Miami Herald Logo

Gov. Scott trades up on new plane | Miami Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Site Information
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Herald Store
    • RSS Feeds
    • Special Sections
    • Advertise
    • Advertise with Us
    • Media Kit
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    • Sections
    • News
    • South Florida
    • Miami-Dade
    • Broward
    • Florida Keys
    • Florida
    • Politics
    • Weird News
    • Weather
    • National & World
    • Colombia
    • National
    • World
    • Americas
    • Cuba
    • Guantánamo
    • Haiti
    • Venezuela
    • Local Issues
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • In Depth
    • Issues & Ideas
    • Traffic
    • Sections
    • Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Pro & College
    • Miami Dolphins
    • Miami Heat
    • Miami Marlins
    • Florida Panthers
    • College Sports
    • University of Miami
    • Florida International
    • University of Florida
    • Florida State University
    • More Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Fighting
    • Golf
    • Horse Racing
    • Outdoors
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
    • Youth Sports
    • Other Sports
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The Florida Influencer Series
    • Sections
    • Business
    • Business Monday
    • Banking
    • International Business
    • National Business
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate News
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Tourism & Cruises
    • Workplace
    • Business Plan Challenge
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Cindy Krischer Goodman
    • The Starting Gate
    • Work/Life Balancing Act
    • Movers
    • Sections
    • Living
    • Advice
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Wine
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dave Barry
    • Ana Veciana-Suarez
    • Flashback Miami
    • More Living
    • LGBTQ South Florida
    • Palette Magazine
    • Indulge Magazine
    • South Florida Album
    • Broward Album
    • Sections
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Music & Nightlife
    • People
    • Performing Arts
    • Restaurants
    • TV
    • Visual Arts
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Jose Lambiet
    • Lesley Abravanel
    • More Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Miami.com
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Sections
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Op-Ed
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Jim Morin
    • Letters to the Editor
    • From Our Inbox
    • Speak Up
    • Submit a Letter
    • Meet the Editorial Board
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Blog Directory
    • Columnist Directory
    • Andres Oppenheimer
    • Carl Hiaasen
    • Leonard Pitts Jr.
    • Fabiola Santiago
    • Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Place an Obituary

    • Place an ad
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Apartments
    • Auctions/Sales
    • Automotive
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Employment
    • Garage Sales
    • Legals
    • Merchandise
    • Obituaries
    • Pets
    • Public Notices
    • Real Estate
    • Services
  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Real Estate
  • Mobile & Apps

  • el Nuevo Herald
  • Miami.com
  • Indulge

Politics

Gov. Scott trades up on new plane

By Steve Bousquet

    ORDER REPRINT →

June 05, 2013 07:01 PM

Rick Scott is the first governor in the history of Florida (and likely the last) to travel the state in his own personal jet.

He’s a one-man airline.

Air Scott.

As a candidate in 2010, Scott thought it was extravagant for taxpayers to pay for two state aircraft to transport politicians in the nation’s fourth-largest state. Elect me, Scott promised, and I’ll get rid of those expensive toys.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

He got elected and ditched both planes, which would have been impossible if Scott wasn’t rich enough to travel in style on his own nickel.

Selling the planes grounded other state officials, who must travel by car or fly on the rare scheduled commercial flights out of Tallahassee, which is often impractical.

In today’s Florida, the only elected official who gets to fly is the one who can afford it.

Everywhere Scott goes, he does it on his own aircraft at his own expense, and after nearly two-and-a-half years in office, he has decided he needs an upgrade.

Scott is selling his eight-passenger Hawker 400XP, made by Raytheon in 2004, for $1.495 million. An ad for the jet on the website controller.com says the jet is in Bonita Springs and notes: “Price reduction! Sale pending.”

Scott’s new chariot is a 2008 Cessna Citation Excel, a 12-passenger twin-engine jet with a dropped aisle that offers enough headroom for Scott to stand tall in the cabin.

The Cessna is white with pink trim and the plane’s tail number ends with the letters “AS,” which can only stand for First Lady Ann Scott (the old plane’s tail number ended with “RS”).

The new plane, like the old one, is registered to a Naples holding company, Columbia Collier Properties, whose signatory on legal documents is Ann Scott. The purchase price of the new plane was not immediately available, and it’s not the kind of information the governor’s office would willingly provide.

“The governor wants to travel the state as often as possible to listen to the concerns and ideas of Floridians,” said Scott’s chief spokeswoman, Melissa Sellers.

Scott travels more often than his predecessor and possible future rival, Charlie Crist, who traveled at taxpayers’ expense. In fact, the Republican Party of Florida, as part of a series critically examining Crist’s record, noted that Monday was the fourth anniversary of a Herald/Times story that cited his use of state aircraft to attract publicity at ceremonial bill-signing events while campaigning for the U.S. Senate.

“By skillfully using the trappings of power, Crist can spread a popular message at public expense... as he did Tuesday in the state’s two biggest media markets,” the story said, at a cost of $4,800.

By paying for all of his flight costs, Scott has saved taxpayers a bundle, but exactly how much is a mystery. The governor’s office says it has no records reflecting the costs to operate and maintain his own plane.

Also not known is how much of a tax benefit Scott derives by using his jet for business purposes.

Scott doesn’t take a government salary, either. He is paid a penny a month, or 12 cents a year, which the state says is the minimum necessary for him to be registered in the state personnel system.

Contact Steve Bousquet at bousquet@tampabay.com or (850) 224-7263.

  Comments  

Videos

Bernie Sanders set the agenda. But can he win on it?

Congress members tour Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Migrant Children

View More Video

Trending Stories

It’s not so hard for an immigrant to become a U.S. citizen. Here’s what you have to do

February 20, 2019 01:20 PM

Think Florida is a ‘sinful’ place to live? You’re right, according to this new study

February 20, 2019 01:18 PM

Americans arrested in Haiti driving around with an arsenal are flown to the U.S.

February 20, 2019 06:54 PM

Here are two young players the new Dolphins staff really likes. And two issues looming

February 20, 2019 04:00 PM

Florida man ripped off Home Depot — sometimes without taking items from store, cops say

February 20, 2019 02:51 PM

Read Next

Police: ‘Empire’ actor staged attack to ‘promote his career’
Video media Created with Sketch.

Latest News

Police: ‘Empire’ actor staged attack to ‘promote his career’

By DON BABWIN Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 21, 2019 01:43 PM

Police: 'Empire' actor was unhappy with salary and staged attack to further his career.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE POLITICS

The Latest: Russian, Venezuelan diplomats meet in Moscow

Nation & World

The Latest: Russian, Venezuelan diplomats meet in Moscow

February 21, 2019 01:11 PM
Pope offers 21 proposals at Vatican summit to fight sexual abuse by clergy

Nation & World

Pope offers 21 proposals at Vatican summit to fight sexual abuse by clergy

February 21, 2019 12:16 PM

Nation & World

Polygraph launched probe of deputy suspected in sex assaults

February 21, 2019 12:26 PM
Mitch McConnell pitches Kentucky’s Kelly Craft as Trump’s UN ambassador

Politics

Mitch McConnell pitches Kentucky’s Kelly Craft as Trump’s UN ambassador

February 21, 2019 11:50 AM
‘Who gave it, who got it?’ How political influence in Miami is bought — and concealed

Miami-Dade County

‘Who gave it, who got it?’ How political influence in Miami is bought — and concealed

February 21, 2019 06:00 AM

Business

Assembly leader says ‘too early to tell’ on veto override

February 21, 2019 01:47 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Miami Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Public Insight Network
  • Reader Panel
Advertising
  • Place a Classified
  • Media Kit
  • Commercial Printing
  • Public Notices
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story