Natalie Gonnella
During her 2010 gubernatorial campaign, New Mexico's Susana Martinez vowed to sell the state jet and in her first month as governor she has wasted little time in following up on her promise.
In 2005, then Governor Bill Richardson bought the eight seat Cessna Citation Bravo for $5.5 million (according to New Meixico's News 13 the jet costs taxpayers almost $3,000 an hour to fly.) State officials throughout Richardson's Administration, including the former governor, have been accused of widespread abuse of the state's fleet of aircraft, which also includes two other planes.
Martinez noted her intentions to sell the jet during her State of the State Address, referring to the aircraft as the "ultimate symbol of waste and excess." In a recent interview with News 13, Martinez commented that she doesn't need to fly to do her job as governor:
I have a car desk in the back seat…I get lots of work [done] in the back seat. There's no need to be flying.
And it's not just the Governor who will be taking to the roads to get to meetings. Martinez has also called for an end to the regular use of flights by other state officials, adding that:
New Mexicans don't want to see their taxes go up so that someone can fly a plane like this just go to meetings
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