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Posted: Thursday, 15 May 2008 4:50PM

WBBM Investigation: Nearly Half Of Ill. Cong. Let Taxpayers Pay For Their Cars

Bernie Tafoya Reporting

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

CHICAGO (WBBM) - As you head to the gas station to squeeze your credit card until it bleeds, consider a Newsradio 780 investigation that finds that 8 of Illinois’ 19 U.S. congressmen lease vehicles at taxpayer expense--and it’s perfectly legal.

WBBM's Bernie Tafoya reports.

Congressmen are allowed under House rules to lease cars for district business.

Illinois U.S. Representatives who do are charging taxpayers anywhere from $366 a month as Cong. Luis Gutierrez does for a Honda Civic hybrid to $1,161 a month as Cong. Jesse Jackson does for a Ford Expedition.

Cong. Danny Davis defends his use of tax money for transportation saying everything he does is "practically involved" with his work. "I don’t have any life beyond what I do."

He goes on to say even during supposed free time, he's still at work as a congressman. For instance, he says that when he goes to church, people constantly sidle up to him and ask "Congressman, can you help me with my mortgage? Congressman can you get my son out of jail? Congressman, when you get through praying, let me talk to you."

Cong. Dan Lipinski is one of the 11 Illinois congressmen who pay for their own transportation. He says he only uses a personal vehicle because charging taxpayers "raises too many issues," especially when it comes lately to high gasoline prices.

In addition to allowing members of Congress to charge taxpayers for the car leases, House rules allow them to put auto insurance and gasoline to run the cars on the taxpayer tab.

Lipinski says, "People say, 'Oh, the congressman is using my tax dollars to put gasoline in their cars. No wonder we have such high gas prices. They don’t feel the pinch of it.'"

New U.S. House rules say congressmen who charge taxpayers for cars must start leasing more fuel-efficient vehicles.

As it stands now, congressmen like Jesse Jackson Jr. and Bobby Rush, for instance, have gas guzzler SUVs that get 12 miles per gallon in the city, around 17 on the highway. Cong. Danny Davis says he’s sorry he's had to trade in an older gas guzzling but inexpensive-to-lease Mercury Marquis for a Saturn Vue.

Besides Congressmen Jackson, Rush and Davis, the only other Chicago area congressmen who leases a vehicle on the taxpayer dime is Luis Gutierrez who has a Honda Civic hybrid.

Illinois congressmen who lease vehicles at your expense include:

-- Rep. Bobby Rush of Chicago who leases a 2007 Lincoln Navigator for $746/month and gets 12 miles per gallon city/17 mpg highway

-- Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Chicago who leases a 2007 Ford Expedition for $1161/month which gets 12 mpg city/18 mpg highway

-- Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago who leases a 2006 Honda Civic hybrid for $366/month which gets 40 mpg city/45 mpg highway

-- Rep. Danny Davis of Chicago who was leasing a Mercury Marquis for $265/month but was trading it in to lease a Saturn Vue. Further information not yet available.

-- Rep. Jerry Costello of Belleville who leases a 2008 flex fuel Jeep Cherokee for $778/month that gets 9 miles per gallon city/12 mpg highway

-- Rep. Don Manzullo of Rockford who leases a 2007 flex fuel Mercury Mountaineer for $465/month which gets 13 mpg city/18 mpg highway

-- Rep. Phil Hare of Rock Island who leases a 2006 Buick Lucerne for $897/month which gets 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway

-- Rep. John Shimkus of Collinsville who leases a 2007 flex fuel Jeep Commander for $627/month which gets 9 mpg city/12 mpg highway

05/15/2008 7:15AM

Should Congressmen lease their cars at taxpayer expense?

What do you think?

05/15/2008 2:09PM

I just paid $4 per gal gas. $12 for 3 gals. non of this is funny. We are being abused. We are paying taxes for this! how can we stop the abuse?

05/15/2008 2:25PM

Spin Man

In what country does a Ford Expedition lease for more than a Lincoln Navigator? Both vehicles are obscene gas guzzlers that should not be paid for with tax payer dollars. I would be more favorable of a standard allowance for vehicles as opposed to this"get what you want and stick it to the tax paying citizens mentality". Perhaps all reps should receive a standard issue fleet vehicle.

05/15/2008 3:47PM

Congressmen leases

There needs to be laws in place as to how much we can be taxed. And now that we know this, what can we do about it? How do we stop the madness!?

05/15/2008 4:43PM

SD Superintendant

That's all they get?

05/15/2008 9:23PM

And they lecture us?

These guys are the biggest hypocrites.

05/15/2008 9:50PM

This is why

This is why we pay too much in taxes. This is why politicians do not want a recall bill passed to unseat them. This is why they run in the first place. Whoever thinks that someone runs for office is doing it for the people better believe they are doing it to the people. They write the laws and these catch clauses to serve themselves at our expense!

05/16/2008 9:13AM

Disgusted

I think they should have mileage reimbursed at the same amount other federal employees do.$1100 plus dollars a month for an automobile lease is criminal or should be.

05/21/2008 8:35AM

Marco

Interesting...congress causes higher prices for the consumer due to their overregulation of new domestic drilling and prohibitive strictures on refinery development, and yet they don't have to feel the pinch like the rest of us. Vote these elitists out!!!

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