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California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
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beercheck
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
I don't have anything nice to say.
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J-a-z
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
Yes. Because people spend millions of dollars and most of their lives campaigning for top positions in the American Government so they can drive around in an econobox. These are people who want prestige and feel entitlement and privilege because YOU VOTED FOR THEM. WTF else do you think they'll get? A Yaris?

If you want to see politicians riding around on bicycles, move to Sweden or Holland.
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
07/01/09

@J-a-z: Uh, maybe they could pay for their own fucking cars, instead of the taxpayers footing the bill?

They can drive a Bentley for all I care, as long as I don't have to buy it for them.
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beercheck
07/01/09

@FromaBuick6: If that were to become the case, they'd just vote themselves an appropriate raise.
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Superfast
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
This is a tiny tiny drop in the bucket. Like not even on the radar. This is roughly .005% of the annual budget. It's like criticizing an unemployment recipient for not picking up all the pennies he sees on the ground.

California has serious budget problems with actual solutions that need to be the focus of the media, and you're blabbering on about $45,000 cars. $45g is not a let's-get-all-pissy amount for a legislator to spend on a car.

Call me when they buy Ferraris.

Matt, you are without a doubt my least favorite Jalopnik writer.
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
07/01/09

@Superfast: That last part was completely uncalled for.
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CptSevere
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
It's not too unreasonable for the state to pay mileage if the legislators have to drive their own vehicles back and forth from their districts. If the state is going to provide vehicles, I'd rather see them give these guys drug seizure vehicles or standard fleet Crown Vics or whatever it is they use. If I lived in California I'd be pissed.
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acarr260
07/01/09

@CptSevere: If I remember correctly, they have a Ferrari F40 with light damage from a drug seizure. The question then becomes who pays for tires... I know I would need a lot of tires.
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Mad_Science
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
What we're talking about:

~$400,000

Size of the budget deficit:

~$24,000,000,000

Yes, it's asinine and egregious that they pay that much, let alone get an allowance, but let's get some perspective people.

If someone was $1000 in the hole, this would be 1.6 cents worth of the problem.
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acarr260
07/01/09

@Mad_Science: Wow, you guys use more zeroes in your budgets than we do here in the good ol' Midwest.

Of course, we have a surplus of $1b for our state budget.
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
07/01/09

@Mad_Science: That's certainly valid, but it doesn't excuse it. Sure its a drop in the bucket, but so's everything else that added up to that ridiculous deficit. You've gotta start somewhere.
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Mad_Science
07/01/09

@FromaBuick6: Rather than drop-in-the-bucket spending issues, I'd say the CA's legislature has always been one of priorities.

They get hung up on all kinds of minute issues that make for great rhetoric (case in point...), when they have 4567 things that should be higher on the priorities list.

That's why I'm pointing this out. Yes, you do have to start somewhere, but it should be elsewhere.
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acarr260
07/01/09

@Mad_Science: I wholeheartedly agree with you... there are some impressively large elephants in the room there in California, but you all seem to do a good job of ignoring them for the most part.
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Mad_Science
07/01/09

@acarr260 and Chaparral: Let's say there's 8 hours in the Legislative day (ha!). When you've only got so much time to focus on certain things, you gotta hit the biggest financial ones first, not the ones that make for good talkshow fodder.

A great example of them not getting it was a few months ago during the last Great Budget Crisis. Someone had taken the time to introduce a bill (which I believe made it to the floor for debate) to ban/restrict mylar balloons.

The argument was that they account for $#### per year of damage to powerlines and take forever to biodegrade.

Great, sure. We can debate that. But for the love of God, you need to pass a budget first!.
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berribrand
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
Sorry, but this isn't the cause of California's budget woes. The cost associated with these cars are literally a drop in a huge enormous bucket. You can't tackle the budget problem by throwing pennies back into the piggy bank. I agree the Lexus hybrids are a bit too much. They should have gone for the Ford Fusion hybrid or something instead.

Nonetheless, the real culprit behind CA's budget catastrophe are ballot initiative. It's not just the fact that every stupid Joe Shmoe can legislate from the ballot box, it's that special interests can do so as well. Since no one elects special interest groups to any office, it's really a convenient place for them. Pose a stupid ballot initiative to the voters, use slick ads to sell it as morally/fiscally/politically the right thing to do with no basis in facts, then watch the votes come in and swindle the people by earmarking funds that must be used for "special interest cause X". That leaves the State's General Fund depleted and the politicians hands tied so the budget can no longer be balanced.

Our so-called "experiment" in the people's democracy has failed. Isn't this why the founding fathers stated in no uncertain terms that the only legitimate Government in the USA shall be a Republic?
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PatFromGundo
07/01/09

@berribrand: Quiet down, or the ghost of Howard Jarvis will poop in your mouth while you sleep.
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Maxx Cracker
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
Has your governor been "crying for five days in Argentina?" I think not.d
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
07/01/09

@Maxx Cracker: Yeah, what the hell is wrong with him? He caught a lucky break when Michael Jackson died, taking him off the front page, but he just can't shut up about his affair. He must be the dumbest man alive.
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SirNotAppearing
07/01/09

@FromaBuick6: Oh that blubbering asshat! Now he's talking about how the chick from Argentina was his soul mate, and how he's gonna TRY to fall back in love with his wife. What a mouthbreathing fucktard.
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mechimike
07/01/09

@FromaBuick6: Tell me about it. It hurts to be a South Carolinian, especially someone who once thought Sanford was a good gov. So much for that. Democrats, Republicans, the one thing we know is, none of them can keep their wee-pee in their holsters. And in California, they drive Tahoes to compensate.
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scroggzilla raids again
07/01/09

@Maxx Cracker: It was only 15 years ago that Congressman Sanford was leading the charge for Bill Clinton impeachment for the Lewinsky affair. Little did we know that he was getting ready to go Slick Willie style himself.
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MushyHeirloom
07/01/09

@mechimike: You're damn right.

@SCROGGS!!: Hypocrisy isn't entirely a Republican tactic, but damn it, they're trying to make it so.
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Tanshanomi
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
Dang, they could have completely restor-, er, "recycled" a fleet of CRX HFs for that with less total impact on the environment.
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zeeboid
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
That sounds like California. non-american made high end cars for everyone!
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zeeboid
07/01/09

@zeeboid: bah, i take that back, i see some are tahoes.

but yea california, way to be stupid either way.
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elwood
07/01/09

@zeeboid: A full 50% of the cars shown are made by American companies. But don't let the facts get into the way of your conservative wingnut rant.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

@elwood: He took it back, no?
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

@elwood: And he has a point- it just needs to be better expressed.
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MushyHeirloom
07/01/09

@elwood: "Companies" is actually singular: all of these cars are made by Toyota or GM.

As for how many are American: Highlander/Kluger is made in Japan (until this year), the Lexii are Japanese (though some RXes are Canadian), Tahoes are built in Wisconsin and Texas, and the STS is from Michigan.

For once, "American" and "Japanese" are mostly true.
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1991Brougham
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
WTF? No money for Vettes, Vipers, Camaro SS's, Challengers, Shelbys, et al? I INSIST the politicians be given for free the fastest hottest cars around and total immunity from speeding tickets!

Thus will the problem solve itself...LOL!
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

@1991Brougham: Yeah, but the downside is they might hurt more innocent people. Other than that- great idea.
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Flathead Smith
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
I hate these politians more and more everyday, but to me the most frustrating aspect, is the fact that they are actually elected into office. It pains me to know that there are people walking around that vote these absolute clods into office.
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MadcowsDiseased
07/01/09

@Flathead Smith: Your expectations for the general population is too high.You simply shouldn't expect anything positive from them at all.
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BlueToast
07/01/09

@madcows: non compos mentis methane machine: Agreed. It's better to have low expectations of people, and occasionally be surprised, than to be constantly disappointed.
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Six Flags Over Tomsk
07/01/09

@BlueToast likes parenthises.: Heart click for you!
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pauljones
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
Shut up, Dearthair. Don't you say a word.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

@pauljones: I can't wait until he sees this.
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Alfisted
07/01/09

@leavethegun-takethecannoli: Its crown may be tarnished but at least the UK still leads in some ways.
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acarr260
07/01/09

@CPO Alfisted: What does the UK have to do with this?!
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

@CPO Alfisted: They've become a bunch of pansies like us.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

@acarr260: Dearthair is Canadian. Canada is part of the Magic Kingdom. I mean United Kingdom. I didn't mean to insinuate that it is a fantasy land, like Disney World. I wish we had an edit button, or a preview button. The problem is I hit submit before I was able to make corrections.
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Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig)
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
I work at a struggling company, and after 4 rounds of layoffs, frozen raises, and increased healthcare costs for employees....everyone title VP+ still gets a company car or allowance.

Yes, it's private sector, which is different. But I'm still amazed those high-end perks aren't first on the chopping block.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

@Ash78: It's hard to eliminate perks when the ones doing the eliminating are receiving the perks.
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Alfisted
07/01/09

@Ash78: Oh no, can't cut those perks! The best talent will go elsewhere.
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If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face
07/01/09

@Ash78: Sir, you clearly have not been jaded enough by life.
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acarr260
07/01/09

@Ash78: It's Director level and above where I work, and we're an OEM supplier that's on certain very public bankruptcy watch lists. We've already had mandatory unpaid vacation, soaring health care costs, frozen raises, a 10% reduction in pay, suspension of bonuses, and more.... but our execs are still driving very nice company cars. Gee, you may have hit a bit of a nerve there. I'll be outside having a smoke if anyone needs me.
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Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig)
07/01/09

@CPO Alfisted: I like the cut of your jib...at least for the private sector.

What the fuck kind of "talent" is there in politics?

Ever wonder why so many politicians are ex-lawyers, ex-newscasters, ex-educators, or ex-charity people? Apart from a few shining examples, most of those professions are not exactly based on business acumen or any real technical ability.
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Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig)
07/01/09

@Ash78: Sorry about the tone, not directed at you. This whole thing sort of hits a nerve for me, too.
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
State Legislator: Are you bent over?

Constituent: I am.

SL: Could you bend over a little more?

C: I don't think so.

SL: Are you sure?

C: I'm pretty sure.

SL: Okay, brace yourself.

C: Like this?

SL: Umm, no, it's going to be worse than last time. You should probably lean against the wall.

C: Like this?

SL: Just like that.

C: Okay, I think I'm ready.

SL: I doubt it, nothing could prepare you for this, but, here we go.
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Tyson
07/01/09

@leavethegun-takethecannoli: Sadly, the hybrids just means there's less oil used for lubrication.
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trev
07/01/09

@leavethegun-takethecannoli:

scarring.
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MrBangBam
07/01/09

@Tyson: LOL!
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leavethegun-takethecannoli
07/01/09

@verticle: How much more abuse will the people of California stand for?
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MushyHeirloom
07/01/09

@leavethegun-takethecannoli: I'm not going to make any predictions...
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MushyHeirloom
07/01/09

In reply to California Lawmakers Spend $400K On Luxury Hybrids During Budget Crisis
That's right. Joe Biden's better than someone.

I don't believe it either.
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