AUGUSTA, Maine — Members of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee say they will push for a law in January requiring legislative approval before state law enforcement agencies can spend money forfeited by drug dealers, a move triggered by Maine State Police recently purchasing a new airplane at a cost of $345,000.
“This committee has jurisdiction over the state police and I had not heard anything about this [purchase],” Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, co-chairman of the panel, said Monday. “This is something the committee should have been involved with.”
The new plane, a Cessna 182, is expected to be delivered soon to the state police. It will replace one of two planes now used by the agency.
Diamond also sits on the Transportation Committee that shares jurisdiction over the state police budget and said that panel, to his knowledge, had not discussed the purchase. His criticism was echoed by Rep. Richard Sykes, R-Harrison, the lead GOP member of the Criminal Justice Committee.
“I knew nothing about this plane until I got a phone call from a member of the Appropriations Committee asking me what I knew about it,” he said. “This committee should have been consulted.”
Diamond said he will introduce legislation in January, if he is re-elected, that would require legislative approval of spending money seized from drug dealers. Often in drug cases both cash and assets are seized and forfeited. Law enforcement agencies involved with a case are often the beneficiaries of that cash or the cash from the sale of seized assets.
“That doesn’t mean there should not be oversight of that spending, “Diamond said.
Rep. Stan Gerzofsky, D-Brunswick, co-chairman of the panel, said Tuesday he has told Public Safety Commissioner Anne Jordan the plane purchase should have gone through the regular budgeting process.
“I told her when she comes to us for a supplemental request next year I am going to tell her to go take a flight,” he said. “Yes, I am angry and upset about this.”
Gerzofsky is seeking a seat in the state Senate and said if he is elected he will support the effort to require legislative oversight of use of the forfeited assets fund.
Last week Jordan went before the Appropriations Committee to get a waiver for the budget order transferring the money for the plane from the seized assets account to the capital account for the State Police. The waiver affected only the timing of the money transfer, not the ability to spend the money.
Members of that panel asked Jordan whether she or the state police had discussed the use of the forfeiture money to buy the plane and she acknowledged there had been no consultation with lawmakers.
“I believe there was some discussion in the Transportation Committee about the age of the plane and its maintenance costs,” she told the panel.
Jordan defended the need for replacing one of the agency’s two aircraft. She said the 28-year-old Cessna needed a major engine overhaul, a new propeller and replacement of communications equipment that exceeded the $50,000 value of plane.
“I have some great concern that if we don’t take advantage of this now, take advantage of the drug forfeiture money now, very shortly we will have to ground the plane,” she said. “That will, of course, result in a significant decrease in revenue coming to the state and a decrease in our ability to conduct investigations.”
Jordan told lawmakers the two aircraft the state police have are used principally in speed enforcement details that generated more than $1.2 million in 2007. She said the aircraft are also used in investigations, like the recent arson in Milo, search and rescue operations and helping the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency in its marijuana eradication efforts.
Criminal Justice Committee members say they do not doubt the importance of the new plane to the state police, they object to the way the aircraft was acquired.
“They very well may need the airplane,” Diamond said. “But I think in these economic times we have to very carefully look to see if that money is there to spend.”
He said the committee recognizes the drug forfeiture money needs to be used for law enforcement purposes. He said it is up to the Legislature to set the policy on how money is spent and replacing one of the two state police aircraft may not be its priority.
“I was fortunate enough to go up in one of the aircraft and they are a very effective enforcement tool,” Sykes said. “But, buying a new plane is something that should have been brought before the Criminal Justice Committee.”
On 10/1/08 at 3:46 AM,
SteveP wrote:
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So - "the two aircraft the state police have are used principally in speed enforcement details that generated more than $1.2 million in 2007" - the State Police use funds seized in the War on Drugs to continue their Speeding Tax on Ordinary People without even a thought for the voters' right to legislative oversight.
And I'll bet you $1 million that the aerial speed enforcement details generated or were involved in generating almost none of that $1.2 million. In fact, using an airplane for speed enforcement COSTS money. Sneaky words, Commissioner Anne Jordan. The reason we see so little "eye in the sky" speed enforcement these days is that everyone figured out it costs ten times as much money to keep a plane in the air as it can "harvest" in fines.
I can see this to be a growing trend. Drug "enforcement" will change to "monitoring" each dealer's financial success and arrests will only be made when enough money is in the kitty for - say - a new fleet of State Police speedboats.If a few thousand school kids have to buy drugs to get to this point (where does Commissioner Anne Jordan think all that money came from? Wall Street?) then that's for the better good - or the newer airplane.
So the old plane needed some work that was worth more than it's alleged value. But unless the airframe was cracked, spending even another $100K on the old plane would be every bit as effective as a new one for its intended purpose, AND would have saved Maine taxpayers $200K. Someone had better rein this bunch of ponies in.
And this is the Sate Police that can only manage to keep one cruiser (or less) on the entire length of I-95 north of Bangor overnight? Please!
On 10/1/08 at 4:49 AM,
freedomfighter wrote:
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How many hundreds of thousands of dollars is the state police sitting on anyway? Does anybody keep track of that money. That money should go back to the education budgets that we have to cut to fund this stuff.
On 10/1/08 at 6:44 AM,
RussHermon wrote:
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I live in the Bangor area and its always a heart warming welcome to see the Maine State Police lined up 6 deep on 95 at the Hogan road in one of their crime of the century speed traps they set up. I wonder if they tell these little young bedwetters at the State police acadamy they they will never do any real police work and that all they will really amount to is revenue collectors...So the next time your out and about feeling good about being a free american take a ride out by the Hogan road for a reality check...All I have to say about the State Police and their new plane is....I GOT A BIRD FOR YA.....
On 10/1/08 at 6:56 AM,
NochigahnehAlnabeh wrote:
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It should be spent on heating fuel for the poor.
On 10/1/08 at 7:08 AM,
dregsfan wrote:
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There doesn't need to be a statie on 95 from Bangor north.-there's only 5 cars a day there.What about the little towns whose punch drunk cops are so worried about enforcing their 20 or 30 mph speed limits and couldn't give a good crap about the drug problem that has taken over all of Maine.EVERY PENNY of the taxpayers money should be used to catch these junkies and let them rot.Leave taxpaying drivers alone.Won't happen.
On 10/1/08 at 8:43 AM,
pcme2000 wrote:
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RussHermon that spot on I-95 by Hogan road is there job. They are suppose to slow people down speeding on the highway between calls. Would you rather they sit around and drink coffee at a donut shop. I don't like that spot on I-95 any more then the next person but if you live in bangor or the surrounding area you know that they might be there so you slow down going by there. So guess what then they have done thier job!!
On 10/1/08 at 8:50 AM,
FrankfromBrewer wrote:
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Why don't these parasites use their heads and use this money to fund things like Dirigo Health, Schools, Highway Patrols, etc. and take some of the burden off the taxpayers. Doesn't the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency have any rules or guidelines. Those bozo's are bickering over enough trivial things as it is. Based on last years Legislative performance I doubt if too many of them are re-elected. Hopefully not.
On 10/1/08 at 9:16 AM,
JWBooth wrote:
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Legislators can't push the Gestapo too hard, lest some of the police files get leaked.
On 10/1/08 at 10:07 AM,
Timmie wrote:
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Keeping the $ out of the General Fund and away from the legislators' hands isn't the worst idea, however; at least they now have a useful asset to show for it and none of it was squandered buying votes.
On 10/1/08 at 10:55 AM,
sickntired wrote:
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Let's see.. that money would keep about six state troopers paid and on the road for a whole year... or we can just put it in the cookie jar for them to dip into any time they want the newest toy out there. Or how about some training in how to use radar? When I look at the latest court news a lot of speeding tickets that are contested are dismissed because of lack of evidence. My guess is that a good portion of the airtime on this new aircraft will be from flying the bigshots and their friends "up ta camp". How many hungry kids would that feed? Or how much oil would that buy for the elderly? Or how many informants could you pay to get the real scumbags out there? This forfiture law is just a case of the cops robbing the robbers. Say I had a few pot plants growing out back for my own use and a couple thousand saved up and stashed away in my sock drawer to take the kids on vacation and I got busted the cops would take the money. Of course if I also had about ten grand to hire a fancy lawyer I may be able to prove I was not a drug dealer I might get my money back...
On 10/1/08 at 11:20 AM,
Woody1 wrote:
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I'd be interested in knowing where Steve P got his figures. Anyone can make up numbers.
On 10/1/08 at 11:20 AM,
limlib wrote:
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If it doesn't work out we can put it on e-bay
On 10/1/08 at 11:30 AM,
TheBeefs wrote:
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I'm sure scofflaws like RussHermon and Pcme2000 would prefer to be able to go as fast as they can in their sports cars or on their crotch rocket motorcycles. Part of the job of our honorable state police is to ensure the safety of the citizens of the great State of Maine. In fact, they work for the Department of Public SAFETY. Is ensuring motorists maintain a reasonable speed not part of keeping people safe? Not to mention the fact that if you know there are going to be a bunch of troopers stacked up at Hogan Road, you can drive like a bat out of hell anywhere else in the Bangor area.
On 10/1/08 at 11:50 AM,
catjac wrote:
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Law enforcement agencies love the forfeiture laws because they get to keep just about everthing they seize. With laws like this it would not surprise me if some law enforcement officers went out of their way to shade the truth in some of these seizeres; in some cases confiscate would probabley be more correct.
In my opinion, any cash, property, automobiles or any other items with cash value seized by police, should be turned over to an angency which they have no control over. To do other wise is like giving the combination of the vault to the bank robber.
If a police agency needs to purchase something, they should have to go through the legislative process just like everone else.
The legislative oversight committee should require law enforcement to prove they generated $1.2 million with their 2 aircraft by showing how much it cost to operate them and how much was collected in fines. I don't know how much gas cost for these planes, but I have a friend in Indiana that pays about $2.00 more a gallon for his single enge plane, than he does for his cadillac. The difference is probably greater in ME. Phil Spurlin, Biloxi, MS
On 10/1/08 at 1:46 PM,
mariahstorm wrote:
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Well, i am so proud of my state's legislator BILL DIAMOND.... We in this highly taxed state need a lot more oversight into all funds that come into this state in any capacity.... to ensure the people know where the spending is going on and for what reasons...Priorities you might say!! and to also ensure why programs get cut.... when they should be funded. Do we want to live in a socilized state???? our state police are strong enough...in strong need of manners.....
On 10/1/08 at 2:24 PM,
glenna wrote:
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Perhaps it's a federal or state law that designates that all funds generated by drug forfeitures and if it's federal law then our federal delegation might want to look into changing that; however, if the state legislature can redefine the law, how about the funds generated within the state being shared with all law enforcement and corrections... it might certainly help spread the efficiency of those agencies and aid their budget crunches. I just can't imagine that ONLY the state police are responsible for drug busts/forfeitures in Maine. Let's give some credit to the county sheriff departments and local police departments. As for those complainers re: the state police positioned out on Hogan Road at 95 - posted speed limits ARE the law. If you think the limits are too slow, take it up with DOT. There are ways to challenge the limits and get them changed as long as any increase in the speed limit is safe for the driving conditions.
On 10/1/08 at 2:56 PM,
SteveP wrote:
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Hey - speaking as an "elderly" motorcyclist, those helmetless kids on their crotch rockets can go just as fast as they want - Darwin will remove them from the gene pool - hopefully before they have children. Now. regarding my figures (actually, the suspect, squirrelly figures are Commissioner Jordan's almost-a-lie figures) -
"How does aerial surveillance work? Is it effective?
Like VASCAR, aircraft patrols are based on visual detection and identification of target vehicles. Police time such vehicles over a measured distance, usually marked by lines painted across the road. An officer in a low-flying aircraft radios speed information to a patrol officer who makes the stop. Aerial surveillance can provide very accurate speed measurements and allow officers to focus on the fastest vehicles, but it is costly and can be difficult to use in locations with high traffic volumes."
Get it? "can be costly" like - costs $1000 (I am merely guessing but I bet it's more) for every "speeder" fined. And remember folks, you are a speeder at 66 mph...
or http://www.vsp.state.va.us/bfo.htm
"Because we are conscious of the fact that aerial speed enforcement costs more than our other methods, it is not deployed on a routine basis, but rather used when deemed appropriate or necessary."
That's Virginia. My guess is they have just a bit more cash on hand than Maine, but I'm willing to be proven wrong.
In other words, an airplane is a useful tool, but not a necessity, and a NEW airplane is a luxury - a WASTE of money.
On 10/1/08 at 4:19 PM,
Tikitorch wrote:
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SteveP THAT PLANE WILL NOT JUST BE USED FOR THAT... IT WILL BE USED IN SPOTTING POT GROWS ETC..... I THINK IT IS GOOD THEY ARE PUTTING THSI MONEY TO GOOD USE RATHER THAN TRYING TO GET MORE IN THEIR BUDGETS TO FUND THESE THINGS. MDEA USES THEIR FORFEITED FUNDS TO OPERATE (IE AGENTS SALARIES) AS FUNDS FOR THE PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN CUT ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL...
NochigahnehAlnabeh FUEL FOR THE POOR... IT WILL BE GOING BACK TO MOSTLY THE SAME PEOPLE.... WE NEED LAW ENFORCEMENT.... TO KEEP CRIME DOWN ON THE ELDERLY AND THE MIDDLE CLASS WHO WORK THEIR TAILS OFF TO PAY TAXES....
pcme2000 I AGREE WITH YOU!! LET THEM DO THEIR JOB AND THE MOONBATS WHO DISAGREE CAN GO LIVE IN GUATAMELA OR IRAQ FOR ALL I CARE!!
FrankfromBrewer BECAUSE THE DRUG MONEY AND OTHER ITEMS SEIZED ARE SUPPOSED TO STAY WITH THE AGENCY OR AGENCIES THAT SEIZE IT IN ORDER FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS TO PURCHASE MORE EQUIPENT... TECHNOLOGY IS HOW THE AGANCIES ARE GOING TO GET AHEAD AND THAT IS EXPENSIVE... WOULD YOU RATHER THEY PUT THIS IN THEIR BUDGETS???? YOU CAN'T SEE IN A CRYSTAL BALL HOW MUCH MONEY THEY WILL SEIZE ETC EVERY YEAR IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO JSUT HAND IT OVER TO DIRIGO OR ANY OTHER SOURCE...
sickntired & TheBeefs I AGREE WITH YO AS WELL.............IF IT GETS IN THE POLITICIANS HANDS IT WILL BE PILFERED AWAY AND NO GOOD WILL BECOME OF IT!!! THIS WAY ATLEAST IT OFFSETS SOME OF THE BUDGETS FOR THE AGENCIES AND OR HELPS THEM GET THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT THEY NEED. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEM CATCHING SPEEDERS THEN DON'T SPEED..... IT IS THE LAW IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT MOVE TO A NEW COUNTRY AND SEE HOW MUCH BETTER IT IS THERE! HA HA
catjac DUH IT IS.. THEY JUST CAN'T KEEP IT... IT GOES THRU THE COURT SYSTEM FIRST... IF IT IS PART OF A FEDERAL SEIZURE THEN THAT IS HANDLED DIFFERENTLY... THE FEDS DIVY IT UP WITH ANY PARTCIPATING AGENCIES..
I WISH ALL YOU MOONBATS WOULD DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE MAKING SUCH IGNORANT ACCUSATIONS... I AMSURE MOST OF YOU AGAINST THIS ARE THE DEALERS WHO HAVE HAD PROPERTY SEIZED AND OR YOU JUST HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE LAW UNTIL YOU NEED HELP!!
On 10/1/08 at 4:23 PM,
Tikitorch wrote:
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SteveP not a waste of money if you use it to catch a drug dealer and seize more property and money with it and put them behind bars... Maine runs these details during certains times of the year.... when school starts to protect the kiddies... during the summer when rampid tourists and teenagers are ramming the roads.... It is all about PUBLIC Safetly and how can you but a price tag on that... especially if they moneies used to pruchase the plane is virtually FREE>>>
On 10/1/08 at 4:36 PM,
Tikitorch wrote:
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oh yeah.Diamond said he will introduce legislation in January, if he is re-elected, that would require legislative approval of spending money seized from drug dealers.
SOUNDS LIKE HE IS USING THIS TO GET RE-ELECTED.. NOT THAT HE REALLY CARES!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
On 10/1/08 at 5:55 PM,
SteveP wrote:
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Not to get off the subject (I seem to remember it was the State Police buying an airplane without ANY legislative or democratic input) could I just remind the kind readers of the BDN that there would be no drug problem if no one bought the drugs in the first place? Now, I know they are all From Away and certainly not anyone We Know, but as Pogo famously said "I have seen the enemy and he is us."
Of course, they are probably all "rampid tourists and teenagers" so go get 'em boys. Can ya fly in the dark?
On 10/1/08 at 7:25 PM,
MoeBolduc wrote:
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Waa, I'm an elected politician and they did not ask me or tell me, waa, waa, what a candy butt DIAMOND IS.,
On 10/1/08 at 9:02 PM,
white_bull wrote:
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I just finished reading about the "new police plane", and I wonder who the criminals really are? I fear we will never be rid of the yoke of "prohibition? It seems when cops can enrich their own coffers, they tend to be less than honest. And what kind of puritan garbage believes that making organized crime rich, is this? Remember, the NRA said it best, "when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns"? Well, just think, when our government outlaws drugs, the criminals control the drugs. So just go along with the status quo, watch kids get and use drugs, and the street gangs will be rich too. Viva "prohibition".
On 10/1/08 at 9:49 PM,
Cherry wrote:
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Boys just need their toys....relax people.
On 10/2/08 at 6:28 AM,
AugustaPilot wrote:
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Sounds like there are many folks who need a Civics lesson about the 3 branches of government (Executive, Legislative, Judicial), and the responsibilities of each. There also seems to be some confusion about the differences between "checks and balances" and "micromanaging".
Egos and soundbites aside, there are often restrictions on funds. Like it or not, one agency cannot just take money from one source and apply it to another. These type of restrictions are not limited to the feds, either. For example, funds collected from Maine motor vehicle registrations cannot be used for fuel assistance. Nor can funds collected from hunting and fishing licenses cannot be used to subsidize general purpose aid to education.
It sounds to me like the person in charge of Public Safety, who is not a career state employee, is making a thoughtful decision based upon facts and within the limitations of available funds.
Likewise the cheap shots against the State Police are just that. It may seem like great fun to poke at these men and women, but the job they are doing is one that most of us would not attempt. We owe them our thanks, not our anonymous and unfounded attacks.
On 10/2/08 at 9:30 AM,
Tikitorch wrote:
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AugustaPilot THANK YOU.. EXCEPTIONALLY PUT! That is what I was attempting to say.. LOL I dare say any of the naysayers commenting would be upset if a loved one was lost in the woods and were told.... "well the State Police can't help.. the plane is too old and broken down to fly" .... People hate the police no matter what agency until they need them...
On 10/2/08 at 12:44 PM,
RussHermon wrote:
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I don't hate the State Police I hate how 99% of them choose to do their job. We live in a poor state run by liberals. WE ARE BROKE....Our roads are a national disgrace. Our interstate is designed for traffic of the 1960's nature. When you have 6 state troopers stacked up, writing one ticket after another, you get the feeling you live in a comunist state They are advertising publicly that they are collecting money for our general fund. Their sheer arrogance runneth over....They cause danger on our narrow interstates in Bangor..The same danger they take an oath to fight.....they are PUPLIC SERVANTS and We are their customers....Three quartes of a millon dollars would go along way to fix a dangerous road.. We could halt the flow off illegal imigration in this country if we put a section of rt.2 from Bangor to Hermon on the Mexican border...No one would ever wanna cross it!
On 10/2/08 at 1:33 PM,
Cherry wrote:
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With all the things to be upset and worried about, you people are choosing this?!? wow. relax people and say the serenity prayer. peace and love
On 10/2/08 at 1:55 PM,
Tikitorch wrote:
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RussHermon GUESS PEOPLE SHOULD OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT AND THEN THE S.P. WOULDN'T HAVE TO PATROL THE INTERSTATE SO MUCH. What I have noticed... they tend to do this around areas that have a higher rate or incidents... Maybe the incidents would go down if people obeyed the speed limit... Public Servants and REPEAT CUSTOMERS!!!!!
On 10/2/08 at 3:44 PM,
TheBeefs wrote:
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The commenters in here seem to have their collective panties in one huge bunch. If you don't drive like a maniac, you have nothing to worry about. I myself maintain a constant speed of 97 mph on all surface streets and highways, and I never have any problems. I imagine if you go faster than that, the Staties are going to take notice. The only time they REALLY get mad is if you pass them. They could be going 25 in a 55 and if you passed them doing 35, they would pull you over. It is a direct affront to their authority! I guess I missed it in the story...is this new plane a biplane or an ultralight? Perhaps a small cessna? If I was flying the damn thing, I would go for a biplane. Then I could don some of those old style goggles, a leather helmet, and a scarf, and track down speeders Snoopy-style!
On 10/2/08 at 3:58 PM,
RussHermon wrote:
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Thank You TICK...I see your very Astute in the obvious....
On 10/2/08 at 5:06 PM,
SteveP wrote:
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If AugustaPilot is actually a pilot, then he/she can confirm that a "new" airplane is not justified simply because the old one needs more work than its market value. We might use logic like that to convince ourselves we "need" a new car, but it is not fiscally sound. And airplanes are maintained to a very high standard (hence the expense) and can fly for many, many years with no need for replacement. A 20-year old Cessna can find that missing child, drug lord or speeder just as well as a new one.
And, if AugustaPilot is a Maine taxpayer, he/she should think of better places for the state to spend the wasted $200K that the new plane will cost over the refurbished good-as-new "old" plane. Maybe the money does have to stay in the SP kitty - no quarrel with them - but that money could pay for new cars, new officers, training, lab enhancements... about a thousand things needed more than a new plane.
On 10/3/08 at 6:29 AM,
AugustaPilot wrote:
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Yes, I am both a pilot and a Maine taxpayer - and have hundreds of hours in a Piper J-3 that was > 40 years old the first time I flew it (I also have a lot of time in more recent SEL planes).
I also don't know the priorities of the State Police to the extent where I could offer a thoughtful recommendation on where else the money might be spent, which is why I will also refrain from making nasty comments about the SP, who do speed control details to get people to slow down. What a concept. I think that one of the places where someone expressed concern about where the cars were doing a speed detail was in the area where a speeding SUV crash killed many occupants a couple years ago. I usually set my cruise control at about 72 on the interstate and am amazed at the number of cars who FLY by me. There is little danger that the SP will "speed patrol" themselves out of business anytime soon.
I would also submit that the Legislators whose sound bite quotes were included in this article also know precious little about the overall operation of the SP.
In one of his books, Stephen Covey wrote, "Seek to understand, then to be understood."
Sounds like good advise for both our elected officials and for the newspaper bloggers.
On 10/16/08 at 6:37 PM,
RichardS wrote:
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What a waste of money. That old plane is surely worth more than 50k, you can't buy much of a plane for less than that. So it needs an engine. $25k new from Cessna, Prop and governor 6k to overhaul, radios 20k Now you have a plane that will fly another 2000 hours tbo Time before overhaul and is now worth $100k plus because of the new engine prop and avionics. If they were going to spend that much, they should have fixed the plane and bought 2 more low time planes. Oh well, another waste of money.
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