Jalopnik
Representative Michael R. McNulty pays $816 for a 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, which he chose for its utility. Representative Redolphus Towns pays $715 a month for his Lincoln MKX, he bought it to save money on fuel. Representative Louise M. Slaughter needed a car that handled safely in the snow, so she picked a Buick Lucerne, for which the US Taxpayer pays $808 a month. All have chosen to take advantage of the benefit on offer to any member of the US House of Representatives: any car of their choice leased for them with no price limit and all expenses, including gas, paid for.
Now we understand that our Representatives in the House are busy people, what with all the time it takes to investigate the moral fiber of our baseball players and pretending that there's not a war on, but surely they'd benefit from spending just a few minutes picking out better cars or scouring the internet for deals. We're even prepared to help them do so, for free.
Representative McNulty, you might find the Mazda5 has greater utility than your Mariner, it also gets 28mpg on the highway and is available in your area, Albany, for just $249 a month for 24 months. And did you know that the regular 4-cylinder Mariner gets marginally better fuel economy and is available straight from Ford.com for $279/month? It beats riding the boat.
Mr. Towns, if fuel economy is your greatest concern, we'd humbly suggest that an SUV, much less one powered by a 3.5-liter V6, may not be the best car for you. What about a Toyota Prius? Not only will it carry more street-cred with your liberal Brooklyn constituency, but it's available for just $330!
And finally, Mrs. Slaughter. $808 will get you a lot of car, especially if you need one that's safe in the snow. BMW's X5 is amazingly capable in bad conditions and they'll let you have one for only $729/month. That'll save the taxpayers $79 each month and more importantly, might save your life. [via The NY Times]
Photography credit: DBKing
Comments
How the hell do you even find a lease for $800 on a Mercury?? I bet the dealership is owned by his brother-in-law.
For some thoughts on that I offer the following:
Here's a quote from P. J. O'Rourke in "Eat The Rich" which paraphrases an idea from Milton and Rose Friedman's book Free To Choose:
"There is another difficulty with political control of the economy which keeps even the best-behaved governments from using resources well. This problem was explained by the economists Milton and Rose Friedman in their book, Free to Choose. The Friedman's argued that there are only four ways to spend money:
1. Spend your money on yourself.
2. Spend your money on other people.
3. Spend other people's money on yourself.
4. Spend other people's money on other people.
If you spend your money on yourself, you look for the best value at the best price -- knockoff Pings on sale at Golf-ForeLess. If you spend your money on other people, you still worry about price, but you may not know -- or care -- what other people want. So your brother-in-law gets a Deepak Chopra book for Christmas. If you spend other people's money on yourself, it's hard to resist coming home [with] real Pings, a new leather bag, orange pants with little niblicks on them and a pair of Foot-Joy spikes. And if you spend other people's money on other people, any damn thing will do and the hell with what it costs. Almost all government spending falls into category four. This is how the grateful residents of Ukraine got Chernobyl."
Only problem with your suggestions are that they aren't products of the Big 3.
For some reason UAW workers get a bit testy when they see their taxes being used for politicians to drive cars produced by foreign companies.
Finest 500 or so politicians money can buy!
Why would you expect Members of the House of Representatives of the United States to buy Japanese and German cars with tax money?
@DrJeffie: AI just finished PJ O'Rourke's synopsis of "Wealth of Nations" (essentially a 250-page essay/book report) and I have to say I'm addicted to his writing. Funny quote.
I LOVE AMERICA !
@danio3834: because theyd be saving you money by doing so.
I'm disappointed that the article makes no mention of Sen. McCain and his Cadillac CTS. Apparently the senator not only drives himself everywhere, but drives like a maniac too, to the point that aides and assistants are scared to ride with him. Hey, at least he picked a classy car to cut you off on the Beltway in...
@Wes Siler: By exporting our money?
At least if they spend $800 a month on a Mercury, thats $800 in economic stimulous to Dearborn, MI.
So they can't negotiate a decent deal on a car (or there is something fun in the trunk). By all means, let's let them determine our foreign policy.
@Steel_ETC: Not shocking he was a military aircraft pilot instructor, probably still trusts his reflexes.
@acarr260: or there is something fun in the trunk
Does it start with "J" and end with "illwagner"?
Speaking of Jill, I noticed that the current Grand Marquis fire sale does not involve her ($18k for a brand new 08...not bad). I guess they're not making enough profit on it to pay the salary of their Maxim loaner model.
@danio3834: we can always borrow more from china anyways.
Somebody in government needs to drive a 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL and enjoy it. Is that too much to ask?
At least if they spend $800 a month on a Mercury, thats $800 in economic stimulous to Dearborn, MI.
Naw, that's probably $295/month going back to Dearborn, the balance to the local Mercury dealer who agrees to kick a couple hundred a month back into the rep's campaign fund.
Eight hundred a month for a Mariner? Pure shenanigans. Happens every time you write a blank check and say "Here go get yourself a car."
@danio3834: I agree. They should lease American cars, but they shouldn't be getting ripped off by the dealership.
i'll be damned if they had to pay for a car with their salary and kickbacks.
@Wes Siler: Not any more.
I think the headline was Jalopnik Xenophobia causing tightening of Chinese Financial coffers. Chairman says "Chinese cars are good, Jalopnik commentators are capitalist pigs, who wouldn't know a good deal if it came up and dissidented on their asses."
@skyln95: Money for nothing and the chicks for free. Well, maybe not that last part.
Are we sure the payment amount goes to the purchase or lease payment only, or are we jerking our knees a bit?
Friends, please read the article. Not only does the federal government pick up the cost of the lease and the gas, but also general maintenance, insurance, registration fees and excess mileage charges.
Bust out your calculators and I think you'll find $800 a month for a Mariner is a pretty good deal, seeing gas is $4.00 a gallon and some states really pork you for annual registration fees.
@skyln95: I agree. I can't believe there isn't more outrage that we not only pay these assholes salary but pay for their automotive needs while there are families living paycheck to paycheck paying for their own gas and car payments plus all the other normal expenses. Hypocrates.
Neal Boortz, love him or hate him, sometimes jokes about a letter he periodically writes to congresspeople requiring the following verbiage to be added to EVERY single bill or approval that crosses their desk (paraphrased):
"I, _____, hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge and judgment, that the requested use of taxpayer funds is the highest and best use at this time. This expenditure is more valuable to the constituency than if it had been left to the taxpayers to do with as they saw fit."
That's the core of the matter, but Boortz insists the idea gets shot down every time. None of these politicos wants to even acknowledge reality.
Why are taxpayers paying for cars that drive around people who are more often than not wealthy in their own right?
There should be like a maximum annual income cap at which the benefit is cut off or something.
@Ash, Pillar of Decorum: Hear, hear!
@Ash, Pillar of Decorum: Ash, there's a place for you in my administration after the revolution.
@Uncle_Bo is El Commentamino: Actually, the (original) article states that these are the lease prices, no mention is made of the monthly operating costs other than in passing. I would have to think twice about re-electing a senator who pays almost $800 per month to lease a 4 year old Cadillac, especially when he says it "projects an image of success". More like it projects an image of "penny wisdom and pound foolishness". Any one of these cars could easily be found for half the money if it were in the interest of the senators to look.
Big lease payment= lower purchase price at end = more bucks when you sell car to your friends, at least thats what I do with my business lease
@skloon: You, sir, are Senate material.
@lascauxcaveman: only if he typed that drunk.
@bzr - Pinko Commie Bastard Edition:
Funny you should mention that, here is the perfect one, said to be the first 427 off the assembily line...
I like how in the top left of the first picture, Dick Cheney is telling the green-shirted guy to go back to russia.
Ya know... As I was filling my car up last night with $4.15 a gallon gasoline, it occurred to me that our government may not have the peoples' best interest at heart. I'm not sure but I've heard they may be lining the pockets of wealthy corporate donors with taxpayer dollars.
It's probably just a rumor though.
My friends, when elected to Congress, I intend to drive a turquoise or cherry red Studebaker Avanti as my daily driver.
Vote for me!
@mytdawg: as wealthy corporate donors are lining their pockets as well. it's all a big racket now.
We ought to buy each and every one of them a 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible, and require them to drive with the top down at all times.
@mytdawg: It takes me half a C-note to fill up a Camry. But the public silence is deafening. If the gas price jump is a trial balloon, I'm pretty sure the oil companies and their related parasites are taking note of what traffic will (literally)bear.
Sounds like being a Congressman is a pretty sweet deal. I want to know what Ron Paul drives.
Whatever it is, all Congressmen and Senators should drive one as well.
@skyln95: I believe that's called a "circle jerk"...
And why does that Galaxie 500 have a colostomy bag?
@danio3834: Why is Dearborn more in need than Kentucky, where Toyota has a plant? Or one of 12 other locations Toyota has R&D and manufacturing plants in the USA ([www.toyota.com])? Surely some portion of the dollars (possibly the same amount) would end up there if one of them bought a Prius.
And Mazda...owned by Ford. So the dollars would still go to Dearborn.
BMW, too, has a plant. This one in Spartanburg, SC.
The point is, some portion of the money would still go to US citizens and blue-collar workers. Buying foreign isn't like it was back in the 70's...
And they'd also be closer aligned with their stated reasons for purchasing these cars, and save us all some cash.
Yeah, right. Why don't you try to sell Fiat 500s to your local UAW officials?
In the USA, image trumps logic, especially for public figures.
Why don't they pay for their own damn car, like the rest of us?
How come the first thing to get cut is always public service? We don't have enough public funds so we're going to cut fire and police service so I can keep my personal butt washer.
They've done a pretty good job of keeping the public scared enough to let them throw money around like it wasn't actually ours.
I feel like I'm watching the legislative equivalent of a very very expensive dine-n-dash...
@mytdawg: Q: "And why does that Galaxie 500 have a colostomy bag?"
A: It would be more accurate to call it a "douche bag" (that's what my dad always called them), as it is for the windshield washer fluid.
"Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead"
gr