
T is correct. Verity Jet Group was formed on Jan 12, 2019 in Oklahoma. Lots of more established aircraft brokerage firms than this outfit. Begs the question of why this firm. Seems these days that the faux rancher values her southern connections more than using an aircraft broker in this part of the country.