Cars Congress Drives

Post by **SonomaCat** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:24 pm

This link is a list of the cars and costs taxpayers paid for cars for the lawmakers in 2005. It is telling that so few fuel-efficient models were leased by our lawmakers ... what a way to lead by example. I also doubt that these people really need huge SUVs for their daily trips to the bars and fundraisers of D.C. I doubt they are using them for much heavy lifting or high clearance driving.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 6/60313001

GOKATS · Post by **GOKATS** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:48 pm

Bay Area Cat wrote:This link is a list of the cars and costs taxpayers paid for cars for the lawmakers in 2005. It is telling that so few fuel-efficient models were leased by our lawmakers ... what a way to lead by example. I also doubt that these people really need huge SUVs for their daily trips to the bars and fundraisers of D.C. I doubt they are using them for much heavy lifting or high clearance driving.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 6/60313001

Had you taken it to one more article from the same source, you would have read, "all members of Congress have the option of leasing a car 'for use in the district they represent' ".

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... /603130407

Post by **SonomaCat** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:02 pm

Thanks for pointing that out -- I wrongly assumed the comps would come when the Congresspeople were away from home ... my tax mentality showing through.

I still don't see the need for the SUVs on the public dime (while we publicly debate our energy conservation policies), but at least there is a chance that they might see a gravel road in their home districts ... but not many, I assume.

GOKATS · Post by **GOKATS** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:23 pm

Bay Area Cat wrote:Thanks for pointing that out -- I wrongly assumed the comps would come when the Congresspeople were away from home ... my tax mentality showing through.

I still don't see the need for the SUVs on the public dime (while we publicly debate our energy conservation policies), but at least there is a chance that they might see a gravel road in their home districts ... but not many, I assume.

I'm not going any further than Montana Congressman, but I think all three of them do a good job of traveling in state, which is much safer in a SUV on a year round basis. The privilege might be abused in other districts, but in my mind driving a SUV in Montana makes sense.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:30 pm

An AWD car is safer still ... and gets better fuel efficiency.

I guess I just have a hangup on our countries obsession with driving high profile SUVs for vanity purposes in instances where they just aren't necessary (the only times they are necessary being when you are hauling a lot of people or a lot of stuff over bad roads). As long as we're in a foreign-oil dependency state, I just wish that our nations elected leaders would at least make a token effort to appear to be fuel-efficiency conscious. Driving SUVs while complaining about high oil prices just doesn't work for me.

Next up ... complaining about all other federal fleet vehicles that are unnecessarily fuel guzzling.

The article just tapped into a pet peeve of mine (which wasn't even the same reason the article was linked when I read it in the first place -- it was complaining about the benefits given to Congressmen, which I don't have as much of a problem with) ... thanks for humoring me and putting up with my random rant.

gtapp · Post by **gtapp** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:33 am

Bay Area Cat wrote:An AWD car is safer still ... and gets better fuel efficiency.

I guess I just have a hangup on our countries obsession with driving high profile SUVs for vanity purposes in instances where they just aren't necessary (the only times they are necessary being when you are hauling a lot of people or a lot of stuff over bad roads). As long as we're in a foreign-oil dependency state, I just wish that our nations elected leaders would at least make a token effort to appear to be fuel-efficiency conscious. Driving SUVs while complaining about high oil prices just doesn't work for me.

Next up ... complaining about all other federal fleet vehicles that are unnecessarily fuel guzzling.

The article just tapped into a pet peeve of mine (which wasn't even the same reason the article was linked when I read it in the first place -- it was complaining about the benefits given to Congressmen, which I don't have as much of a problem with) ... thanks for humoring me and putting up with my random rant.

I agree Brad. But I still can't wait until my custom Suburban with the 502 chevy block with super-charger comes in. I did have to make concessions due to the high price of gas and not order the third row seat.

Post by **SonomaCat** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:38 am

You're a bad, bad man, Gary Tapp.

RyeCat · Post by **RyeCat** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:26 pm

I found the list of cars driven by the world's top 10 wealthiest much more interesting. Warren Buffet drives a 1991 Lincoln Towncar with "Thrify" on the license plates. Maybe our congress member could take some pointers from Warren.

grizzh8r · Post by **grizzh8r** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:32 pm

RyeCat wrote:I found the list of cars driven by the world's top 10 wealthiest much more interesting. Warren Buffet drives a 1991 Lincoln Towncar with "Thrify" on the license plates. Maybe our congress member could take some pointers from Warren.

Stingy is the word that comes to mind there, not thrifty...

Hell's Bells · Post by **Hell's Bells** » Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:15 pm

gtapp wrote:
Bay Area Cat wrote:An AWD car is safer still ... and gets better fuel efficiency.

I guess I just have a hangup on our countries obsession with driving high profile SUVs for vanity purposes in instances where they just aren't necessary (the only times they are necessary being when you are hauling a lot of people or a lot of stuff over bad roads). As long as we're in a foreign-oil dependency state, I just wish that our nations elected leaders would at least make a token effort to appear to be fuel-efficiency conscious. Driving SUVs while complaining about high oil prices just doesn't work for me.

Next up ... complaining about all other federal fleet vehicles that are unnecessarily fuel guzzling.

The article just tapped into a pet peeve of mine (which wasn't even the same reason the article was linked when I read it in the first place -- it was complaining about the benefits given to Congressmen, which I don't have as much of a problem with) ... thanks for humoring me and putting up with my random rant.

I agree Brad. But I still can't wait until my custom Suburban with the 502 chevy block with super-charger comes in. I did have to make concessions due to the high price of gas and not order the third row seat.

only a 502?? my durango has a cummins diesel in it...from a semi

Cars Congress Drives

Cars Congress Drives

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