WASHINGTON WATCH : Shock Ablock

Secretary of State James A. Baker III says through his spokeswoman that he was “shocked” to discover the true costs to taxpayers of his personal trips aboard government planes. From now on, he says, he’ll fly commercial, if security permits.

Baker has good reason to be shocked, though not as much as the rest of us. Over a two-year period, according to government figures obtained by the Milwaukee Journal, Baker--accompanied by family and guests--made 11 personal trips to his homes in Texas and Wyoming aboard Air Force planes. The bill for taxpayers came to $388,758. Baker reimbursed the government only $17,159, under a formula that says non-official travel should be billed at coach rate plus $1. That comes to a little more than 4 cents on the dollar.

But at least someone is keeping track of what Baker’s travels cost. That’s not the case, the White House says, when President Bush and his entourage fly aboard Air Force One and the several support planes that usually accompany it. “As far as a single line item, how much it costs, it doesn’t exist,” a White House aide said. Why? “Because there’s never been any need to calculate the whole figure.” That’s a remarkably casual approach to bookkeeping, indistinguishable from the notoriously slipshod accounting practices of the late and unmourned House bank.

Maybe the President would be as shocked as Jim Baker says he is to discover the true costs to taxpayers of his travels, personal or otherwise. How nice it would be if someone could find out what they are, and tell him.