According to news reports, Gov. Lujan Grisham and the Legislature are considering the purchase of an airplane to help the Gov. and relevant staff travel around the State of New Mexico in comfort. According to the Albuquerque Journal, they are looking at a Beechcraft King Air C90GTx, expected to cost $2.5 million used or $4 million new.
We looked at this plane model which is supposedly a relatively efficient model of airplane especially relative to Bill Richardson’s jet. But a “relatively efficient” airplane is not in keeping with the Gov.’s radical green politics. In fact, just a few months ago the Gov. outlined a proposal to force New Mexicans to drive vehicles averaging 52 Miles Per Gallon starting in 2022. You can view for yourself the relative handful of vehicles achieving that high standard here.
So, we ran the numbers on the Gov.’s plane and (surprise, surprise) found that her plane would get an average of about 6.39 MPG. Yes, that’s right, the Gov. will be flying in style in a plane getting the equivalent of about 6.4 MPG while state employees and the rest of us are being forced to buy vehicles getting 52 MPG.
According to the group Power the Future, Gov. Lujan Grisham currently gets around the State in a Ford Expedition SUV which achieves between 16 and 21 MPG. Clearly, self-awareness is not the strong suit of Lujan Grisham and other elites who want the convenience afforded by the liberal use of fossil fuels, but want to push their radical “green” agenda on the rest of us.
No! No plane!
So sad New Mexico has chosen such a hypocritical, irresponsible governor to run their state.
She has proven her ineptitude in border security and immigration policies…
Her mishandling of environmental matters, the natural habitat and resources.
Her blatant disdain and disregard for the unborn children… the lack of concern or respect for our Native American issues.
Why would her hypocrisy concerning her stance on environmental protection be any different.?.
She’s basically bad for New Mexicans and is relegating our already disappointing numbers in education and household income to an even lower level… She is squandering our resources and responsible for our state’s future decline, relative to other states in the nation.
Corruption, dereliction of duty, fecklessness and her flagrant sanctimony abound in her administration.
I’m sure she’ll get her airplane.
Gee setting the example of traveling by electric plane would be great! . . . or how about a drone? Is there a drone large enough to carry that “fat ass” around? I am sick of these people who talk to hear themselves talk.
LOL!
Another issue is whether there is a need for a plane like this one in order to get a few people around the state quickly. This is a luxury craft that can fly up to an elevation of 35,000 feet. One doesn’t need a plane like this to get around New Mexico quickly. For example, here is a 7-passenger Cessna single-engine plane offered used for $300,000. Single-engine planes require less training to fly than 2-engines planes like the one Lujan is considering, which means lower cost for pilots, less maintenance and less fuel.
https://www.avbuyer.com/aircraft/twin-piston/cessna/421/355883
And of course, as the Albuquerque Journal suggests, it might be a lot less expensive to simply contract with a private flight charter company. This whole issue needs a lot more thought by our legislators.
My husband, a former private pilot for many years, may be able to get more information than I can with a quick Google search.