Batt Frugal With Air Travel

Republican Gov. Phil Batt was true to his frugal nature during his first year in office when it came to air travel. But Idaho’s other two freshman statewide officeholders spent more on official flight in 1995 than their predecessors.

Based on records obtained by the Post Register in Idaho Falls, Batt spent less than $11,000 on air travel through Dec. 13 compared to over $26,000 Democrat Cecil Andrus spent during his final year in office. The more than $16,000 reduction came despite Batt’s nation-wide travels during nuclear waste negotiations with federal officials.

Spokeswoman Amy Kleiner maintained the key to holding down the bill was Batt’s willingness to use a state-owned airplane or commercial airlines over private charters.

But GOP Attorney General Al Lance spent four times more this year on air travel than Democrat Larry EchoHawk did in 1994, although EchoHawk spent the entire year unsuccessfully running for governor and much of his travel was covered by campaign contributions.

Lance reported spending a total of $4,523 in tax money while EchoHawk spent just over $1,100 a year ago.

And Republican state Schools Superintendent Anne Fox, who has conducted meetings statewide this year on school reform and what parents want to see from their education system, spent over twice as much as veteran GOP Superintendent Jerry Evans did before he retired at the end of 1994.

Records showed Fox running up a flying bill of more than $4,700. Evans spent just under $1,900 during his final year in office.