You fly, I’ll buy: NJ governor uses state police helicopter to attend son’s baseball game

OK, you got me: the real reason for this post is that I finally get to use the word ‘Drumthwacket’, which is the name of the official residence of the governor of New Jersey. Coincidentally, that’s also what some people are calling Chris Christie at this hour (or variations thereof), after it was revealed that the NJ governor used a state police helicopter, at taxpayer’s expense, to attend his son’s high school baseball game in Montvale on Tuesday afternoon. Ridgewood Patch:

Christie arrived shortly before 4 p.m. to watch his son Andrew play baseball for Delbarton School. He was driven from the helicopter about 100 yards to the field in a black car with tinted windows.

Responding to a question from Patch about the use of the helicopter to attend the game, Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said, “It is a means of transportation that is occasionally used as the schedule demands. This has historically been the case in prior administrations as well, and we continue to be judicious in limiting its use.”

NJ.com reported that the helicopter landed just before lineup cards were exchanged and that Christie and his wife, Mary Pat, left the game in the 5th inning.

The site also reported that the governor had no public events on his schedule, so it was unclear where he had traveled from. The website reported that Christie had a private meeting Tuesday night at the governor’s mansion with a group of Iowa donors who are trying to pursuade him to run for president.

Fun fact: The state police bought five new helicopters this year, total cost $12.5 million. They can fly 200 mph, according to NJ.com. Giving new meaning in New Jersey to the term “You fly, I’ll buy.”

Meanwhile, in the comments section:

Landing in a helicopter is bad enough. The picture gets worse when you realize he’s underfunding the public schools while sending his own kids to Delbarton. I hate when public servants think they are too good for public schools. No skin in the game.

ah… Obama took AF one to NY so he and Micelle could have a date night.. sorry..ring no sale with the criticism of Chritie.. costs a lot less to run the Helicopter then AF One

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Gov. Christie arrives at son’s high school baseball game in State Police helicopter [Star-Ledger]
Chris Christie’s helicopter ride [NBC News]