The Governor Drives a Cadillac
Governor Deval Patrick, who ran and won as a populist, is being driven around the Commonwealth in a new, expensive Cadillac. Good. He's the Governor. What do the Republicans want him to ride in, a Chevy Van? And, no, Peter Torkildsen, he shouldn't tell everyone what security features the car has. And, yes, people can relate to a $42,000 car. Maybe they can't all afford it, but they can understand it. That's one of the reasons governors don't drive around in Bentleys. Cadillacs make sense to people.
Is it the Boston Herald creating this controversy, or are state Republicans really trying to use this as an issue? Because the former is rational. The latter is just stupid.
It's the Herald.
It's a rag.
Posted by: Erik Schwartz | February 16, 2007 at 07:35 AM
you should tell them what a loaded GMC Yukon costs that you see in most govt. motorcades. or a simple limo. None are cheap, probably not under $42K either.
Posted by: Dave T. | February 16, 2007 at 08:11 AM
Does that mean he decided against the gold Escalade with the crome 20's with spinners as being "too last year". Or maybe that's now the weekend car.
Posted by: Ted | February 16, 2007 at 08:39 AM
Whay, you mean 42k is a lot? Please. That's wicked cheap. He could do what most government officials around the world do, and buy an S Class. :-D
Posted by: Justin | February 16, 2007 at 03:38 PM
While I wish that he (the governor) had bought/leased either a cheater vehicle or at least a nice hybrid considering how long they idle these vehicles for, I am reminded he has a 24/7 job and needs a good reliable vehicle to get all over the state and well its a caddy with a V8, at least he will go around in style and with lots of power.
Oh yeah, to Justin, he can't purchase or lease an S Class or any other foreign vehicle, Massachusetts only deals/purchases domestic vehicles, thats GM, FORD, DODGE, JEEP, you get the picture and that includes buying hybrids, Massachusetts can't buy Toyota hybrids, they are limited to the Ford Escape Hybrid, Chevrolet's Tahoe soon to be hybrid and the Saturn Vue hybrid, plus any I have left out.
See Yeah!
Posted by: Racedriven | February 17, 2007 at 12:48 AM
Racedriven, I'm with you, but that domestic auto policy is getting harder to deal with. Chrysler is German, for example. Unless GM buys it, of course.
Posted by: carpundit | February 17, 2007 at 09:50 AM
he is spending 42k to LEASE the car, not buy it. he is in charge of the state budget, but cant talk a dealership below the asking price. he is laready out of touch with "the people"
Posted by: bb | February 17, 2007 at 11:35 AM
This guy is six weeks in and he's already proven himself to be a hypocrite to the nth degree. A Cadillac, a $72K scheduler for his wife who isn't even a state employee, a former legal cronie as the new state insurance commissioner who has not one day in the insurance industry on his resume, leaving the tolls on the Mass Pike in place, two helicopter trips with questionble scheduling as an excuse, the Ben LeGeur fiasco, weakening of CORi investigatations on employee background checks, reinstating $350K of Romney cuts (gazebos?). Sad to say, I think he's just getting warmed up.
Barry from Lynn
Posted by: barry | February 18, 2007 at 09:06 PM
A $42k car for a governer is not in any way bad. If he drove a Ferarri or a VW Phaeton or something absurd like that, then there would be cause for alarm. He does make a bundle of money, and deserves to drive something nice.
Posted by: Leroy Brown | February 19, 2007 at 08:08 PM