Jindal’s helicopter use tops $180,000

• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Oct 12, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:00 a.m.

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From the time of taking office in January until Hurricane Gustav hit on Sept. 1, Gov. Bobby Jindal has spent nearly $180,000 in taxpayer money to travel in State Police helicopters.

Jindal traveled both for his political office and for his faith. He attended Sunday services numerous times in north Louisiana. The church visits were not included on his public schedule.

The governor said he was not aware of the extent of the expense. He said he uses the helicopters for long-distance travel within the state or when his schedule is crowded with events.

“If that’s the cost of getting across the state and talking to folks, I think it’s worth that investment,” he said.

State Police absorbs the cost with taxpayer money of the helicopter trips.

Jindal books a flight on commercial airlines when he travels outside the state. He uses campaign funds or bills the state for the costs.

Out-of-state trips cost more than $25,000 because the governor takes security and sometimes staff with him, even when his campaign is paying for him to visit with Jay Leno or to eat barbecue with Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

However, the helicopters are easily the governor’s most expensive travel costs. He uses the helicopters to conduct town hall meetings, to push legislation and to attend church.

Jindal hitched a ride on State Police helicopters more often in his first eight months in office than his predecessor, former Gov.
Kathleen Blanco, did in her first eight months in office. Jindal also was in the air for more hours than Blanco. Comparing costs is more difficult because Blanco initially flew in cheaper helicopters.

Within three days of taking the oath of office on the Capitol steps, Jindal was in a helicopter on his way to a banquet in Monroe.
The flight logs reviewed by The Advocate do not include records for September, when Jindal flew nearly every day to survey storm damage from hurricanes Gustav and Ike. 

In eight months, Jindal used State Police helicopters:

• Five times to attend Chamber of Commerce banquets.
• Eight times to go to town hall meetings.
• A dozen times to worship in churches across the state.

He also flew in a helicopter to make a halftime appearance at a basketball tournament, to speak at a high school graduation, to sign legislation, to celebrate the passage of his ethics package and to go to a fishing rodeo.

Jindal’s travel is not limited to within the boundaries of Louisiana.

A booking on “The Tonight Show” and a Memorial Day weekend visit to McCain’s ranch cost Louisiana taxpayers, even though Jindal used his campaign funds to pay part of the price tag.