State lawmakers flying high on taxpayers' dime

ATLANTA — A channel 2 investigation uncovered state planes flying with no passengers aboard. It's costing you tens of thousands of dollars.

State rules allow the flights for state business. But Channel 2 investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer discovered some state officials also use the planes as a taxi service, avoiding the congested commute to Atlanta to board the flight.

Channel 2 Action News spent months reviewing state records and found nearly 550 flights with no passengers on board, costing more than $185,000.
Board members for the Georgia Department of Transportation are frequent fliers.
Board spokesman David Spear told Jodie, "It's a matter of convenience. If we can make it a little less intrusive on their lives by giving them air travel back and forth to their duties, then it's well worth it."

The high-flying behavior comes during a push to raise our taxes to improve congested commutes on the road. The ad campaign is themed "Let's help untie the knot."

"Well, I guess they've got a bird's-eye view of the knot," said William Perry, who heads the government watchdog group, Common Cause Georgia. "That's just ridiculous to have our state officials being flown from place to place and empty planes, and empty helicopters being sent for them."

Two board members, Jay Shaw and Bobby Parham, routinely use the planes to commute to meetings in Atlanta. Shaw said, "Yeah, I've flown out of Valdosta, basically 'cause it's a four-hour drive."

The Aviation Authority houses the planes at the Fulton County Airport, so like a taxi, the planes fly empty to Milledgeville for Parham. And to Valdosta for Shaw, where Jodie found a Delta flight for $377 round trip. Shaw's state flight costs $2,000. "I really don't even know what the department pays for it.
I had no idea, I know it's in the general fund," Shaw said.

Jodie's investigation found it wasn't just transportation board members using the expensive cab service. Some elected leaders used it as well. Jodie found at least 33 times Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle requested that planes pick him up or drop him off at the Gainesville airport near his home, avoiding the hour long commute to Atlanta.

"Do you feel like that's an appropriate use of taxpayer money?" asked Jodie.
Cagle replied, "Most of the time that is a function of the fact that we're getting back very late at night, and I do make it a priority to be home with my family."

State records show there were a handful of late-night returns, but the average was before 6 p.m. Cagle says he only flies when he has to. "The constituencies they really want us to be at their event, and they become very offended when you're not able to do so," said Cagle.

And as for the transportation board members, a spokesman defended them.

"They serve without any salary, they have a modest per diem and travel expenses, and it's sort of a price you pay to have an active and engaged board," Said David Spear

Watchdog William Perry disagrees. "They're doing a job that is a great public service, but it shouldn't be done at great public expense."

Cagle told Jodie he also had no idea his office was being billed for the flights to pick him up and drop him off.

We were unable to reach transportation board member Bobby Parham about his flights to and from Milledgeville.

WSBTV