(February 3, 2011) Taxpayers Burned Reporting on the “. . . Told You So” USM Plane Incidentals The recent
USMNEWS.net report entitled “Keeping the Home Fires Burning” details the 15-Sept-2010 trip to Atlanta made
by USM president Martha Saunders and her husband, Joe Bailey. That trip was to attend a play written and
produced by a(n unnamed) USM alum. USM’s Airplane Operations auxiliary charged Saunders’ USM office
$2,320 (see insert below, and linked report above) for what seemed to be a pleasure trip for Saunders and her
husband.
ARTICLES CONCERNING
MARTHA D. SAUNDERS' AIRPLANE - AIRFARCE ONE
(February 6, 2011) Everything is on the Table . . . . . . except my airplane. I “made” the money for the
lease-purchase by cutting administrators when I got here. I know that every other item does not count like that in
the budget, but surely the President has some privileges. The airplane is for essential University travel; that term
is defined solely by me.
(February 8, 2011) Dear usmnews.net: Following in the RATR tradition, have you heard anything about [President
Martha] Saunders planning to upgrade the airplane so she will have faster trips and greater range? Thanks.
(February 8, 2011) How Much? How Long? by Duane Cobb “Maybe if . . . they knew better than to blow millions
of dollars on a pointless wall in front of campus . . . maybe if they don’t own a jet, maybe then I would have an
inkling of respect for the administrative bullshit that we call the leadership of USM.” – USM student Floyd
Maseda, TSP interview, 31-August-2010 The USM Remittance Voucher below covers just one month, Aug-2010,
of USM’s lease of the Beechcraft King Air that president Martha Saunders uses so liberally. The invoice amount
is an astonishing $16,428.40. This amount is paid once a month, every month. Each time, this sum is no longer
available to support USM academic programs, or USM faculty members.
