Lawmakers spend 1K/month on taxpayer-funded cars

[Tx4obama]

Source: Politico

The economy is still limping along, but some members of Congress are nevertheless riding in style: At least 10 House members are spending more than $1,000 a month in taxpayer money to lease cars.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34391.html

[sakabatou]

1. Because using their own my is underneath them

[stuart68]

2. Pigs

My lease cost me $439/mo. If I had to add another 2,000 miles/month, it would cost about $759/mo.

These folks are pigs (funny, a lot of Ds in the article). The only one who has a good story is the mobile office guy - at least he is getting out to the people.

[PSPS]

3. Politico

I wonder if this includes the cost of the often mentioned "driver." You know, when they get in an accident or there's some other car-related story, it's frequently mentioned that there's a "driver" other than the politician.

But, with Politico, any story that furthers the idea that there should be no government at all is worth putting out there.

[karynnj]

4. Cleaver's may not be a bad use of money

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver appears to be the biggest spender.

In the last quarter of 2009, the Missouri Democrat doled out $2,900 a month to lease a WiFi-equipped, handicap-accessible mobile office that runs on used cooking oil.

“Rather than paying for an additional office, the congressman has a mobile office, with all the capabilities to do casework across the district,” Cleaver spokesman Danny Rotert wrote in an e-mail. “We can go where our constituents are and accommodate those in wheelchairs with the mobile office’s lift.”

Missouri is a big state for its population - his district might be large, if he or the people in his office are using this to provide citizens with the type of help that state offices do, this sounds great. Far better than having one more satellite office. The key would be how often it was actually in use and whether it is used in many places.

This doesn't sound like a personal vehicle.

[progressoid]

5. That's just pocket change in the beltway.

[Enrique]

6. 10 house members, $1000 per month!

I can't remember a story that involved such a low amount of money before. Politico must have worked really hard to find something so insignificant.

[sallyseven]

8. Politico is not worth the ink

it uses to smash the democrats. I find them so annoying. They make stuff up.

[tinymontgomery]

7. At my last school the principle had a county

provided car. All the principles did. Of course we didn't have money for supplies.

[erpowers]

9. Can't They Use There Own Car

Why are members of Congress not allowed or required to use their own car? These individuals could easily go out and buy their own vehicles and pay the cost of gas. The policy of taxpayers paying for the leases of members of Congress should be ended.