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.
Part 1 QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRIP FROM HATTIESBURG, MS, TO GULFPORT, MS, COST? Let’s see what this means for a particular round trip flight. We’ll do this for each of the 30 flights, but will start with a .6 hour flight from Hattiesburg, MS, to Gulfport, MS, on September  29, 2009.  The passengers were President Saunders, IHL Commissioner Hank Bounds, and Chad Driskell. No purpose for the trip was stated on the Interdepartmental Invoice. Given the actual costs provided for N777AQ, take your pick of how to calculate the cost of this flight.  At an average cost per flight, the trip cost $19,707.72, i.e., $591,231.71 actual total cost/30 actual trips over the 17 month period.  At a cost per passenger round trip flight, the trip was $15,558.72, i.e.,  $591,231.71 actual total cost/114 passengers =$5,186.24 per passenger x 3 passengers
Dr. Saunders smiles as she announces termination of faculty and staff. (press conference, August 30, 2010)
Part 2 QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRIP FROM HATTIESBURG, MS TO WEST POINT MS COST? "... On September 4, 2009, President Saunders’ plane headed for West Point, MS.  She was not on board but the guests were Doug and Pam Rouse, Robin Robinson, Ed Blakeslee, Christy and Brent Pickering, and George and Elizabeth Ross The flight time was 1.3 hours. Doug Rouse, Robin Robinson, Ed Blakeslee, and Christy Pickering are Board Members of the Institutions of Higher Education. George Ross was President of Alcorn State from Janu­ary 2008 until December 2009.  Elizabeth Ross is Dr. Ross’ spouse.  Pam Rouse is the spouse of Doug Ross.  Brent Pickering the spouse of Christy Pickering...". 
Part 3 QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRIP FROM HATTIESBURG, MS TO Birmingham, AL COST? "... On June 21, 2010, President Saunders flew round trip from Hattiesburg, MS, to Birmingham, Alabama on airplane N777AQ. She is the only passenger listed on the Interdepartmental Invoice which also shows the flight charged to the “President’s Office.” The flight time was 1.8 hours. The stated purpose was to attend a SACS meeting.  While we question the need to incur the costs of leasing an airplane ($591,231.71 in the first seventeen months) to travel from Hattiesburg, MS to such locations as Gulfport, MS, West Point, MS and Birmingham Alabama, that discussion is beyond the scope of this report...". 
Part 4: QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRIP FROM HATTIESBURG, MS TO Gainesville, FL COST? "... On June 6 and 7, 2010, President Saunders Richard Giannini flew round trip from Hattiesburg, MS, to Gainesville, Florida on airplane N777AQ. The Interdepartmental Invoice shows the flight charged to the “President’s Office.” The flight time was 3.3 hours. The stated purpose was to attend the Baseball Super Regional...". 
Part 5: QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRIP FROM HATTIESBURG, MS TO MADISON, MS COST? "... On April 16, 2010, Mystery Passenger(s) flew round trip from Hattiesburg, MS, to Madison, MS on airplane N777AQ. The Interdepartmental Invoice shows the flight charged to the “President’s Office.” The flight time was .9 hours. No stated purpose was provided on the Interdepartmental Invoice...". 
Part 6: QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRIP FROM HATTIESBURG, MS TO OXFORD, MS COST? "... On April 9, 2010, President Saunders, Ed Blakesley, Robin Robinson, C.D. Smith, and Wade Jones flew round trip from Hattiesburg, MS, to Oxford, MS on airplane N777AQ. The Interdepartmental Invoice shows the flight charged to the “President’s Office.” The flight time was 2.0 hours. The stated purpose was to “attend the inauguration of Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones...".
Part 7: QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRIP FROM HATTIESBURG, MS TO CLEVELAND, MS COST? ".On June 15-16, 2010, President Saunders, Denise Wiesenburg, Robin Robinson, Chad Driskell, Doug Rouse, C.D. Smith, and Ed Blakeslee flew round trip from Hattiesburg, MS, to Cleveland, MS on airplane N777AQ. The Interdepartmental Invoice shows the flight charged to the “Assistant to the President.” The flight time was 2.1 hours. The stated purpose was to “attend June IHL Board Meeting at Delta State University...". 
Part 8: QUESTION: WHAT DOES A TRIP FROM HATTIESBURG, MS TO HOUSTON, TX COST? "...On August 8, 2010, President Saunders, Chad Driskell, and LT. GOVERNOR PHIL BRYANT flew round trip from Hattiesburg, MS, to Houston, TX on airplane N777AQ. The Interdepartmental Invoice shows the flight charged to the “President’s Office.” The flight time was 3.3 hours. There was no stated purpose for the flight...".  For more in the series, please click here.
Part 9:  On August 13, 2010, President Saunders, Chad Driskell, and LT. GOVERNOR PHIL BRYANT flew round trip from Hattiesburg, MS, to Houston, TX on airplane N777AQ FOR A SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A WEEK. The Interdepartmental Invoice shows the flight charged to the “President’s Office.” The flight time was 3.9 hours. That’s right, the round trip to Houston took 3.9 hours on August 8, 2010 instead of 3.3 hours it took to fly round trip just several days earlier on August 8, 2010. There was no stated purpose for the either flight.
Part 10:  On September 2, 2010, Doug and Pam Rouse and Robin Robinson flew to Columbus/Golden Triangle on airplane N777AQ. The Interdepartmental Invoice shows the flight charged to the “President’s Office.” The flight time was 1.2 hours. No USM personnel are listed as passengers. Doug Rouse and Robin Robinson are IHL Board Members. Pam Rouse is Doug Rouse’s spouse, but is neither an IHL Board Member nor an employee or student at USM. There was no stated purpose for the flight. Was this trip a private unreimbursed use of state property? It may be instructive to review the history of previous IHL Commissioner Meredith.  
Part 11:  On June 14 and 16, 2009, the Interdepartmental Invoice below represents that “Dr. Saunders & guests” and “Chad Driskell & guests” flew on N777AQ to Omaha, NE to watch the College World Series. The Interdepartmental Invoices were the initial response from USM to a Mississippi Open Records Act (MORA) request concerning the multi-million dollar plane President Saunders leases and pays for with Mississippi taxpayer and student money. They were incomplete. For example, who are the “guests”? We requested the details in our original MORA request. We recently received more details. (We may not have all the details, yet. USM administrators are inclined to hide what they do. See past-Dean Doty’s characterization of USM’s Foundation as a “booze account.”) Let’s see what details President Saunders had left out of our original MORA request. 
Part 12  "...The actual cost per flight hour = $591,231.71 total actual cost / 95.55 actual flight hours = $6,187.67 per flight hour.  (Remember, the cost per flight hour of $800 was the rate President Saunders and Provost Lyman pitched to the Faculty Senate in their dubious claim that the airplane was an efficient and effective use of taxpayer and student money.) This trip to Greeneville, NC was reported in the Interdepartmental Invoice as taking 5.75 flight hours. Therefore the trip cost taxpayers and students $35,579.10. However, if we adopt the flight time shown in the pilots’ logs (5.5 hours), the trip cost taxpayers and students would be $34,032.18.  Since usmnews.net has no way to know which number is accurate, we present both amounts.   Future reports will address the poor recordkeeping by the University relating to the use of Dr. Saunders’ plane...". 
Part 4, revised and updated  "...The Interdepartmental Invoice  shows two passengers:  Martha Saunders and Richard Giannini.  However, the Pilots Trip Log (a document that was withheld until legal counsel followed up with a second demand for complete records) shows five additional passengers.  According to the Pilot’s Trip Log, the passengers were Martha Saunders, Joe Bailey, Richard Giannini, Gayle Giannini, Doug Rouse, Pam Rouse and Dianne Stark.  Martha Saunders is President of USM.  Joe Bailey is her spouse.  Richard Giannini is the Athletic Director for USM.  Gayle Giannini is Mr. Giannini’s spouse.  Doug Rouse is a member of the IHL.  Pam Rouse is his spouse.  Dianne Stark is Senior Associate AD/Internal Affairs.  There is no reason to believe that any of these passengers are prospective donors being courted for funding, nor is there any indication they are entitled to a state funded flight on Dr. Saunders’ plane to the ball game.  In fact, the careful omission of the names from the Interdepartmental Invoice and the University’s original efforts to withhold the information suggests that Dr. Saunders knew that identifying the additional passengers was likely to raise questions - the questions usmnews.net is raising now...".   
Part 13  "...Among the questions usmnews.net is unable to answer based on information provided by USM are the following:

1)  Why did Dr. Saunders and Bob Pierce travel to Minneapolis?
2)  Why did Eric Lowery travel to Minneapolis with them?
3)  Why did Joe Saunders (Bailey) travel to Minneapolis with them?
4)  And, why are Dr. Saunders’ two cousins’ flying to Minneapolis in a University plane at your (taxpayer and student) expense...". 


Part 14  "...We now have the pilot’s log, which USM legal counsel provided after we noted the original request was incomplete. On February 11, 2009, a USM Pilot Trip Log represents that airplane N777AQ flew to KUBS. The pilots log for the flight to KUBS is incomplete in several important aspects. There is no Interdepartmental Invoice and no purpose was given for the trip. Since no Interdepartmental Invoice was provided, no information was given with regard to the office or department “charged” for the flight....".
Part 15 "QUESTION: WHOSE PLANE IS THIS  We usually ask what it cost to fly Saunders’s airplane N777AQ-bought and paid for by taxpayers and students-to a particular destination. Perspective should change based on additional information and it does here, too. We insisted that USM obey the Mississippi Open Records law and USM provided information an honest institution would have provided with the initial Mississippi Open Records Act (MORA) request. The additional documentation changed the nature of our usual question. This is true for many flights of N777AQ. Why? It’s simple. The plane is often used by IHL and is being paid for by USM students and indirectly by USM faculty. If the IHL wanted the plane, it should pay for it. Not USM students and faculty. This report and others to follow will provide evidence for this conclusion.
Part 16 QUESTION:  WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  IHL members use it more than anyone else."We have the pilot’s log, which USM legal counsel provided after we noted USM’s original response was incomplete. On September 16, 2009, a USM Pilot Trip Log represents that airplane N777AQ flew to “Starkville, MS” and back to “Hattiesburg, MS”. The pilot’s log-two pilots, by the way: Messrs Cunningham and Price-reports the passengers are Dr. Saunders, Doug Rouse-IHL member, Robin Robinson-IHL member, and Ed Blakeslee-IHL member. Unlike yesterdays report, the IHL members’ spouses did not make this trip. As evidence that the MORA request is still incomplete, no Interdepartmental Invoice was provided to usmnews.net. No purpose was stated for the trip but the passengers were predominantly IHL members.  However, USM students, faculty and taxpayers pay for the plane...". 
Part 17 QUESTION:  WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  IHL members use it more than anyone else."... The pilot’s log-two pilots, by the way: Messrs Kitler and Price-reports the passengers are Dr. Saunders, Doug Rouse-IHL member, Robin Robinson-IHL member, Ed Blakeslee-IHL member, Kristy Pickering-IHL member, Joe Morgan, Lee Gore, and Chad Driskell...". 
Part 18 QUESTION:  WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? And here we go again. Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  IHL members seem to use it more than anyone else.On December 18, 2009, an Intradepartmental Invoice shows a 2.3 hour round trip to an IHL meeting in Cleveland, MS.  However, a USM Pilots’ Trip Log showing two pilots, Messrs. Gilley and Price, represents that airplane N777AQ flew to Cleveland, MS in .8 hours.  According to the Pilots’ Trip Log, from Cleveland, MS the plane traveled to New Orleans (KNEW, Lakefront Airport, NOLA) in a 1.1 hour flight.  The plane then returned to Hattiesburg in .4 hour.  According to the Pilots’ Trip Log, the passengers were Dr. Saunders, Doug Rouse-IHL member, Robin Robinson-IHL member, Ed Blakeslee-IHL member, and Aubrey Lucas. Curiously, the return flight to Hattiesburg, MS from New Orleans, LA did not include Dr. Saunders or Doug Rouse-IHL member. 
Part 19 QUESTION:  WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? And here we go again. Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  On April 9, 2010, a USM Intradepartmental Invoice shows a round trip on N777AQ to Oxford, MS that took 2.0 flight hours.  However, a USM Pilots’ Trip Log showing two pilots, Messrs. Allen and Price, represents that on April 9, 2010, airplane N777AQ flew to Meridian, MS in .3 hours then on to Oxford, MS in .7 hours and back to Meridian and Hattiesburg in 1.0 hours. The passengers are different on the two records, too...".
Part 20 QUESTION: WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? And here we go again. Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  On October 16, 2009, a USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that Dr. Saunders, Robin Robinson-IHL member, Doug Rouse-IHL member, and Ed Blakeslee-IHL member flew on N777AQ to Starkville, MS and back to Hattiesburg, MS. No Intradepartmental Invoice was provided to usmnews.net for this trip. The Trip Log shows the round trip took 1.4 flight hours.  Missing information, such as the Interdepartmental Invoice for this flight, has in the past signaled information the Saunders administration is hiding.  Be that as it may, no purpose was given for the flight.
Part 21 QUESTION: WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? And here we go again. Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  On September 2, 2009, a USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that Robin Robinson-IHL member and Doug Rouse-IHL member and Rouse’s spouse, Pam, flew on N777AQ to Columbus, MS. NO USM personnel were passengers aboard this flight. NO passengers were identified as being aboard N777AQ’s return trip to Hattiesburg. The Pilots Trip Log shows two pilots flew the plane, Kilgore and Price, and the trip took 1.2 flight hours.  No purpose was given for the flight. Only IHL members and a spouse of an IHL member used USM’s airplane. The charge for the flight according to the Interdepartmental Invoice was the “President’s Office”-that is, students and faculty at USM.
Part 22 QUESTION: WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? And here we go again. Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  "... On September 3, 2009, a USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that Martha Saunders, Ed Blakeslee-IHL member and Christine Pickering-IHL member and Pickering’s spouse, Brent, flew on N777AQ to Columbus, MS. IHL personnel again outnumber USM personnel as passengers aboard the flight. The Pilots Trip Log shows two pilots flew the plane, Kilgore and Price, and the trip took 1.7 flight hours.  No purpose was given for the flight. The charge for the flight according to the Interdepartmental Invoice was the “President’s Office”-that is, students and faculty at USM....". 
Part 23 QUESTION: WHOSE PLANE IS THIS? And here we go again. Why doesn’t the IHL pay for N777AQ?  "... On September 12, 2009, a USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that Martha Saunders, Ed Blakeslee-IHL member, Doug Rouse-IHL member, Robin Robinson-IHL member, Allen Perry-IHL member, Doug Davis and Aubrey Lucas flew on N777AQ from Hattiesburg to Madison, MS to pick up Hank Bounds-IHL Commissioner. Then they all flew to Greenwood, MS. IHL members again outnumber USM personnel as passengers aboard the flight of N777AQ. The Pilot’s Trip Log shows two pilots flew the plane, Cunningham and Price, and the trip took 1.7 flight hours.  No purpose was given for the flight....". 
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...".
Part 25 After 24 reports, a simple question: Have you lost your minds? On March 18, 2010, USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that no passengers were aboard N777AQ for a 2.4 hour flight to Blacksburg, VA at a cost of $14,850.43 (2.4 x $6,187.67). Martha Saunders boarded N777AQ at Blacksburg, VA and flew 2.2 hours to Madison, MS at a cost of $13,612.87 (2.2 x $6,187.67). Chad Driskell, Executive Assistant to President Saunders for External Affairs, and Mike Lambert boarded N777AQ and flew with Martha Saunders 1.0 hours to Pensacola, FL at a cost of $6,187.67. Martha Saunders has a home located in Pensacola, FL. The plane with its two pilots, Cunningham and Price, flew .7 hours to Hattiesburg, MS with no passengers at a cost of $4,331.37 (.7 x $6,187.67). The total cost to taxpayers, USM students and faculty of the flights of N777AQ on March 18, 2010 was 6.3 flight hours x $6,187.67 = $38,982.32.
Part 26 A flight to Myrtle Beach, SC for a mere $29,082,05: President Saunders, have you lost your mind?  "Back from Myrtle Beach On March 24, 2010, USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that no passengers were aboard N777AQ for a 2.1 hour flight to Myrtle Beach, NC at a cost of $12,994.11 (2.1 x $6,187.67). Martha Saunders boarded N777AQ alone at Myrtle Beach, SC and flew 2.6 hours to Hattiesburg, MS at a cost of $16,087.94 (2.6 x $6,187.67). We would expect that a flight of equal distance would take approximately the same amount of time. So, where did Saunders take her plane that extra half hour?  But lets not let the real stupidity of this use of resources be lost on a relatively minor question, i.e., $29,082.05 for a flight from Myrtle Beach, SC. The charge for the flight according to the Interdepartmental Invoice was the “President’s Office”-that is, taxpayers and USM students and faculty...".
Part 27 "Hey, let’s fly to West Point! On March 15, 2010, USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that a couple of minor USM bureaucrats boarded N777AQ for a 1.5 hour flight to West Point, MS then back to Hattiesburg, MS. The cost? $9,281.51 (1.5 x $6,187.67). Chad Driskell-Executive Assistant to President Saunders for External Affairs and someone named either Rick Lambert or Mike Lambert, depending on whether the Interdepartmental Invoice or the pilot’s log is correct were the passengers.  (Rick Lambert is a part time attorney in the University Counsel’s office with a local private practice.  We have been unable to identify anyone named Mike Lambert as working for the University or the IHL.)  The charge for the flight according to the Interdepartmental Invoice was the to “President’s Office”-that is, taxpayers and USM students and faculty paid...".  For more in the series, please click here.
Part 28 "Hey, let’s fly to Washington, DC! On March 8, 2010, USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that President Saunders, C. Burge-then VP for Research, C. Driskell-Executive Assistant to the President, and C. Newell-unknown passenger, boarded N777AQ for a 6.7 flight hour trip to Washington DC. They returned on March 10, 2010. No details were provided about the costs incurred for hotel room, food, beverages, etc. The cost of just the flight aboard N777AQ was $41,457.39 (6.7 x $6,187.67). That’s right, the flight to Washington, DC all by itself cost $41,457.39. There was no Interdepartmental Invoice, no purpose given, no explanation why this group of bureaucrats flew to Washington, DC. Rest assured, though, you-taxpayers, students, and faculty-paid the $41,457.39, plus hotel, food, beverages, etc...".
Page 29 "Hey, let’s fly to Manassas, VA! On March 30, 2009, USM Pilots’ Trip Log reported that C. Burge-then VP for Research, Ronnie Shows-Former U.S. Representative from Mississippi’s 4th District, 1999-2002 (Democrat), and Andrew Jenkins-unknown passenger, boarded N777AQ for a 3.1 hour flight trip to Manassas, VA. Shows and Jenkins returned to Hattiesburg, MS aboard N777AQ in a 4 hour flight on March 31, 2009. No details were provided about the costs incurred for hotel room, food, beverages, etc. The cost of just the flight aboard N777AQ was $43,932.46 (7.1 x $6,187.67). That’s right, the flight to Manassas, VA all by itself cost $43,932.46. And, insult to injury, there was no purpose given and no explanation why this group of flew to Manassas, VA. Rest assured, though, you-taxpayers, students, and faculty-paid the $43,932.46 plus hotel, food, beverages, etc...".
Part 31 Time To Review Facts About President Saunders' Airplane You Paid For -- Administrators and Politicians Teach Us To Distrust Them "It may sound a bit out of the ordinary at first, but administrators and politicians teach us to distrust them. More than likely they don’t want to encourage us to distrust them, but their words and behavior do just that. And odd as it may sound the distrust is not without advantage in our, faculty, students, and taxpayers’ education...". 
(February 9, 2011) President Saunders Continues to Squander Student and Taxpayer Money on Her Airplane "We at usmnews.net recently received another set of information related to President Saunders’ airplane, N777AQ. We now have two years of actual costs of N777AQ. As you may recall, it is owned by the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation in name only because all costs are paid by University of Southern Mississippi. That is, taxpayers and USM students pay all costs associated with President Saunders’ airplane...".
(February 14, 2011) "... September 17, 2010: Pilots Allen and Price flew N777AQ round trip to Memphis, TN. According to USM’s “Interdepartmental Invoice” the passenger was IHL Board Member Doug Rouse. According to USM’s pilots’ “King Air N777AQ Trip Log” the passengers were IHL Board Member Doug Rouse and his wife, “Mrs. D. Rouse”, and “Jim Brosig”. No information was available as to the identity of “Jim Brosig”, what he does, or why he was aboard this flight. No records indicate he reimbursed USM for the flight. (Is he another free rider at the expense of USM students and Mississippi taxpayers?)...". 
(February 15, 2011) "... September 15, 2010 Pilots Allen and Price flew N777AQ round trip to Atlanta, GA. According to USM’s “Interdepartmental Invoice” the passengers were Dr. Saunders and her husband, Joe Bailey. According to USM’s pilots’ “King Air N777AQ Trip Log”, the passengers were M. Saunders, Joe Bailey, and “return” trip included Jay Dean and Mary A. Kyle...".  
(February 16, 2011) "... Pilots Allen and Price flew N777AQ round trip to Memphis, TN. According to USM’s “Interdepartmental Invoice” the passenger was Dr. Saunders. This trip, USM’s pilots’ “King Air N777AQ Trip Log” reports the same passenger as the “Interdepartmental Invoice”, Dr. Saunders...". 
(February 18, 2011) "... Actual flight hours were 4.1. Applying Saunders’ inaccurate estimate of $800 per flight hour, USM charged $3,280 to the President’s Office. As shown in her own actual detailed cost records, President Saunders is either incompetent or disingenuous to represent that cost per flight hour is $800 and this flight as costing $3,280. The actual cost to Mississippi taxpayers and USM students to fly N777AQ was 4.1 actual flight hours times $5,971.11 actual cost per flight hour is $24,481.55...".  
(February 21, 2011) "Dear USM Colleagues, President Saunders has you focused on evaluating each other as if your careers depend on it -- and they do. Try a different path. Evaluate her performance. To continue a one-sided evaluation will never cure a significant problem: USM leadership, including IHL Board Members. Of course, you’ll need to gather facts and exercise a bit of courage to put the fact to good use...".  
(February 22, 2011) "www.usmnews.net recently received another set of documents related to President Saunders’ airplane, N777AQ, through Mississippi Open Records Act (MORA) requests. MORA documents, USM’s own records, provide verification of misrepresentations made by President Saunders and Provost Lyman about N777AQ. What would happen to your career if you made the same financial misrepresentations with taxpayers’ and students’ money?...".
(February 23, 2011) "... The purpose of the flight as reported in USM’s “Interdepartmental Invoice” was to attend “the Beef-O-Brady’s Bowl.”  Aren’t you pleased that while your jobs are at risk and there are no pay raises for faculty, that students and taxpayers (you) are providing Dr. Saunders and her friends - at an exorbitant cost --  with the “convenience” of a personal airplane...".    For more in this series, please click here.
(February 24, 2011) "... The purpose of the flight as reported in USM’s “Interdepartmental Invoice” was “Recruiting Trip to MS School for Math & Science.” Seriously, Drs. Saunders, Paul, and Davies, couldn’t you have taken a University car and driven to Columbus, MS a lot cheaper than $7,762.44? $7,762.44 is clearly outrageous. Doesn’t it occur to you that you are squandering student money?...".    For more in this series, please click here.
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