MS Open Records Request Reveals USM's Actual Costs of President Saunders' Plane

MS Open Records Request Reveals USM's Actual Costs of President Saunders' Plane

The following information was obtained from the University of Southern Mississippi by way of a Mississippi Open Records request.  The University provided data about flights (dates, destinations and passengers) and actual cash outflows related to an airplane (N777AQ) leased by President Saunders with taxpayer and student dollars.

Dr. Saunders smiles as she announces termination of faculty and staff. (press conference, August 30, 2010)

Part 24 QUESTION: WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? And here we go again. Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  "... On October 14-15, 2009, a USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that Martha Saunders, Lee Gore, Joe Morgan, Chad Driskell, Christy Pickering-IHL member, Ed Blakeslee-IHL member, Doug Rouse-IHL member, Robin Robinson-IHL member, flew on N777AQ from Hattiesburg to Natchez, MS and back to Hattiesburg. IHL members again enjoy an airplane USM students and faculty pay for. The Pilot’s Trip Log shows two pilots flew the plane, Kitler and Price. The trip took 1.2 flight hours.  No Interdepartmental Invoice was provided and no purpose was given for the flight...".

(February 28, 2011) "... In this report, it’s hard to characterize President Saunders’ actions as anything but really, really dumb. President Saunders charged the Institutions of Higher Learning for the use of N777AQ for two trips by several of its members. The two trips took a total of 3.1 flight hours. President Saunders billed the IHL for $2,480 [(3.1)(Saunders’ estimated-and, according to her own records, wildly inaccurate--cost per flight hour, $800)]. The IHL paid, and I would suspect gladly paid, the invoice. ...".