Saturday, July 15, 2006
DEBATE OVER AIR TRAVEL AND CAMPAIGNS A WASTE OF TIME
As the campaign season heats up, already the parties are picking at each other over pointless issues. Jeff Lehr of the Joplin Globe files a good story about how A.G. Jay Nixon and Gov. Matt Blunt (Matty Matt Blunt Blunt Whoo WHOO! -- as he's known at the design desk) treat job-related air travel.
Blunt believes in not spending any taxpayer money for flights. That means that lobbyists are paying for the air travel. It's nigh impossible to figure out which lobbyist is paying for the flight, meaning the public has no way of finding out who is buying influence. But, if you ask Blunt, he champions the practice because it cuts down state costs and keeps taxpayers from paying.
Nixon uses a state plane to take flights for A.G. business. If a newspaper or two ask him campaign-related questions...well, he's already there, why not answer, right? How conveeeeenient.
The two are the front-runners for Missouri's next gubernatorial election. So from now on, anything they do is going to be campaign-related. So, how exactly are they supposed to conduct their state business without the air of a campaign? Short answer: They won't.
Blunt has been to the Joplin area four times in the last two weeks to sign ho-hum bills surrounded by supporters. Nixon has answered pointed questions about state policies that fall outside the realm of his office. The Mailbox's question: So what?
This air travel issue is a wash that preaches to the converted and gives the faithful something to demonize. The Mailbox's advice: Ignore it. Besides, a certain state law is enough to assure the Mailbox's vote without this air flap.
As the campaign season heats up, already the parties are picking at each other over pointless issues. Jeff Lehr of the Joplin Globe files a good story about how A.G. Jay Nixon and Gov. Matt Blunt (Matty Matt Blunt Blunt Whoo WHOO! -- as he's known at the design desk) treat job-related air travel.
Blunt believes in not spending any taxpayer money for flights. That means that lobbyists are paying for the air travel. It's nigh impossible to figure out which lobbyist is paying for the flight, meaning the public has no way of finding out who is buying influence. But, if you ask Blunt, he champions the practice because it cuts down state costs and keeps taxpayers from paying.
Nixon uses a state plane to take flights for A.G. business. If a newspaper or two ask him campaign-related questions...well, he's already there, why not answer, right? How conveeeeenient.
The two are the front-runners for Missouri's next gubernatorial election. So from now on, anything they do is going to be campaign-related. So, how exactly are they supposed to conduct their state business without the air of a campaign? Short answer: They won't.
Blunt has been to the Joplin area four times in the last two weeks to sign ho-hum bills surrounded by supporters. Nixon has answered pointed questions about state policies that fall outside the realm of his office. The Mailbox's question: So what?
This air travel issue is a wash that preaches to the converted and gives the faithful something to demonize. The Mailbox's advice: Ignore it. Besides, a certain state law is enough to assure the Mailbox's vote without this air flap.
// posted by MoJoe @ 09:34 
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