Only two points here...
Why with only 30K miles on the odometer was the vehicle not satisfactory?
Why wasn't competitive bidding utilized?
As to point 1, have you ever ridden in a ford Explorer? They aren't very spacious, particularly the "luxury" versions, where the seats are a bit overstuffed to try to add some cache to the interior. Also, even with the recent redesign to an independent rear suspension, they are not well-engineered vehicles, and are still unsafe.
Regarding point 2, I am not sure what you mean. This vehicle was not bought through the state. The commissioner bought it himself, as he is allowed to do (I believe). This isn't like buying fleet vehicles for the DPW or cop cars or something.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050319/NEWS01/503190355/1002/NEWS
excerpts:
Louisiana buys $40,000 truck for insurance commissioner
March 19, 2005
The Associated Press
BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana has bought a $40,000 pickup -- a Ford F-250 that sports red flames on its sides, heated seats and a six-disc CD player -- for Insurance Commissioner Robert Wooley.
That follows the state's purchase of a 2004 Eddie Bauer designer edition Ford Expedition for about $40,000 for Wooley just more than a year ago.
Wooley sees nothing wrong with the state buying him two luxury vehicles within two years, said his spokeswoman, Amy Whittington.
Statewide elected officials are exempt from a law prohibiting most state workers from getting luxury vehicles at taxpayer expense.
In a letter to the Division of Administration, an arm of the governor's office, explaining the purchase of the F-250, Wooley touted the Harley-Davidson designer edition's handling and reliability. The letter did not explain the need for the CD player, privacy glass, a diesel engine, a seat warmer or the truck's Harley-Davidson motorcycle logo.