SEVEN TEA PARTY Freshmen SPENT More Than $100,000 In TAXPAYER MONEY On Personal Cars

[Segami]

TEA-BAG HYPOCRITTERS:




" Though they campaigned on a platform of reducing the deficit and ridding wasteful spending, more than a half-dozen Tea Party congressmen have collectively spent over $100,000 in taxpayer money on personal vehicles.


ThinkProgress examined spending records for the 112th Congress and found seven GOP freshmen — Reps. Chip Cravaack (R-MN), Sean Duffy (R-WI), Bill Flores (R-TX), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Bill Johnson (R-OH), Mike Pompeo (R-KS), and Steve Womack (R-AR) — who had spent an average of $15,000 on cars for themselves. All together, their taxpayer bill totaled $106,643.


There is nothing illegal about the practice of using taxpayer money to lease personal-use cars, but it smacks of hypocrisy for Tea Partiers like Duffy who promised to “lead by example” when it comes to deficit reduction.
Many of the vehicles go beyond a standard sedan. For example, Cravaack is charging taxpayers more than $1,000 a month to pay the lease on his 2011 Chevy Equinox, a crossover SUV with all-wheel drive.


Here’s what the seven Republican freshmen’s congressional offices have spent on cars in the past year and a half:

Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN): $25,580.84

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI): $24,525.00

Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX): $10,997.45

Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO): $20,978.07

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH): $4,889.76

Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS): $8,848.00

Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR): $10,746.59


Total: $106,643

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/07/16/511807/tea-party-car-leases/

.

[patrice]

1. K&R

[patrice]

2. Pompous Pompeo apparently not above SOCIALISM for Koch-bots. nt

[onehandle]

3. Jus' reg'lar folk. nt

[Xyzse]

4. Even if I don't like them

I don't see this as being much of an issue.
These are personal vehicles leased or rented which means it is not theirs, merely for their use during their tenure in their office.

It is also noting that all of them combined got towards that point, not just one of them. If it was one of them only reaching that amount, then I could understand some outrage, but in the general scheme of things, this is something very small.

There are many other things I can be outraged about, this one doesn't really bother me much.

The idea is to rent out a vehicle that has the security and features for their day to day work. Although, I might suggest just buying a car, some of that involves bullet proofing and other things, so I can see why it would go that high. It also makes much more sense to rent a car than buying one here as many of them reside in the capital at a temporary basis.

[louis-t]

6. You're joking, right? Bulletproof?

These are grown men that should already own a car. Why they need to buy or lease a car on the taxpayers' dime is beyond me.

[Xyzse]

24. Well...

Most of these are people from a differerent state, and hopefully they will only stay at the capital for a year or two. That doesn't necessitate moving their car from their state all the way to DC.

Secondly, if you only look at their usage and not everyone else, then there is no basis for comparison.

Which is why I can't really find myself outraged or anything about this.

Now, if their usage comparatively is at least three times higher than any other politician, then I can find reason to be mad.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

48. The issue is exposing hypocrisy, though.

They ran against government spending.

Get a piece of junk used car like everyone else or purchase a metro pass.

Those who didn't run on a message of austerity can drive around in whatever they like.

[Xyzse]

53. Yes,

I wish things work that way but sadly it doesn't.
Unless it can be proven that what they are doing is beyond the norm, I don't see people getting much mileage out of this one.

It would just be us griping about them doing something that is part of a congressional package.

[The Doctor.]

66. Why is this so far over your head?

It's not that they've spent the money on nice transportation, it's that they've spent money on nice transportation after campaigning on NOT spending taxpayer money AT ALL.

Seriously, what about that do you not get?

[JDPriestly]

61. Congressmembers receive a salary. They should buy their cars out of their salaries like other

working Americans do. That goes for Democrats as well as Republicans. Think if every member of Congress spends on average $10,000 on a car every couple of years how much that bauble costs taxpayers. This is only a few members of Congress and the amounts add up.

[jberryhill]

27. Yeah... like owning a car in Colorado is a lot of help in DC

Not only are these people "grown", but in most instances they have a home and a family back in their district.

Regardless of who they are, being one of the 535 people which constitute the legislature of the United States, I don't see why there should be some hullabaloo over their salary or expense allotments.

House members, in particular, don't tend to be particularly wealthy, and it's not as if living in DC is exactly cheap. Again, whatever their living and transportation arrangements are in DC, they still have to maintain their residence and family arrangements back in their districts.

Or are they supposed to drive to work from their home state?

[Xyzse]

28. Thanks

That is what I mean.
I don't see why this is that big of a deal in comparison to everything else.
It is meant as a transportation allotment and if I may say, that report does not give a basis for comparison.

[nikto]

58. Morally relative much?

Take 2 hypocrisy pills and call Fox in the morning.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

31. $174k per year can buy a lot of train and bus passes. And the occasional cab ride.

That's $87k per residence if you want to split it up. Most of these clowns shack up together or get sweetheart deals on living arraignments from constituents donors.

I'd be curious to know how much of a pay bump these clowns got from their civilian gigs they had before taking office.

How about they by/lease their OWN car for personal use with their own money?

The first one on the list has a 79k retirement disability pension from NW airlines for sleep apnea. Hmm. He got a big pay raise

Chip Cravaack-He retired from Northwest in 2007 due to sleep apnea, receiving a $79,000 per year medical disability pension, and becoming a stay-at-home dad for a time

The second one, Duffy, who "struggles" with his $174k salary while he votes to cut other public employee's salaries, was a Wisconsin DA - they are notoriously underpaid. They start at $50k ish.

[JDPriestly]

65. Compared to other Americans, members of Congress earn a good salary.

The current salary (2006) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $165,200 per year.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/aa031200a.htm

Per the Daily Caller:

According to the report, members of Congress receive an annual salary of $174,000 — which alone puts them in the highest-paid 5 percent of U.S. workers. They also, however, receive a host of additional benefits that put their total annual compensation at around $285,000. By comparison, the average full-time American employee earns just $50,875 annually.

. . . .

The groups point out that if congressional salaries were cut to $100,000, taxpayers could save $39 million each year. (RELATED: Gingrich worth at least $6.7 million, has paid off Tiffany account)

http://dailycaller.com/2011/07/27/report-members-of-congress-earn-3-4-times-more-than-the-average-u-salary/

I think that $50,875 is a high figure for the average pay for the full-time American employee at $50. Besides, so many Americans can't get full-time work now, so the actual take-home pay is less than the article states in my opinion.

And when you talk about median pay, I think you get a more realistic figure:

The annual median wage fell in 2010 for the second year in a row to $26,364, a 1.2 percent drop from 2009, and the lowest level since 1999, according to David Cay Johnston at Reuters.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/us-incomes-falling-as-optimism-reaches-10-year-low_n_1022118.html

So, the basic pay for members of Congress is several times the pay of the average worker and/or the median wage for workers.

[Politicalboi]

76. Let them use campaign funds

To purchase a car. Let their donors flip the bill. And if they use their own car, let them get a tax write off.

[nadinbrzezinski]

45. No he is not jocking

Let's assume for a sec you were elected to office.

You live in Maryland, driving is feasible.

You were elected from Colorado, the comute sucks.

[Tsiyu]

13. Yet they wail over someone getting the maximum $2400/ yr in Food Stamps

so that person can, you know....have something to eat.

These tools don't need taxpayer-subsidized vehicles. Not when they're telling us to live in austerity.

It's more evidence of Teabagger hypocrisy and avarice.

[Xyzse]

26. I'm not saying that it isn't hypocritical

Merely, I think that is average with any other politician.
Which is why I can't find myself angry about it. Unless there is a rule change about that where all politicians must provide their own transport at their own dime, I don't see this as being anything.

In fact, it is well known that politicians use tax-payer money to go to events in and out of the country.

[Blanks]

29. I agree.

It might be something to keep in mind if someone is compiling a list of freshman tea-party members abuses.

By itself; not very damning. IMHO

[Tsiyu]

47. If you ran on a platform slick with the froth

that spewed out of your pie-hole over taxes - the EVIL of taxes, the UNCONSTITUTIONALITY of taxes, the IRRATIONALITY of taxes, and also a platform slicked with your bile over FREELOADERS who game the system, you damn straight are a hypocritical, two-faced, fork-tongued piece of merde if you then turn around and let the taxpayer foot your ride.

Welfare kings, sportin' those SUVs on the dole. That is what these teabaggers are.

[Xyzse]

49. Again...

That though I agree with that assessment, I think what is being discussed is the norm rather than the exception, so I can't go after them for something that more than likely every one does, and the only issue is due to their views rather than an actual illegality.

[Tsiyu]

50. Aha. The "Everyone Else Does It" Defense

My parents never bought that one.

Neither do I.

[Xyzse]

52. Why yes

Transportation is part of a representative's package.

Like I said, I don't disagree that it is hypocritical of them, but I still maintain that going after this is very limited.

The article has not provided a comparison with other representatives, which makes it very one sided.

I'd rather go after other things.
In this we can agree to disagree. If you wish to keep digging in this vein, more power to you. Other than that, I don't really see a point.

[Tsiyu]

56. There's really no digging to be done

They plopped the taxpayer-funded evidence right out in the open.

I say we discuss whatever we feel like discussing. Seems you totally agree with me, as you have shot quite a few loads in this thread for someone who worries about keeping their powder dry.






Bang.

[Doremus]

69. Did they ask people to vote for them to uphold status quo ... or to change status quo?

Is accepting a car because it's part of "their package" 1) what they said they were going to do, and 2) what people voted for them to do?

They SAID they were going to change how things are done.
They ASKED people to vote for them so that they could.


Is this how they keep their word?

This is only ONE example of how they are lying sacks of shit.
It's EXTREMELY relevant and their opponents should make a BIG DEAL about this because IT IS.

[Politicalboi]

77. The Last Word

Last night had this story. There was a Dem who had 3 cars for a total of $9,000. I would think that is $3,000 a year. Why can't these Teabaggers do that? Like I said up post, their donors should pay for it if $3,000 a year isn't enough.

[Angry Dragon]

23. Why should the taxpayers pay for their personal use??

[hughee99]

34. While you can argue there's some hypocricy in it

I don't think this story is going to have any legs for exactly this reason.

Why not just demand they forgo all pay and have no staff too, since that's also spending taxpayer money. They should work in an office with no electricity, no equipment and no staff or they're just a bunch of god-damn hypocrites who promised not to spend taxpayer money if they got elected and then immediately came to Washington expecting the taxpayer to pay for all this shit.

[Xyzse]

37. Exactly.

I'd rather focus my energies elsewhere.
I doubt this is going to go any where.

[nikto]

59. You said, "I'd rather focus my energies elsewhere..."

Like on your own moral and intellectual decay?





That's a lot to focus on.

Maybe you'd better narrow it down, sport.

[Xyzse]

73. Not quite

Rather, on things that would actually gain some traction.
This one I doubt will.

I know what people are saying that they campaigned on the promise of austerity. I already know they are full of shit.

So, I look for the more egregious crap that they pull off rather than something that would trend in the norm in congress or senate.

This issue, to me is just nitpicking. I know they nitpick like hell too, but I am sorry that this just makes things look whiny and dumb. So I rather go for something that can actually be considered wrong in most cases.

[karynnj]

35. I think some parts of your comments go too far

Not to mention, you go far too far - there is no reason to think that a freshman member of Congress needs bullet proving as a feature. It might make more sense for them to bring their personal car to DC and to rent a car for the short times they return to their district - charging that to their House account.

The fact is that the cost of living in DC is very high - and even with the salary they get, it is hard to maintain their in-district home and have a place to live in DC.

The problem comes when you compare their words against others to their then taking advantage of all the perks of office.

[Xyzse]

36. Well

I was merely giving examples.

The idea is a transportation method. Like I mentioned earlier, most of these guys live in a different state.
Not all representatives are very well off. So they get to rent out a car, rather than buying one.

Granted, some of the ones cited at the top, they are better off just buying their own.

Besides, as per mentioned I have not seen a comparison to other representatives. So it is hard for me to feel outrage on this account since many politicians do use tax payer money for transportation, be it in the US or abroad.

Though I definitely agree with you that renting a car for their short times returning to the district.
However, I thought that was what they are doing as is from the post. As mentioned in the post, it is for rental rather than owning.

[Chan790]

42. "the cost of living in DC is very high"

It's not that high. I know because I live here and I've never made $30K in a year. I can honestly say I know less than 25 people making more than $50K here and none of them have any problem living in DC.

Congressmen that whine about how little they make and the cost-of-living in DC should resign from Congress. No sympathy.

[Segami]

44. And a couple of congressmen are MILLIONAIRES

see post #40

[Xyzse]

54. Granted.

As mentioned, I agree it is hypocritical, and if you're willing to go after this vein, sure by all means.
I am not going to stop you.

However, for me, I don't see this as that big of a deal. I will respect your attempts to make an issue of it, while I will concentrate elsewhere. Since I find other things more important.

[HopeHoops]

5. While it is hypocritical, even the top two aren't that expensive, and $5K is damn cheap.

[Zalatix]

7. They should be working for free, or minimum wage.

Like they want the rest of us to.

[HopeHoops]

11. They work?

[Zalatix]

12. LOL point taken!

[GoCubsGo]

22. I would be happy if they would swap me for the rest of their terms.

I'll drive the leased vehicle, and they can drive my car. It's 15-years-old. It needs new tires and a new muffler, and god knows what else. The paint is faded and looks like hell. The driver's side window does not roll down, but at least the AC still works--for now.

Sons of bitches. These shitstains are one of the reasons I haven't been able to find a new job after members of their ratfuck party cost me the one I was in for 20 years. And, they are the reason I can't replace that old car with a new one. Words cannot express how much I despise these wastes of human flesh.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

8. Let's say for argument's sake this isn't a big deal. The way repukes win is

by taking shit like this and talk about it as if it were the biggest thing since Watergate. They do that with every little thing that they can get their hands on to create a public perception of their opponents. I say Democrats in congress should do the same.

[Segami]

9. Bingo! and thank you!

You are bang on!

[Angry Dragon]

25. +13,130

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Pompeo is a racist

During the campaign in 2010, his opponent was an Indian native. Pompeo called him a "towel head".

[Zalatix]

14. And he fucking WON?!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Yep.

[demtenjeep]

18. he "walked" in my hometown parade on the 4th of July. He came over and was shaking hands

passing out pencils and campaign shit.

I had my "I only sleep with Democrats" t-shirt and even tho he shook my sister's hand, He totally ignored me and I was right next to her.

He is such an asshole

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. He's definitely the worst of the 4 reps from Kansas

[Panasonic]

15. Okay - once Schaffer gets a hold of this information

Gardner's toast.

Schaffer has been looking for dirt, and I think you just might have saved his campaign.

[madamesilverspurs]

74. Gardner is my alleged rep.

And I do mean alleged.


Welcome to DU!

-

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. In all fairness to Duffy

he and his family ARE having a difficult time living on $174K/year!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

17. HUGE Kick and REC!!!!!!!

GodDAMMIT I LIKE it when these POS scumbags get busted!!


Get the info out there!!!!

[ejbr]

19. Not only THAT....Duffy is leasing

a GM car... a company they wanted to go bankrupt!

[Kalidurga]

30. Now that is a campaign ad

Just show Duffy driving around the GM with a voice over saying this is the company that Duffy wanted to go bankrupt and then have a GM worker thanking Obama for saving his job.

[shraby]

32. That's twice what we paid for our car..whassamatter with them using public transportation??

Are they too good for what "common" people use all the time? Joe Biden used it since he came to congress.

[nxylas]

33. This is perfectly in line with Tea Party principles

They're not opposed to getting government handouts, they just don't want "those people" getting them.

[proReality]

38. I guess they believe in "entitlements" after all. n/t

[obamanut2012]

39. Still cannot believe someone from Real World is a Congressman

married to another Real Worlder.

[progressoid]

40. And two of them are MILLIONAIRES

Net Worth:

Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN): $1,394,009

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI): -$167,497

Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX): $7,924,008

Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO): $105,506

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH): $450,026

Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS): $267,514

Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR): $263,504

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-11-15/congress-wealthy-1/51216626/1

[KansDem]

41. This alone should be enough to put the Teapublicans out of business!

What hypocrites!

[Initech]

43. Wasteful government spending!!!!!!1!!! And such.

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. If you are from Maryland I can see commuting to the House

if you were elected from Colorado, that is a hell of a commute, you dig?

[SheilaT]

51. The DC area has amazing public transportation.

I first moved there in 1968, and did not own a car until 1976, when I decided to go back to school. This was before the Metro opened, and I had no trouble getting along on public transportation, even though I did shift work at National Airport, and so I was commuting some pretty odd hours.

DC is not too expensive for anyone to live in. Yeah, if you think you have to have a multi-million dollar home in one of the nicer neighborhoods, then their salary won't go far, but as others have already pointed out, these are exactly the kind of people who don't bring their families to DC and live cheaply in some kind of shared living arrangement.

These people begrudge food stamps for the poor while they get free meals probably five nights a week from various lobbyists (when I ran for the Kansas State House in 2004 I was amazed at how many free meals I got), think that it's okay that millions of Americans have inadequate or no health insurance while making sure they get a cadillac plan of their own.

It's they hypocrisy.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

78. DC has amazing public transportation

If you have and want to spend the time to use it. I live in a DC suburb (19 miles from where I work), and if I took public transportation to work, it would take me an hour and a half and $11.00 each way. I could cut 30 minutes off the commute each way by driving to the Metro station, and adding $4.75 to the cost.

For me, Metro is great for going into town for a ball game or to the museums, but not at all worth it, in either time or money, for the daily commute.

[SheilaT]

81. Yes, it does depend on where you live and where you work, but members of Congress are more apt

to live fairly close in, than the average resident of the area.

[notadmblnd]

55. don't they get paid enough to purchase their own cars?

why are taxpayers footing the bill?

[nikto]

57. Some pigs are more equal than others...

Goes with the freeper territory.

[VenusRising]

60. So Teabaggers are "taxed enough already"...

but screw everyone else. Typical "I got mine" Randian bullshit.

[Tx4obama]

62. INFOGRAPHIC below

[yortsed snacilbuper]

75. Cool pornographic,

I wonder what the nuts that voted for them will think about this?

[Tx4obama]

63. Did they forget that they have to run every two years for re-election?

Dumb asses!

This will be great in Democratic ads in those states

[Blue Owl]

64. Cars equipped with DUAL TEABAGS

n/t

[Segami]

67. HAHAHAHA

[Rosa Luxemburg]

68. I want a TAX REFUND!

[Thor_MN]

70. Cravaack doesn't even live in Minnesota any more.

His family is in New Hampshire. The hypocrit made a deal out of Oberstar having a home in DC, now he can't be bothered to even pretend that he has connections to Minnesota. This POS needs to go.

[crazy homeless guy]

71. $15k per car? ...I hate to say it but more gov't ass clowns should limit their spending on transpor

Did they buy a older used Lexus or maybe a newer used Fiesta with this money? Maybe they splurged on something like a new Hyundai Accent.

[uncle ray]

72. that is one year's cost to taxpayers of having the car, not a purchase price.

[Tx4obama]

79. The amounts are how much was spent in one year to LEASE the cars. n/t

[yortsed snacilbuper]

80. Didn't these yahoos take some kind of teabagger oath not to waste,

guvmint moolah?