By Phil Kabler, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Many reporters, myself included, have written at length about how a series of “flat” state budgets are effectively forcing state agencies and offices to cut spending, compromising their abilities to perform mandated duties.
The latest victim of the de facto spending cuts, it seems, is the state Aviation Division.
Checking on word that the division’s two top officials, Director of Aviation Charles McDowell and Fixed Wing Supervisor Chris Bostick are both retiring at the end of the year, it occurred to me that I hadn’t pulled flight logs for the state King Air airplane in a while.
I requested flight logs dating from June 1 to the present (which I had to do in the form of a Freedom of Information Act request — previously, they were provided by just asking for them), and, not unexpectedly, the logs show that Gov. Jim Justice continues to flaunt the constitutional requirement and his own court settlement agreement that he reside in Charleston.
The logs show that the King Air consistently flies to and from Lewisburg to pick up and drop off Justice for gubernatorial travel. More on that momentarily.
What was more striking was that, during the time period, the King Air was frequently out of service for maintenance issues.