Oh,  wait, Matt DeCample says. We didn’t ask the question quite right. The governor indeed does have a list of capital “projects” in mind that would require spending some of that surplus money. That would be distinguished from a list to spend the surplus.

Tricky business, playing hide the bacon.

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He promises the list will be forthcoming shortly. You’ll be happy to know that this governor doesn’t intend to travel in any less style than his predecessor. His wish list includes $4 million for a new airplane. We told you several weeks ago that Gov. Huckabee had just about used up all the hours on the 10-passenger King Air and it needed either replacement or some $800,000 in repairs.

A new plane, with a five-year warranty, is viewed as the more fiscally responsible course than putting a bunch of money into an old plane long out of warranty. Or so I’m told.

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All well and good. But:

1) Could we talk about having a state aviation section, rather than hiding this plane in the State Police and the sham security curtain that the previous administration threw around the plane’s operation?

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2) Can the Beebe administration propose a set of clear operating rules and an accounting system that’s utterly transparent on cost and use, including passengers? The operation of this plane should not be treated as a gubernatorial working paper, in secrecy, certainly not when it becomes part of an independent state agency’s operating cost.

I’ll pass along the full capital list when I get it.

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