State airplane issue worthy of legislative study

After four hours of debate Thursday and Friday, the Legislature pulled $2.5 million from the state budget which had been designated to buy a 2001 turboprop airplane from a University of Nebraska foundation, and instead do a study to determine what kind of plane would serve the governor best.

While studies are often just an excuse to put off difficult decisions, this one should provide answers to real questions for the senators who have to write the check, as Fullerton Sen. Annette Dubas put it.

There's no doubt state officials need an airplane at least occasionally. Our state is 430 miles long, 210 miles wide and covers 77,354 square miles.

Nebraskans expect and deserve contact with their government, and shouldn't always be expected to drive hundreds of miles to do so.

We also expect our state officials to be professional people, and it's actually true that time is money when professionals are involved.

Car company officials were heavily criticized when they flew in on private jets to ask Congress for money during the 2008 financial crisis, but that criticism translated into fewer plane sales and lost jobs in places like Wichita, Kansas.

But just how much money is state officials' time really worth? The plane in question was already being rented from the university foundation for $10,000 a month, a figure that will have to be incorporated into the study.

The Nebraska Department of Aeronautics was already maintaining the 2001 Super King Air B200, so it knew it was in good shape, but the state still owns an eight-seat 1977 Piper Navajo and an eight-seat 1982 Piper Cheyenne.

A new study shows that younger people are driving less and buying fewer cars, partly because of the costs, and also because they can use smart phones and Internet to keep in constant touch with their friend.

Skyping and teleconferences can't completely replace face-to-face contact, but the state certainly can take increasing advantage of electronic communications.

One example is the annual "fly around" following the governor's "State of the State" message, usually involving the lieutenant governor reciting the same message delivered a few hours earlier to the Legislature in Lincoln.

We appreciate the gesture, but the event, at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport, is usually attended only by a reporter or two and a few local leaders.

We'd be willing to depend on email or video streaming of the governor's speech if it would save the state a few thousand dollars.

We don't know what recommendations the airplane study group will come up with, but it certainly seems like there are less expensive ways to have a safe, reliable aircraft at the governor's disposal if it is truly needed.