SHOULD STATE GOVERNMENT BUY A PLANE?

State plane would be a waste of taxpayer money

JUST WHEN businesses are using technology to get out of sending personnel to distant meetings because flying them is not cost effective, the legislators of one of the poorest states in America are thinking of buying a plane?

New Mexico has the 39th-highest GDP out of 50 (states) per capita — $41,348 — among all U.S. states. When audio and video at huge distances and on large screens are available for pennies, our state government wants to buy a plane? They want to visit distant parts of the fifth-largest state in the union.

Since most of their trips originate in either Santa Fe or Albuquerque, the driving distance is three hours — Farmington — four hours —Las Cruces — or even five hours —Hobbs. Not impossible. The cost of a chauffeur so that our poor, overworked ... (state officials) could sleep would be an economical option. Admittedly, it is not quite as luxurious as a plane, but would cost a lot less . ...

It’s just possible that rural communities in some areas would be more amenable to the state government buying an airplane if they had running water and electricity, never mind internet access or cell phone service.

Get your priorities straight. Remember that government is supposed to serve the people, not the other way around.

BETH FLOWERS Albuquerque

Buy the plane, fix rural public transit too

IN THE NOV. 20 issue of the Journal, an article tells us Sen. John Arthur Smith thinks we need an airplane for officials to travel the state efficiently. I completely agree, and he seems to be looking at a cost-effective type of plane. Good for him and good for state officials.

It’s always nice when someone acknowledges how big this state is, but it’s never someone from Albuquerque or Santa Fe who notices. Just about all statewide meetings are held in one of those two cities. Education conference? Healthcare seminar? Continuing education class to maintain a state license? In Albuquerque or Santa Fe.

It takes just as long for a therapist in Hobbs to get to Santa Fe as it takes a cabinet official to get from Santa Fe to Hobbs.

Yet this huge state can’t provide any reasonably quick and easy way for outlying residents to get to these cities. We can’t even keep the roads in good repair along our borders with Texas, Arizona and Colorado.

There is no flight service between our cities. We don’t have a bus route from Roswell to Albuquerque — you have to go to Las Cruces first. That takes almost a whole day.

Hold some of those meetings outside Albuquerque. If more city dwellers had to drive three hours to get to a meeting maybe there would be more incentive to fund transportation.

It is reasonable for state officials to have an airplane at their disposal for trips to the rural areas of the state. I propose that the Legislature also look at ways to make it possible for residents outside the heavily populated areas to get to the cities.

Expand the Rail Runner. Have a statewide bus system. Subsidize flights between cities. Please note that mass transportation is also more energy efficient than individual cars traveling those hundreds of miles.

Airplane for state officials? Yes. Mass transportation for the rest of us? Also yes.

FLO WELLS Roswell