Governor Backs Down on Bill for Fossett’s Widow May 3, 2008

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Gov. Jim Gibbons said he won’t bill the widow of Steve Fossett, but instead will send a letter asking her to help pay for the month-long search for the famed aviator last fall.

A Gibbons spokesman said Peggy Fossett will be asked to voluntarily contribute to help as the state faces a projected $900 million budget shortfall.

 

The 63-year-old Fossett took off Sept. 3 from Barron Hilton’s Flying M Ranch, south of Yerington, in a small plane, on what was supposed to be a short pleasure flight.

 

During a month-long search, ground crews, the Nevada National Guard and the Civil Air Patrol scoured a 20,000 square-mile area, but turned up no sign of Fossett or his plane.

The search cost the state $687,000. Hilton sent a check to cover $200,000 in costs.

 

Fossett was declared legally dead Feb. 15 by an Illinois judge.

Nevada Governor Billing Steve Fossett’s Widow For Search May 1, 2008

Click the link below for the full article. I think this is disgusting. If the search was for a child, a prostitute, loan shark, an immigrant worker or Joe Blow, do you think the state would be billing the family for the search and rescue efforts?

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Gov. Jim Gibbons plans to bill the widow of adventurer Steve Fossett for the unsuccessful recovery search.

Last year, the state of Nevada spent $687,000 looking for multimillionaire adventurer Steve Fossett after his plane disappeared in northern the northern part of the state. During a month-long search, crews scoured a 20,000 square-mile area, but turned up no sign of Fossett or his plane.

“We believe that while this is not a common practice, the extraordinary costs of the search, coupled with the state’s current budget difficulties, warrant the request.The exact process the state will go through to make this request is still to be determined,” said Gibbon’s press secretary, Ben Kieckhefer.

A Gibbons spokesman said the governor will bill Peggy Fossett for costs of the unsuccessful search as the state faces a budget shortfall projected to top $900 million.