Riverside County Officials Discuss Dire Finances, Then Buy Expensive Vehicles With Taxpayers' Money. The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports: "Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley warned in October that no one in county government would be immune from dire budget cutbacks. One week later, he got himself a 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid that cost taxpayers almost $53,000, county documents show."
The paper also reported that Supervisor John Tavaglione, who has repeatedly called for county agencies to cut spending, "had the county buy him a 2008 GMC Yukon hybrid that cost nearly $54,000 with a rear-seat DVD player, Bose speakers, leather seats and other features." Two of the supervisors drive vehicles that do not meet the minimum fuel-efficiency guidelines that the supervisors themselves recently approved – a requirement that county vehicles get at least 25 miles per gallon of fuel.
Not all supervisors have splurged on new vehicles, however. Supervisor Bob Buster, who drives a 2002 Chevrolet Impala, said: "To be using public funds to get a big impressive status-symbol car, I think that is the wrong message to send out at this time. We need to be saving that money in these hard times." (Source: Riverside Press-Enterprise, February 23.)
Cal-Taxletter, February 27, 2009
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