Federal Homeland Security office Rejects State Jet Plane
Source The Associated Press
ANCHORAGE (AP) _ The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has rejected a request by Alaska officials to purchase a jet with federal homeland security funds, saying the state failed to meet the required parameters.
``In this case, no means no,'' Public Safety Commissioner Bill Tandeske said Wednesday evening. ``It's a dead issue now. We may not agree with the premise for the denial, but we accept it.''
Tandeske's office wanted to use $2 million _ the state's portion of homeland security funds _ to buy a used jet that would help state officials respond to emergencies, as well as transport Gov. Frank Murkowski, prisoners, other government personnel and prisoners.
The plane would have replaced one of two propeller-driven planes in the state fleet.