Who would have guessed this woman would have been a Democrat?
Posted on 07/28/2008 1:50:31 PM PDT by CaspersGh0sts
When she arrived in Congress last fall, Rep. Laura Richardson sought out a vehicle that would match her newfound status.
She settled on a 2007 Lincoln Town Car - the choice of many representatives who lease their vehicles at taxpayers' expense. But hers was distinct: at $1,300 a month, it was the most expensive car in the House of Representatives.
Richardson, a Democrat who represents Carson, has since become known for defaulting on two home loans and losing a third house - in an upscale neighborhood in Sacramento - at a foreclosure auction.
But her history with vehicles has been similarly fraught. When she was a councilwoman in Long Beach, she crashed her BMW, abandoned it at a body shop, failed to pay a prior repair bill, and then racked up 30,000 miles on a city-owned hybrid in one year - apparently violating a policy against personal use of city cars.
In her brief stint in the Assembly, she leased a 2002 Lincoln LS for $304 a month - all but $36 of it paid for by the state. So Richardson was already well versed in the use of government vehicles when she got to Washington.
A protege of Rep. Maxine Waters - she calls Waters "Big Mama" and herself "Little Mama" - Richardson has worked to cultivate an image of success since arriving in Congress last fall. That effort evidently included a major upgrade of her publicly funded car.
About 130 representatives leased cars last year, according to a report compiled earlier this year by Taxpayers for Common Sense. Most were in the range of $400 to $800 per month. Richardson's 2007 lease costs show up on a more recent congressional spending report, because she did not pay the bill until February. According to the report, her first bill was for $1,299, and covered a one-month period from mid-October to mid-November. She then paid a prorated amount of $2,035 for the 45-day period from mid-November to the end of the year.
That makes her lease $300 more expensive than the costliest car in the Taxpayers for Common Sense report. As of last winter, the newest member of Congress had far and away the most expensive car in the House of Representatives.
"A $1,300 lease is a gold-plated lease," said Keith Ashdown, chief investigator for the watchdog group. "Because it's federal money and not their personal money, they're not looking for the best value."
Rep. Diane Watson, D-Los Angeles, also leases a 2007 Lincoln Town Car, but she pays only $686 per month for it.
According to a former staff member, Richardson insisted that her Lincoln be specially customized, which may explain the high cost.
Richardson's spokesman, William Marshall, initially stated that Richardson is paying only $940 per month for her Town Car, but gave no documentation of that. After he was presented with the expense report showing the $1,300 lease amount, he declined to answer further questions.
"No comment," he said.
Richardson got the car from a local Enterprise Rent-a-Car office for her use when she needed to travel around her congressional district. The cost would not have been affected by her personal credit history, because it was paid for by the federal government. The price tag also did not include insurance, which Richardson agreed to pay for on her own.
At 8:30 p.m. April 3, a staff member was driving the car on the San Diego (405) Freeway, when he got into a crash. According to a California Highway Patrol report, the staffer, Henry Rogers, reported being struck in the rear by a white sport utility vehicle. The impact caused him to spin out and hit the center median and left major damage to the left rear of the Town Car.
The CHP report gives no information about the insurance on the car, other than to say that it was a "rental." But Richardson's subsequent actions suggest that Rogers may not have been listed as an eligible driver on her insurance policy.
According to the former staffer, after the crash Richardson required her district employees to buy additional insurance so they could legally drive the Lincoln. The former staff member did not want to be identified out of fear of jeopardizing future employment prospects.
Another former staffer said Rogers was not forced to pay for the damage to the car, but did not know how the issue was resolved.
Rogers referred questions about the crash to Richardson's spokesman, who did not return a call about the crash on Friday.
Richardson did not report the crash to Enterprise, but it is not clear that she was required to, given that she was self-insured.
Records also indicate that Richardson owes $83 for illegally parking the Town Car in Long Beach. The ticket was issued Jan. 23, in the amount of $40, but has since doubled because it was not paid on time.
Richardson also owes $9,000 in property taxes on the Sacramento home, which she is trying to get back. The new owner of the home has sued her and her lender, Washington Mutual, after the bank moved to rescind the foreclosure sale.
"She's got bigger problems than what she's leasing," said Ashdown of the Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Just her version of the reparations we owe her.
Bunch of Grifters.
Just her version of the reparations we owe her.
Paid in full by the American Public.
WTF? $1300 a month for a car payment, no wonder the budget is a disaster
gotta love the dems though also willing to give someone the shirt off your back...
oh look at them, look at them. Does it not take a majority vote to screw us all. I’m tired of all of them there congress folks.........Uhhhh can we say term limits, although in this case I must admit term limits would not have helped.
What?
A Political Hack defrauding the taxpayers?
And she’s a Democrook?
Who would’ve guessed..............
A bit scary that these people are representing our nation’s financial interests, no? Can’t keep a car, much less a house.
How do you decide to elect people like this. “Well, yes, technically, I’ve lost 3 homes. But I assure you all a better life and hope to represent you well in our nation’s capital!”
Call me crazy but, given that Congressional Reps make $170,000 /year, is it too much to ask that THEY PAY FOR THEIR OWN FREAKIN’ CAR?!?
Guilt Bank Account Balance: $0.00
I don’t see what the big deal is. It is her duty to represent her constituents.
I thought Congress was worried about “global warming”, and that gas guzzlers were BAD!! I think all members of congress should be limited to driving a Prius or Accord hybrid, with no AC installed (those nasty CFC’s, you know).
She looks like she invested her own money in pizza buffets.
right....Richardson is just another black congress-critter who bemoans the turmoil of her constituents and the suffering lifestyle they live, while she is chauffered in a top of the line limo and sticking it to all of us.
Just another congress-critter who is so full of crap and bullshit.
Do you defend that?
When I was a Congressional Aide back in the 90s, my boss drove a beaten-up used minivan. I used to pass Rep. Henry Hyde on the highway and he drove what looked like a 1970s Pontiac. Guess which party they were both in :-)
The hell with all this vote for the lesser of two evils thing.
If we keep fishin from the same ol pond, were gonna keep catchin the same ol big mouth bass.
I think Jacquerie was making a joke.
...representing her constituents....?????? Get it?
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