Author Topic: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress  (Read 3280 times)

Ben

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$1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« on: March 22, 2018, 11:42:24 AM »
This is kinda infuriating. Who even wants to drive a car in DC? And when they're home, drive your own damn car like the rest of the gov drones do. Or else check a gov vehicle out of the GSA pool.

https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2018/03/22/austerity-budget-set-to-impose-limit-of-1000month-on-taxpayer-funded-car-leases-for-members-of-congress/
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makattak

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2018, 11:46:45 AM »
I'm shocked at that price.

And then I reflect that every one of the members of congress (each, individually) thinks they are more important than the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

And now it makes sense.
I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought

Hawkmoon

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2018, 11:48:05 AM »
I'm shocked that we taxpayers are paying anything for congresscritters to lease cars.
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Ben

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2018, 12:14:01 PM »
I'm shocked that we taxpayers are paying anything for congresscritters to lease cars.

I'm not necessarily against "for official use" vehicles for them, but like I said, have a GSA pool so it's one vehicle per congressman plus aides. I used to order the GSA vehicles for my office. The most expensive vehicles I ordered were the larger Suburban/Expeditions with 4WD that we used for emergency response and occasionally hauling smaller vessels. They were a "specialty vehicle" that ran around $350/mo plus mileage IIRC. They were also shared by an entire office. Something like a Ford Focus ran around $120/mo, and a passenger minivan around $200.

To get up to $1000/mo they'd about have to be (if using GSA) leasing something like a Lincoln Towncar and driving at least a couple thousand miles a month.
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MechAg94

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2018, 12:31:54 PM »
I heard of someone in our company getting lease truck for about $800 per month.  I think it was independent of miles with maintenance paid for.  That said, they don't all need vehicles.

Are we paying for drivers also?
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Fly320s

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2018, 12:40:39 PM »
Certainly no Democrat would use a fossil fuel-burning, greenhouse gas-causing, globular-worming, male privilege automobile.
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TommyGunn

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2018, 01:45:11 PM »
TAKE THEIR CARS AWAY!  GIVE THEM ALL MOPEDS!

I pay enough in taxes   .... and had to buy my own car.  Let the Kongresskritters  buy their own!   >:D :mad: >:D

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dogmush

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2018, 03:26:54 PM »
I'm not necessarily against "for official use" vehicles for them, but like I said, have a GSA pool so it's one vehicle per congressman plus aides. I used to order the GSA vehicles for my office. The most expensive vehicles I ordered were the larger Suburban/Expeditions with 4WD that we used for emergency response and occasionally hauling smaller vessels. They were a "specialty vehicle" that ran around $350/mo plus mileage IIRC. They were also shared by an entire office. Something like a Ford Focus ran around $120/mo, and a passenger minivan around $200.

To get up to $1000/mo they'd about have to be (if using GSA) leasing something like a Lincoln Towncar and driving at least a couple thousand miles a month.

I borrowed a GSA from Navel Special Warfare for a week while we were supporting their training.  It was a brand new F150 Raptor :rofl:  SOCOM gets all the goodies.

Ben

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2018, 04:48:19 PM »
I borrowed a GSA from Navel Special Warfare for a week while we were supporting their training.  It was a brand new F150 Raptor :rofl:  SOCOM gets all the goodies.

How the heck did that get on the GSA list? I remember seeing bullet resistant Mercedes as options, but a Raptor is sorta like putting a Vette or something on the lease list.  :laugh:
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PEfarmer

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2018, 05:32:43 PM »
I read some time last year that the Border Patrol has and loves Raptors.  Incidentally, they had to wait until Ford made a run without leather seats, since apparently, leather seating is the line even GSA won't cross.

Hawkmoon

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2018, 06:06:20 PM »
I'm not necessarily against "for official use" vehicles for them, but like I said, have a GSA pool so it's one vehicle per congressman plus aides.

Not even one vehicle per congresscritter. Realistically, how often does each congresscritter need to use a car, and how often does each congresscritter need to send an aide somewhere that requires automobile travel? My guess would be that a fleet of 100 cars would be more than adequate.
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Ben

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2018, 06:07:02 PM »
I read some time last year that the Border Patrol has and loves Raptors. 

Ah, yeah. For the LE. That makes sense fr them being on the list.
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just Warren

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2018, 08:51:47 PM »
Certainly no Democrat would use a fossil fuel-burning, greenhouse gas-causing, globular-worming, male privilege automobile.

In my part of the state, a supposed conservative, who made his bones locally fighting stupid little things, not only had a state provided car but also a driver on the payroll.

He lived only a few hours from Sac but that was too much for him or his personal car apparently.

Even paying him a dollar a mile would have been cheaper.
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Scout26

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #13 on: March 23, 2018, 12:12:45 AM »
The standard MP patrol vehicles in Germany in the late 1980's were Volkswagen Vans (aka Hippy Microbuses) and Transporters (aka Dragon Wagons) along with Chrysler K-cars.  MPI and CID had a couple of newer Golfs.   
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2018, 11:43:35 AM »
TAKE THEIR CARS AWAY!  GIVE THEM ALL MOPEDS!BICYCLES! MASS TRANSIT MAPS!

I pay enough in taxes   .... and had to buy my own car.  Let the Kongresskritters  buy their own!   >:D :mad: >:D



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Nick1911

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2018, 11:46:38 AM »
I would like to take away TommyGunn's ability to change font size...

bedlamite

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #16 on: March 23, 2018, 11:48:57 AM »
I would like to take away TommyGunn's ability to change font size...

Where's the like button?
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makattak

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #17 on: March 23, 2018, 11:53:33 AM »
I would like to take away TommyGunn's ability to change font size...
Where's the like button?

We don't have one.
I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought

Ben

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #18 on: March 23, 2018, 11:58:17 AM »
I would like to take away TommyGunn's ability to change font size...

 =D

Hey, you're the tech guy. How do we restrict font size to 20 or lower?  :laugh:
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

makattak

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #19 on: March 23, 2018, 11:59:45 AM »
=D

Hey, you're the tech guy. How do we restrict font size to 20 or lower?  :laugh:

Then you old farts can't read it.


Addendum: I'm quite annoyed that all this humor is wasted with people viewing from Tapatalk.
I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought

Ben

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #20 on: March 23, 2018, 12:05:08 PM »
Then you old farts can't read it.


Addendum: I'm quite annoyed that all this humor is wasted with people viewing from Tapatalk.

We have workarounds.

"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

cordex

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #21 on: March 23, 2018, 12:16:44 PM »
FTFY
Politicians love to push for underutilized mass transit options in areas it doesn't make sense already, just wait until they have to use them exclusively.  They'll be voting for light rail everywhere.

MechAg94

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #22 on: March 23, 2018, 12:20:34 PM »
Politicians love to push for underutilized mass transit options in areas it doesn't make sense already, just wait until they have to use them exclusively.  They'll be voting for light rail everywhere.
Yes, with mass transit they can pander to liberals while still giving massive contracts to their political supporters. 
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HankB

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2018, 03:37:54 PM »
Not even one vehicle per congresscritter . . .
Especially if that congresscritter is a Kennedy.
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just Warren

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Re: $1000/mo Car Leases for Congress
« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2018, 05:02:25 PM »
Oh come on! That's water under the bridge!
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