"Bald Ego" Takes to the Air

There's no stopping those Alaskan politicians when it comes to spending tax dollars. I've previously reported on the "bridge to nowhere", and how we have this:

Critics have dubbed it "Bald Ego," "Murky's Turkey" and "Incontinental Airlines," but Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski finally has the sleek executive jet he says he and other state officials need.

The $2.6 million Westwind aircraft, equipped with a leather sofa, burgundy carpeting and a flush toilet, arrived this week in Anchorage and will replace a no-frills turboprop used by previous Alaska governors for official business.

Critics say Murkowski's jet is unusable in much of rural Alaska, where runways are too short and made of gravel or nonexistent.

[...]

Alaska, which has a $30 billion oil-wealth savings account (yet still requires Federal taxpayers to fund their $223 million bridge to nowhere-HC) , is in better financial shape than most U.S. states. But the jet purchase has been cited as one reason for the former banker's low approval ratings.

Alaska's a big state, and certainly traveling from one area to another can take some serious time, but buying a luxury jet which cannot even land at many Alaskan airports seems...well, typical of the mentality of Alaskan politicians. I guess I shouldn't be surprised.