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(August 26, 2009) “You Can’t Handle the Truth.” N777AQ may be familiar. If not, it should be. It is a tail number used for identifying and tracking airplanes. This particular number is the found on President Saunders’ plane. It is leased from USM’s Foundation during this time of recession and severe budget cuts, including the potential demolition of an entire academic program. Dr. Saunders has taken steps to conceal information about its flights. As a result, she is obscuring the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of her decision.

(August 29, 2009) If President Saunders really believes she can offer a convincing case that the purchase/lease of N777AQ is an effective and efficient decision, then she should provide information to make that assessment. Keep in mind, during this period of economic hardship, she should welcome an open assessment of her accountability, too.

(February 10, 2010) Air Farce One Continues to Hound Saunders USM president Martha Saunders' 2008-09 decision to lease a Beechcraft airplane from the USM Foundation continues to hound her USM presidency. Marika Smith's Feb-10 article for The Student Printz entitled House votes to sell Mississippi's state jet revisits Saunders' ill-advised decision in the context of growing pressure in Mississippi's legislative to sell the state's airplane.

(February 14, 2010) 31st & Pearl Parsing Plane Talk The recent Student Printz article about the USM plane raises more concerns than it actually addresses. First, USM president Martha Saunders appears to realize the ill-advised nature of the decision to lease the plane from the USM Foundation.

(March 5, 2010) WHAT DR. SAUNDERS SAID, WHAT DR. SAUNDERS DID Dear Dr. Saunders,As we have looked through records of your chancellorship at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, usmnews.net reporters have identified some troubling issues. Concerns are magnified because of the current financial conditions at USM. $16,000 per month plus for an airplane? Where is the nearly $1,000,000 going to come from in a couple of years to make the balloon payment? Are you using USM and the USM Foundation as your private booze account? As faculty, students, taxpayers and “constituents” we are entitled to know.

(August 24, 2010) Aunt Martha’s Extravagance Part 1 – ‘Chad Driskell & guests’ Fly to Omaha Via a Mississippi Open Records Act request, USMNEWS.net recently obtained a large batch of documents from USM relating to USM president Martha Saunders’ university aircraft. This series, Aunt Martha’s Extravagance, provides analysis of these documents. The insert below presents an interdepartmental invoice for a trip to Omaha, Nebraska, made by (1) “Dr. Saunders & guests”, and (2) “Chad Driskell & guests” on 14&16-June-2009. This trip was made to enjoy the USM baseball team’s participation in the 2009 College World Series.