Huntsman's budget proposal asks for $1.6 million of the $2 million fund - which comes from aviation fuel taxes - to replace one of the three planes used to transport the governor and other state officials.
Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, has written a letter to Huntsman and legislators, asking that, with a budget surplus, the money for a new plane be taken from the general fund instead.
Fuel conservation: Pat- rons of Hillcrest High School noticed Granite School District bus No. 470 take the Taylorsville boys basketball team to Hillcrest for a game Tuesday night, dropping the players off at 5 p.m.
They also noticed the driver sitting in the bus with the motor running and reading a book for four hours until the team boarded the bus after the game at 9 p.m.
Fuel conservation II: The Utah House of Representatives last week overwhelmingly passed HB106, which would promote clean air by providing incentives for purchasing smaller, clean-burning vehicles.
One of the 14 "no" votes was cast by Rep. Keith Grover, R-Provo. He commutes from Utah County in his Hummer.
Cheap shot: When the Utah House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed HCR2, declaring Feb. 6 as Ronald Reagan Day, sponsor Rep. Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, hoped to send the resolution quickly to the Senate so it could pass both bodies that day.
But Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, used a House privilege to request a 24-hour hold on it, just to deny the Republicans the symbolic gesture of passing it on Reagan's birthday.
The Republicans were more magnanimous last year when they agreed to rename the Governor's Board Room after the Democrats' great hero, the late Gov. Calvin L. Rampton.
Big Brother is watching? The "confidential" ballots that have been mailed to members of Beehive Credit Union to approve or reject a proposal to convert it to a bank require the voter's signature. They also state: "Your board of directors recommends a vote FOR the plan."
Wonder how many Beehive employees will vote "no" on a signed ballot?
Provokerstan? I mentioned Friday that Utah Congressman Chris Cannon co-sponsored a bill to ban federal funding to Berkeley, Calif. - calling it "Berzerkeley," for that city's declaration that military recruiters were unwelcome.
According to nationalpriorities. org., Alameda County, which includes Berkeley, had twice as many military recruits per 1,000 people as Utah County in 2007.
prolly@sltrib.com
