AP: NJ gov reimburses state for helicopter flights

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AP: NJ gov reimburses state for helicopter flights
TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and the State Republican Committee are reimbursing the state for the governor's personal use of a state police helicopter, which includes two trips to watch his oldest son's baseball games, a spokeswoman for Christie said Thursday.

Christie has paid $2,251 to the state to cover the cost of all trips, said Maria Comella, his spokeswoman.

The state GOP paid $1,232 to cover a helicopter trip Christie and his wife made to Princeton on Tuesday, flying 75 miles from a game in Montvale for a meeting with a group of top GOP campaign contributors from Iowa, Comella said.

"As the chief of State Police said yesterday, the air travel didn't cost taxpayers any additional dollars and fell under the protection unit's normal security responsibilities," Comella said. "But the governor understands the sensitivity about this kind of thing and believes he owes it to the public to ensure that this is not a distraction."

"We have some big, important reform measures that the governor is committed to getting done and that's where everyone's focus needs to be," she told The Associated Press.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for the first-term GOP governor said the helicopter use was appropriate and that Christie doesn't reimburse the state for security and travel.
 
Wait. Damo said that the Governor was actually saving the state money. Shouldn't the state be reimbursing the governor?
 
David St. Hubbins said:
Wait. Damo said that the Governor was actually saving the state money. Shouldn't the state be reimbursing the governor?
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If indeed the helicopter would be flying anyway just to get their troopers used to them, then taking it instead of a vehicle with others following would save them money. But it is a relatively small amount of money for Christie, I can see him just saying. Ah, heck. Pay it and move on...

Of course it does all depend on whether the Commander of the State Patrol was telling the truth.
 
Christie's image as a cost-cutter may have started cracking the moment he boarded a state police helicopter to get to his son’s high-school baseball game, leaving New Jersey with a $2,500 bill.


Christie, 48, joined the line-up of past governors whose personal use of state aircraft led to public outcry -- and in one case, an apology and reimbursement for the costs.


Christie took office in January 2010 pledging to bring fiscal restraint....


For fiscal 2012, which starts in July, he has urged “shared sacrifice”...


The helicopter ride and a trooper-driven arrival at the ballfield with his wife, Mary Pat, before two varsity teams, fans and family, drew attention to the Republican’s use of such gubernatorial perks. Neither the game nor a later meeting he flew to were state business...


Christie, who traveled from downtown Trenton to the game, won’t repay the cost of the flight, said Michael Drewniak, his spokesman. “The governor does not reimburse for security and travel,” Drewniak said…


State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes said the executive protection unit “provides secure, protected travel by vehicle in the overwhelming majority of the governor’s business and personal travel, except in those rare instances when the governor’s schedule warrants use of air travel”...


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-02/christie-taking-2-500-helicopter-ride-to-son-s-game-may-cost-him-support.html
 
He obviously did the right thing, but damage done
the small government conservative fraud as a strategy was doomed anyway.
Hope he runs, somebody donate a treadmill to him.
 
Here's a shot of Governor Whirlybird on his way to another ballgame and political fundraiser...(cough), I mean..he's helping the state save money with a flight training exercise....after all, don't most governors help helicopter pilots get their hours in instead of doing other governor stuff?







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:lol:

These people complaining about Gov. Christie, are the same ones that thought it was wrong for people to complain about Obama flying to NYC to take his bitch out.

Wonder who wasted more taxpayer dollars??

First, the First Couple (and entourage) flew from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base — three choppers (two decoys), if the Marines stuck to standard operating procedure (and they are sticklers for SOP). That means dozens of men and women — radar, communications, mechanics, crews, everyone, perhaps 100, who knows? — were involved. (A batch of tagalongs must’ve taken a taxpayer pool of vehicles out from the White House to AAFB, since it took three jets to get the gang to NYC).

Second, the president moving on a Saturday takes a full operation at and around the White House, dozens and dozens of people. Maybe they’re all on salary, so that didn’t likely cost much. But all the cops involved — D.C. police, uniformed Secret Service officers, Capitol police — were probably paid overtime, even double time. Probably, again, 100 personnel or so.

Then there were the jets — at least $24,000 for the three aircraft used to ferry the Obamas, aides and reporters to New York. The Obamas’ jet, a Gulfstream 500, served as Air Force One.

Third, a C-17 had to fly to NYC to put in place a full motorcade (at least a dozen vehicles, maybe more). The military cargo plane may have taken up at least two, but maybe three, more choppers to fly the whole party from JFK to a Wall Street landing zone, where the motorcade was waiting. If not, the choppers flew there solo (White House veteran reporter Mark Knoller of CBS Radio wrote recently that “The VH-3D that serves as Marine One consumes about 1,200 pounds of fuel per hour.” Ouch.

Fourth, driving through Manhattan is an expensive exercise. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of NYPD have to be stationed all along the way, shutting down roads, holding back pedestrians. There were police cars involved, dozens of motorcycles, and the ever-present NYC ambulance (oh, don’t forget that the White House doctor also probably went — with all his gear). The city likely gets reimbursed by the White House for the cost (they usually do). And they were all probably getting time and a half (the NYPD overtime budget is extraordinary).

Fifth, the United States Secret Service (USSS) had to scope out the whole thing, then station agents all over — sharpshooters, undercover agents, etc. — at a huge cost. Who knows if they were on overtime. And if you think they went up Saturday morning, think again. They were likely in NYC upwards of a week before, planning the whole evening, every second of every movement. They had to map out five movements — from JFK to the Wall Street LZ, then a motorcade to the restaurant, then another motorcade to the play, then a final motorcade back to the LZ, then a chopper flight to JFK, before the First Couple and crew jetted back to AAFB for another chopper to the White House.

One thing is known — The Obamas picked up the cost of dinner costs and their orchestra seat tickets, which cost $96.50 a piece. So if the whole thing cost $250,000, the Obamas offset that by at least a few hundred bucks. Phew.
 
After a very public refusal to reimburse New Jersey taxpayers for his ride on Hubris One, our governor has now caved to the massive bad press he's gotten not only from the likes of us, but from the national press and even from right-flank standard-bearers like Greta Van Susteren.



The negative publicity was certainly the reason Christie caved. I doubt it was because he realized he did the wrong thing.




This governor has a long history of doing the wrong thing, and behaving as though those rules don't apply to him.


Taxpayers, rest easy. Now all you have to worry about is all the other damage Christie is doing to the rest of the state's business.





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Topspin said:
The state GOP paid $1,232 to cover a helicopter trip Christie and his wife made to Princeton on Tuesday, flying 75 miles from a game in Montvale for a meeting with a group of top GOP campaign contributors from Iowa, Comella said.
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now isn't that odd for a man who's said repeatedly he is NOT going to run for president..........
 
PostmodernProphet said:
now isn't that odd for a man who's said repeatedly he is NOT going to run for president..........
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He only choppered in because they promised him some free food. That fat fuck can't even walk 100 yards, let alone run for anything.



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