Massachusetts Governor Patrick will repay taxpayers for office decor [View All]

[DeepModem Mom]

Boston Globe: Patrick to repay taxpayers for decor
$10,000 spent for drapes; governor to offset car costs
By Frank Phillips and Andrea Estes, Globe Staff | February 21, 2007


In this photograph taken Feb. 16, Governor Deval Patrick is shown in his office with his new $10,000 drapes. (PAT GREENHOUSE/GLOBE STAFF/FILE)

Governor Deval Patrick spent more than $10,000 on damask drapes for his State House office as part of a $27,387 makeover that also included a new desk, settee, and other furnishings paid for with taxpayer money.

Yesterday, after an inquiry from the Globe, Patrick abruptly announced that he would repay the state for the draperies and furnishings.

At the same time, Patrick said he would contribute $543 each month to the lease of the Cadillac DTS he uses for state business, bringing the cost to the public in line with the more modest Ford Crown Victoria used by Governor Mitt Romney.

Patrick, who just days ago defiantly defended his lease of the $46,000 luxury car, said he changed his mind after a weekend spent struggling with the state's dismal finances and the budget cuts he has asked his agency leaders to make to bridge a deficit of at least $1 billion....

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/02/21/patrick_to_repay_taxpayers_for_decor/