Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) was flown in a U.S. government airplane from his mother’s wake in Ohio to Washington D.C. so that he could vote on the stimulus bill. He was then returned to Ohio in the same manner to attend her funeral. What a fantastic statement on the utility of the private aircraft that President Obama and others in his Democratic party have been disclaiming as unnecessary extravagances and mere perks for corporate executives. In fact, Mr. Brown’s office justified the airplane’s use by saying that his presence in Washington was “official business” and that there were no commercial flights available that would allow him to travel in a timely manner.

If those who have bashed the use of private aircraft didn’t understand their necessity before, now they certainly do. Hereafter, it will be the height of hypocrisy for any of them to deride the use of private aircraft for corporations and businessmen to accomplish the same goal that Mr. Brown did; to conduct their business in a safe, reliable, and timely manner.

Unfortunately, I’m sure the list of hypocrites will be long. I believe it is not so much their goal to hold businesses accountable for the effective use of their capital (it’s really not any of their business, either) as it is to foment envy and divide people into classes so they can make points with “their own group” and get reelected.

Tim Keeney
Webster Groves