Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

AUSTIN — Five years after Texas leaders tried to disband the state's airplane fleet, officials still call on the service to fly them to meetings, award ceremonies, funerals and even a neighboring GOP governor's inauguration.

Office-holders and bureaucrats, including Gov. Rick Perry, say they look at cost and efficiency before deciding whether to use the aircraft, which range from $258.75 to $977.50 per flight-hour.

But some question the fleet, since bills are often footed by taxpayers and commercial airfare may be cheaper.

"It sure does raise the eyebrows and make the nose crinkle a bit," said Michael Quinn Sullivan of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. "Between two really good Texas-based airlines, there's any number of options to get from anywhere to anywhere by air pretty quickly."

Then-Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Perry talked about selling the planes during the 2003 budget crunch.

But the Texas Department of Transportation, which oversees the fleet, expects it to log 1,227 more flight hours this two-year budget period than last. The planes are expected to fly a total of 3,350 hours at a cost of $2.3 million this budget cycle.

"State agencies have seen the value of our services as an effective business tool," said Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Chris Lippincott, noting the cost to fly on commercial airlines "continues to rise and its reliability continues to deteriorate."

Louisiana trip questioned

But many other trips are paid by the state and may draw closer scrutiny, such as a $3,962 trip by Perry, a staffer and a member of his security detail to Baton Rouge for the inauguration of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a fellow Republican. Perry, who heads the Republican Governors Association, spoke at the prayer breakfast.

"I'd want to know, did he go to (Democratic New Mexico Gov.) Bill Richardson's inauguration?" asked state Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, head of the House Democratic Caucus. "If he didn't go to Richardson's, I think it's pretty apparent this is a partisan political trip. If he's going to do that, he ought to do it on his own dime. He's got plenty of money in his campaign. Taxpayers shouldn't pay for it."

Perry spokesman Robert Black dismissed the idea that the trip was political, asking, "When was Richardson inaugurated? I have no idea if he (Perry) was even invited."

"Most Texans recognize that the states of Louisiana and Texas have a unique relationship that has grown out of the natural disasters that happened a few years ago," Black said, noting efforts led by Perry to help after Hurricane Katrina.

Perry's office notes that most of his travel, aside from that on state aircraft, is paid for by his campaign.

His Baton Rouge trip was among a slew of state-airplane records covering the six months ending in March examined by the San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle.

Among officials and departments using state money to pay for flights and billed more than $20,000 apiece for the time period were Perry ($24,537); Attorney General Greg Abbott and staff ($21,943); TxDOT ($130,568); the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ($56,560) and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and staff ($50,302).

Commercial cost compared

In choosing a state plane, officials say they consider factors including the number of people traveling, availability of commercial flights and whether the costs and delays of overnight stays can be avoided.

Some trips invite comparison to commercial airfares, including Perry's to Baton Rouge, since an online booking service currently shows round-trip flights for as low as $480 per person or $1,458 for three people. Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle noted Perry's schedule and commercial flight schedules play into such decisions.

Another is a March 7 trip to Houston by Staples and two others at a cost of $2,346. Southwest Airlines' flight schedule shows three adults could currently travel round-trip for $257.50 apiece, or a total of $772.50.

Staples spokesman Bryan Black said Staples got to Houston at 7:45 a.m. for a school award presentation and, after a day of events capped by a speech at the International Brangus Breeders Association Banquet and Awards Dinner, left at 9:30 p.m.

That would have been too late to make the last commercial flight. In addition, Staples was due in the Panhandle town of Hereford the next day — he went by state plane at a cost of $2,659.

Bryan Black noted Staples often visits hard-to-reach rural areas, but uses commercial flights when he can and often drives: "He wants to make sure that he visits with Texans and listens to what they have to say."

Trips to districts

"I have the largest senatorial district, geographically, not only in Texas but in the United States — 55,000 square miles," Uresti said. He said he is "very selective" in using state aircraft, but sometimes must make several stops in hard-to-reach places.

"There's no easy way to get to Marfa," he said. "My constituents in Alpine, in Del Rio, in Fort Stockton, they want their state senator at their town hall meetings. It's there for that use. I don't abuse it."

The state fleet is in addition to airplanes belonging solely to individual agencies, such as the UT and A&M systems and Texas Department of Public Safety, which may still use the state fleet.

Sullivan, of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, said he isn't suggesting officials are wrong to use a fleet that's at their disposal, but lawmakers should take a hard look at whether it's necessary to maintain it.

How small is $18 million?

The fleet, previously under the State Aircraft Pooling Board, was targeted by Strayhorn and Perry in 2003 when the state faced a $10 billion budget shortfall. Strayhorn then said selling the planes and associated property would yield $18.2 million. Perry vetoed the pooling board, but the fleet was transferred to TxDOT.

Perry spokeswoman Kristi Piferrer said Perry "doesn't really have an opinion one way or another" now about whether the fleet should be maintained. She said, "His main priority has always been that aircraft are used for state business and are operated on a cost recovery basis."

Sullivan said $18 million is a small percentage of the state's $152.5 billion two-year budget but added, "It's not a small amount of money ... You take the richest person in Texas, and they notice when $18 million is gone."