Illinois Gov's Trips Cost Over $5800 A Day

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

Gov. Blagojevich's practice of flying from Chicago to Springfield and back for daily budget negotiations is costing taxpayers more than $5,800 a day, for a total of roughly $76,000 and climbing.

An Associated Press analysis of state flight records shows Blagojevich made eight round trips on state airplanes from May 22 to June 7. He spent an average of less than five hours in Springfield each time, including travel time to and from the capital airport.

On a ninth trip, he stayed over two nights as lawmakers tried to meet their May 31 budget-approval deadline.

The cost of the travel was $52,540.

Since then, Blagojevich has appeared to follow the same pattern, making at least four more round trips to Springfield. Detailed records are not available, but averages from previous day trips suggest an additional cost of $23,300.

Amazing.