Hochul flies on NY’s dime as everyone struggles to fill gas tanksBy Zach Williams
July 18, 2022
While New Yorkers are reeling from sky-high gas prices that force them to choose between driving to work, a trip to the store or a family vacation, Gov. Kathy Hochul has been hitching rides on their dime and avoiding traffic altogether by flying to most places.
The governor hit the friendly skies, either on a state helicopter or airplane, a whopping 140 times in the first seven months since she took office last August — with costs to taxpayers estimated at upwards of $170,000, records reviewed by The Post show.
“The governor’s personal frequent-flyer program is immune to things like rising gas prices, cancellations, delays and lost luggage,” Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay (R-Oswego) told The Post.
“Unfortunately the everyday taxpayer – the people paying the bill for her questionable and costly traveling – don’t have the same kind of luxury.”
And the cost to taxpayers of the flights has also increased in recent months, given skyrocketing fuel prices for cars, airplanes and helicopters — which use leaded jet fuel.
The average price for gas in New York state soared from $3.19 a year ago to $4.70 on Sunday, according to AAA, while specialized fuel for aircraft has experienced a similar jump amid a supply crunch.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/07/18/gov-hochul-frequently-flies-while-nyers-struggle-at-the-pump/
