On YOUR Dime: Congressmen Lease Luxury Cars

[BigDaddy44]

Source: CBS

NEW YORK (CBS) ― You may not realize it, but members of the House of Representatives can lease a car and have it paid for by you -- the taxpayer. And it's not just the car, but gas, registration, insurance … the works.

Congressman Charles Rangel was recently seen getting out of his Cadillac DeVille, which he leases for $774 per month. Then there was Congressman Jose Serrano, getting out of his Buick LaCrosse, which he leases for $317 per month. And how about this one: Congressman Gregory Meeks was recently seen waiting for Congressman John Conyers to step out of Meeks' Lexus LS460, which Meeks leases for $998 per month.

All those leases are picked up by taxpayers through a little-known program available only to members of the House of Representatives.

Rangel: "I could probably find something for ... one of those red cars and then I think my constituents would say, 'With all the money that he gets, this is the respect he shows us?'"


Read more: http://wcbstv.com/seenon/car.lease.us.2.713776.html

[Muttocracy]

1. I read that in NYTimes this morning - pissed me off

article - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/nyregion/01cars.html

graphic -

[OhioChick]

2. Ridiculus...

They should drive their own damn cars.

[Muttocracy]

4. The article said it's House thing, not the Senate.

Something also tell me they're not driving home to NY to meet with their dear constitutents every weekend - I bet they're flying most of the time and using the cars in D.C. Try PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. If Biden can take the train to and from D.C. for 30 years you can take it within D.C. :grr:

[OhioChick]

6. I Agree Regarding Public Transportation.

I wasn't aware that Biden took the train to D.C. for all of those years. Good for him. :thumbsup:

[Muttocracy]

10. Yep, never lived in D.C. Of course, easier for Delaware than say California :)

He was late to a SFRC hearing recently because the train in front of his was in an accident.

[mac2]

20. Democratic leadership now act like "elitists".

Nancy Pelosi has her own jet.

[razors edge]

7. Whats up with Rangel?

He could buy that old Caddie for a years lease cost.

[Muttocracy]

11. Did you see his quotes in the two articles. OUTRAGEOUS! nt

[razors edge]

14. Wow, out of touch with the people.

But then what can one say when they get caught in bed with their wife's sister?

No matter what it is, it will sound lame.

[mac2]

22. Abuse of power with a big ego?

Somehow they get off the path of their original intent.

[deadmessengers]

15. 14 comments on the cars...

not one on the cost of the war, which, by my calculations, costs more in one minute than the monthly cost of every leased vehicle listed above.

Nice to know we've got our priorities straight around here.

[Tiberius]

25. Thank you

Who cares, really. The billions wasted on the war is the single biggest fiscal issue facing America right now, with skyrocketing health costs a close second.

[Freedom Train]

31. Hmm, I wonder why that is!!

Could it be that this is a thread about the cars, and not the war??

Nah, that surely cant be it.... Hmmm...

[DrDan]

35. oh Good Lord

is the war your only issue?

You care not about the state of education?

or of the environment?

or of our infrastructure?

or of the shredding of the constitution?

or of the escalating price of food?

your only issue is Iraq?

What about Afghanistan? Do you care about that?

Give me a break. We all care about the war and its associated costs. There are other thing also to worry about - and one of them is the arrogance of D congressmen. You want a change in Washington? This display of arrogance will not play well with the public.

[Wabbajack_]

36. This doesn't help though

why should we pay for their lux rides?

[JBoy]

3. Geez, you think they could at least lease a domestic car.

[deadmessengers]

16. Not if they want them to be reliable. n/t

[panAmerican]

5. Glad to see that only minority lawmakers do this.

:sarcasm:

[JDPriestly]

12. Actually, the article states that my congressman, Xavier Becerra

drives a Prius. He is the best person in Congress -- and not just for that.

[mac2]

23. Rangel is a minority.

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

8. iI would be ok with a car allowance of about 450.00/500$ Flat. This is nonsense

[Muttocracy]

13. Why isn't there a government fleet of cars? Whenever I've worked for state govmt

there have been cars to sign out for official travel. Owned and maintained by the state. Different license plates. I've known people who drive for the federal govmt (e.g., Fish & Wildlife Service) - in federal vehicles, many of them very old cars and trucks.

[Blue_Tires]

21. those are never upscale or flashy enough

[gulliver]

9. Those hippocritical bassterds!

Theyse a takin' ma money and a-spendin' it on fancy kars and what-not. Well wah should they git a beter car 'n me? That's whut I wana know. Leastin' that thar Bush don't lah. Them Congress critters is all big lars, gittin them great cars and all.

Derr...Doy...duhhh...duh-eeee.

[tomhayes]

17. Who gives a flying shit??

Let's say they all leased cars that cost $1000 a month, both in the house and the senate so thats, um $535,000 dollars a year. WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT THAT when we're in a war that cost $2 BILLION A WEEK???????

Um,

200,000,000 / 535000 = 374 YEARS of car rentals for ONE WEEK IN IRAQ!!!!

And you think that CONGRESS should take the bust?? Last thing we need is someone getting stabbed on the way to vote on a bill (say the bill was impeachment, or ending the war.)

Get over it people, government cost money, and if you want to cut back on waste there are far more effective ways to do it.

Get you priorities straight. Or should we move on to how much certain candidates pay for HAIRCUTS too??

pathetic.

[TommyO]

18. Yes, monetarily it is a pittance, compared to Iraq

and other government expenditures, and in an ideal world it would be a non-issue, however, and it's a big however.

When people are struggling to maintain their houses, cars, and to keep those cars fueled, it gives an appearance of a legislature that is truly out of touch with their constituencies. My car payment comes out of my salary, as does registration, insurance, fuel, and repairs, it should be no different for our representatives.

[high density]

27. We can be outraged at all of these things at the same time

Nobody has to take the bus, they should just pay for their cars like everybody else in the country does.

[Muttocracy]

28. Everyone on DU knows Iraq >>>> cars

What outraged me was the attitudes and quotes - "but my people want to see me in a fancy car" sort of stuff.

And this is a House benefit, not a Senate benefit - if Senators can manage without this (financially/logistically/security-wise), so can Reps.

[Orsino]

29. You don't see the connection...

...between elected representatives who drive anything they want on our nickel, and never have to pay out of their own pockets, and their analogous funding for a war they never have to fight or pay for, either?

These are symptoms of the same disease, which ending the war won't cure. Insisting on treating these as separate issues will similarly fail as a strategy.

[tomhayes]

32. Um, I think your all MORONS on this one

Why not get elected to congress and pass these laws:

1)What type of car we'll pay for (Yugo to Ford Fiestiva only)
2)Maximum amount of money to a haircut
3)Why don't these damned congressmen pay for stamps like everyone else

I want my government to have transportation , sanitization, healthcare, education, security and all the other shit they need to do their jobs.

All this YOUR DIME, MY DIME, WHAT SELF IMPORTANT IDIOTS shit makes 'all sound like (douchebag) John Stossel. YOU DIMES ARE PAYING FOR MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE SHIT THAT IS WAY WORSE. GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT OR I'LL HAVE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS FOREVER.

I'd frown a bit on a Rolls Royce, but a CADILLAC? that's a mid priced car kids, $45k - 60k at most. Frankly that's fine by me, and I drive a Honda Accord.

Frankly i don't want my represenative to like like I do, my life is tough. And driving a leased Cadalic does not necassirly mean they aren't honorable people or good legislators.

[Orsino]

33. Failing to address root causes guarantees that the expensive BS will continue...

...and the root cause is elected officials isolated from the consequences of their decisions while being bought bu those who benefit from bad decisions.

Your representative might take fuel economy a bit more seriously if s/he were paying for the gas/insurance/etc.

[mac2]

19. This is the way they live?

It isn't any wonder they don't want to give up power and feel entitled. They are no longer "citizen representatives". They can find a loop hole and exploit it. The President and Congress act like they are above us...like royals. They even ignore the law and Constitution since he came to power. Anyone going to tell them this is a democracy?

[Orsino]

30. Yep. It's the way they think. n/t

[DrDan]

24. at a minimum should they not be driving US-manufactured cars?????

What kind of image are they sending?

[high density]

26. Outrageous

Umm, Rep. Rangel, a lot of us have cars that are "important part of doing our job" (e.g. for getting to that job) yet we do not have our employers subsidizing 100% of our automobile expenses.

When stuff like this leaks out it's no surprise that DC is always so out of touch with what's going on.

[tomhayes]

37. Yeah, IMPEACH RANGEL NOW!!!!

Can you imagine he wants a car to be provided to do our nations business -- when YOU EMPLOYER DOESN'T GIVE YOU NO FANCY PANTS CAR!!!!

I want my DIME to MARCh, not to pay for congress to RIDE.

I say we take his car away, and superglue his legs together and make him walk from his office back to his district each day!!!

[AngryOldDem]

34. Only the VERY best for my representatives.....

...they work so hard to deserve it. :sarcasm: