The state budget impasse didn’t stop newly elected Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza from purchasing a $32,000 used SUV as part of her department’s fleet — paid in full by public dollars to a central Illinois dealership.
Mendoza campaigned on a pledge to prioritize state payments, but her office said the money for the SUV came from an office fund with no connection to the state’s massive bill backlog.
Mendoza’s office on Friday said the vehicle was purchased in January to replace an inoperable car — one of her offices’ nine cars — that was rejected as a trade-in and will be junked. And they noted various offices of state government have purchased more than $11 million in vehicles — excluding leases — over the last two years.
The purchase comes as she is under Republican scrutiny after defeating Leslie Munger, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s appointed pick for comptroller. Munger was recently appointed deputy governor.
With Mendoza’s name in the mix as a future Democratic candidate for higher office, every purchase, every trip, every speech is being watched with great interest.
This weekend, the Chicago-Sun Times broke the news that new Comptroller Susana Mendoza bought herself a $32,000 SUV just weeks into the job. Comptroller Mendoza not only prioritized her personal comfort by purchasing the SUV, she managed to find a way to fully pay off the vehicle while social service providers continue to wait months to get paid.
Even worse, the Comptroller’s office already had nine state vehicles. Apparently the vehicle fleet that was good enough for Comptroller Munger is not good enough for Comptroller Mendoza.
All this comes after Mendoza pledged “shared sacrifice” with social service providers, who Mendoza promised to put at the front of the line to receive state checks.
Instead, Mendoza put herself first, spending $32,000 in taxpayer money on an SUV.
Watch the ILGOP’s new video comparing the Mendoza scandal to the Giannoulias scandal here.
Munger left behind one completely junked car and another that bordered on junk. Looks almost like a setup to me. Even so, Mendoza walked right into it. But she did get rid of two cars and only replaced them with one.
* The official Mendoza response to the ILGOP press release…
We’re not surprised The Governor would try to change the subject from his failure for the third year in a row, to fulfill his constitutional duty to propose a balanced budget.
Through the state party he funds, he pushes the hypocritical fantasy that The Comptroller’s small fleet of cars she has downsized from 9 to 8 in the past two months is a story, but not his much larger fleet of cars for him and his security detail – that costs taxpayers much more. The story is presented in a vacuum as though only one state office has state cars.
Every state vehicle is paid for with taxpayer funds, including the bigger fleet in which the Governor’s security detail drives him – and all the state agencies controlled by the Governor. The various offices of state government have purchased more than $11 million in vehicles, not counting leases, for use from The Governor on down during the last two years. Previous administrations in the Comptroller’s office replaced a used car with a new car roughly every two years. The Comptroller’s Administrative Fund paid for the car, not the General Revenue Fund which goes to education, social services, etc.
The Governor’s party’s phony outrage at one purchase of a used car instead of the state’s $11 billion dollar backlog of bills he refuses to address is a transparent attempt to silence the state office-holder who has been most vocal in holding the Governor accountable for his failure to do his job. Comptroller Mendoza has travelled from Chicago to Springfield to Carbondale to Peoria – across the state – to hear state resident’s complaints about not getting health services, not being able to pay their bills, etc., because of the state’s failure to pass a budget.
The Comptroller has not exercised her right to take a security detail and she has no access to a private plane to get around Illinois.
Upon taking office, Comptroller Mendoza inventoried the office’s nine cars, most of which are used to collect & distribute checks, W2s and other employee forms this office handles for all state offices. One was inoperable.
The vehicle assigned the Comptroller was a 2005 rear-wheel-drive Chrysler 300 luxury sedan with 104,000 miles in need of many expensive repairs before it would be safe to drive.
While driving her own car to Springfield at no expense to taxpayers for her first several weeks in office, the Comptroller instructed staff to find a used American-made car big enough to hold staff on the weekly trips to Springfield and around the state to replace the two unsafe cars. A used Ford Explorer with 16,436 miles was located in El Paso, Illinois, and purchased for $32,279 – about $15,000 less than equivalent new models are selling for. This pool car – not owned by the Comptroller but by the state, available for various comptroller staff – will serve the office for years to come. It was built at the Ford Assembly plant here in Illinois.
The Chrysler 300 was traded in for $1,500. The inoperable 2005 Chrysler Town & Country van was refused as a trade-in and will be junked.
Among the remaining 8 cars is a 1998 Ford Cargo van that only goes back and forth between the Capitol and the Comptroller’s office at 325 Adams St. in Springfield and carries a bold warning on the dashboard NOT to take it on the expressway.
Where is the state GOP’s outrage about The Governor failing for the third year in a row to fulfill his constitutional duty to propose a balanced budget? His responsibility for the state’s backlog of bills doubling to $12 billion on his watch? His responsibility for the six downgrades from the bond rating agencies for his failure to propose a balanced budget? His responsibility for the $700 million in late payment interest penalties the state owes?
They can try to silence Comptroller Mendoza with false controversies. But she will nevertheless persist.
Way too long, bud. I’m sure “some” wanted it ALL out there, but in reality, taking on so much for one move, a set-up move no less, that’s not the best response.
Setting aside whether or not you can justify the purchase, what was she thinking? She and her staff should have known better. Let’s hope she doesn’t have additional spending issues like this. If she does, could be a serious political problem for her. What an unforced error.
Agree that the “novella” needs editing, but I do like the background on the vehicles. And just an FYI for the Comptroller, you might want to check out that Explorer and make sure it’s not having any issues of its own-
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:45 am:
Perhaps the better course of action would have been for “Friends for Susana Mendoza” to buy or lease a car. Her campaign account had $280,000 available at the end of December.
The hiring of Munger as Deputy Governor cost much more than the used car purchase by Comptroller Mendoza and we will get much more work out of the used car.
Curl of the Burl- that might pose problems for liability insurance- using a “private” vehicle to perform government duties, especially if it was to be used for multiple employees of the Comptroller’s office.
===Perhaps the better course of action would have been for “Friends for Susana Mendoza” to buy or lease a car.===
No.
The “daily” use of the vehicle and insurance issues, heaven forbid, any state worker, on state time, gets into a “sanctioned” vehicle that is paid for by “political funds” but use is governmental daily. Yikes.
It’s designated as a governmental vehicle. That’s the difference as to why it would be tough to take that on when they don’t have to.
Agree with you Rich, seems like a setup to me. They may criticize the purchase but no mention of the money that is being spent on the rehiring of Munger and part or all of her staff. Seems like a reasonable purchase to me.
What are the State limits for when items purchased by the State need to be bid? Doesn’t the state have a central purchasing department that solicits bids on thousand of items(including vehicles)that may have been a better deal? No matter what account it was paid from it is still taxpayer money and there are procedures to follow.
In my day, this would not have amounted to a hill of beans. I an only hope we get back to some sanity around here. There was once a time when the campaigns stopped and people actually tried to work things out. I sound like an old man. Wow.
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:11 am:
Willy - if this is HER vehicle or a vehicle that is used to drive her then what is the issue?! A campaign with that much cash left after a bruising mid-term election can certainly afford the insurance premiums and take the “risk”. Otherwise this causes an unnecessary headache and gives the ILGOP a litany of campaign material to use in August, September, October and November 2018. A few extra bucks would mitigate that.
Members of Congress and the U.S. Senate typically buy vehicles with their campaign accounts to ensure that a) the blowback is minimal and b) the officials can go to any event without the question of whether he or she is driving or being driven to a campaign or political event in a government-purchased (or provided) vehicle. If an MOC or Senator can do it then Comptroller Mendoza can do it.
===No matter what account it was paid from it is still taxpayer money…===
If it came from the political fund, that would not be the case.
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:12 am:
221 - sorry to be argumentative but House and Senate staffers routinely have to use their own vehicles (often with other staffers) to travel to-and-from government functions and events.
Stop the gotcha stuff. Your constituents want you to lead and govern, not complain about imagined stuff. She got rid of two clunkers, and bought a reliable car appropriate for the Illinois weather.
Rauner’s hiring of Munger while featherbedding the state payroll with her Comptroller’s Office staff exiles is at least ten times the political “scandal” this is.
But the Illinois GOP managed to get the Mendoza nonsense on Chicago television this weekend. Once again, the Republican messaging steamrolls the Dems. If this was a boxing match, they’d stop the fight.
State employee are driving junk cars needing replaced. That 32000. Could have bought more than one car. Any state employee driveing a long past needed replacement vehicle Will not forget her car purchase. I think her purchase of such an expensive vehicle even if needed. Will haunt her. And why wasn’t this vehicle bought thru. Cms. Live every other agency has to use
===The state budget impasse didn’t stop newly elected Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza from purchasing a $32,000 used SUV as part of her department’s fleet…===
… and this…
===Mendoza’s office on Friday said the vehicle was purchased in January to replace an inoperable car — one of her offices’ nine cars — that was rejected as a trade-in and will be junked. And they noted various offices of state government have purchased more than $11 million in vehicles — excluding leases — over the last two years.===
If a “Member of Congress” or a Senator has a “fleet” to fulfill their constitutional duties, then…
The purchase may or may not be a problem. I would suggest that in the future the Comptroller refrain from the, everyone else does it response… “And they noted various offices of state government have purchased more than $11 million in vehicles — excluding leases — over the last two years.” The voters hate that equivalency stuff – it make all government look greedy. Rather just state the case that the car was a needed expenditure period.
What part of the Constitution does she not understand? It prohibits any “obligation” unless there is an appropriation. Maybe the fund she used meets that definition but it is unclear. In any event, it was bad publicity.
Did CMS offer to fix the broken cars with their $32 million salary appropriation that they didn’t use for salaries? I bet they could have fixed a bunch of state vehicles with that.
Susana Mendoza has made herself an easy target because she cannot keep her motor mouth shut.
Seriously, she reminds me of Carol Moseley Braun.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:40 am:
I looked at a couple databases of 2016 Explorers for sale right now and current “market prices.” The price paid is not out of line with similar SUV’s for sale today, but substantially higher than expected dealer retail prices for similar vehicles.
Aside from the total BS line about “Rauner spent $11 million” two things about this bother me. First, why select a vehicle with lower fuel mileage and higher operating costs than a full-size sedan? For the same money (or less) they could have purchased a Chevrolet Impala with the same passenger capacity and much lower costs (Unless the Comp’s job requires off-road travel). More importantly, I don’t see a great deal of effort to utilize competitive procurement practices. If Explorers are not on CMS’ list of vehicle contracts, (which at least in cop form they were in FY16) CMS can quickly do a one-off bid and secure a very competitive price.
I would be the last one to say that a Constitutional Officer should ride on official duties in a junker, although Jim Thompson did for over a year or over 3 years depending on one’s definition of junker. However, when he replaced his cars, it was done above board, competitively, and legally. I should know-I handled it.
Are there more than 20 people in the entire state paying attention to this small-ball pettiness? Normal people with real lives and jobs are following national politics if anything. That’s where all the action and movement is.
How about this, how about if Rauner and the rest do their jobs and stop pretending anyone cares about their petty little sandbox fights and youtubes that no one watches.
Years ago i worked for an agency that would scavenge surplus property for cars we could use before they fell apart. Got two “2 door chevrolets”. Turns out they were snazzy undercover camaros, turned in by the state cops–w police engines, fat
tires, and state plates. The second time guys (not me) got clocked at 100+ mph, they were taken away.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:53 am:
Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:12 am:
Curl the Burl- 221 - sorry to be argumentative but House and Senate staffers routinely have to use their own vehicles (often with other staffers) to travel to-and-from government functions and events.
The questions remain if you want the campaign fund to purchase the vehicle- who owns it and who is insuring it.
I don’t view Susana Mendoza as any profile in courage by any means, but she did recently get a serious editorial published stating obvious fact that Rauner was violating constitution by refusal to submit a balanced budget. Correct even if hardly a novel observation. IL GOP then retaliates with petty charge of waste even as Rauner spends at least 10 times as much (as someone else noted above) on patronage hires of Munger and her staff.
Rauner and his people are as predictable as they are petty. Astonishing to me that Rauner could really believe that anyone sees this small ball as serious leadership.
She is new on job. It is a used car. What do you want her to drive? How about a pick up truck?
Let’s get serious here. Rauner is destroying Illinois in every way he can.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:10 am:
Phony “scandal.” A $32,000 investment in a vehicle that can take multiple staff members on state business and that will last for ten years (as the junked out cars did). Most thinking taxpayers will think it was a good investment.
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:18 am:
221 - my hope would be that Comptroller’s staffers (especially high-level staffers) would have “adequate insurance” and not be driving under the influence or using vehicles for personal reasons.
She should have bought an Impala or Malibu - like most state agencies’ fleets - for 10K less. Then she could have used the remaining funds to fix the other other older vehicles?
GOP is making a big deal about this issue, but she wrapped it up in a bow and handed it to them.
Debating the budget impasse, approp authority, and the like is complicated.
An elected “wasting” $32k buying a SUV when they could have spent $20k buying a small sedan — people get.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:29 am:
Langhorne, for a short period of time back in the day, I had the last Chevy Caprice that had been bought for Dan Walker. The thing was like brand new and had maybe 10,000 miles (this is 1979.)
Couldn’t figure out why nobody wanted it until I looked it over and went for a drive. It had a 454 Corvette engine and was geared to tow Walker’s Jeep. It was a rocket! After I got kinda in trouble for doing a NASCAR-level burnout by the Stratton Building, we retired it and sold it at auction. Brought very good money.
Hopefully no one is surprised or shocked by this story. There are rules for those in Springfield paid by us and then there’s us. Can they spell h-y- p-o-c-r-I-t-e.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:40 am:
Surprised ?
What exactly is hypocritical about buying a used vehicle with state money to conduct state business? If the vehicle lasts ten years as the other Comptroller vehicles did, it comes to a little more than $3,000 per year for the vehicle. Please explain how that is a bad investment.
I’m glad Mendoza won, but the car purchase thing could have been handled better. I went online and found a CMS master contract for a mid-size, passenger sedan (#4018308). The Comptroller’s office could have purchased a new flex-fuel Ford Taurus for $19,800. For $1,600 more, her staff could be traveling around the state in a compact hybrid electric vehicle, saving a few bucks on fuel purchases.
Go nuclear- the Explorer probably is flex fuel. We have some for work, and they are flex.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:17 pm:
Oh Annonin’, that’s old news, man. I would rather chat with you about the new NASCAR rules. I’m confused as heck.
- Jake From Elwood - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
I am no fan of Ms. Mendoza but she needs to have a trustworthy vehicle to perform her job. The vehicle was used and the price is not too offensive. Municipal officials spend more on their vehicles than this. Overblown.
Who cares the state buys cars all the time. Let’s get 200 more trooper cars. How many plaines,I will live at the fair grounds, I bet that’s a lie.lets spend money on a fair we don’t have.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:13 pm:
So Jake, would you object if the State Police picked up a couple used Escalades at a reasonable price for Gov. Rauner’s use because they ride more comfortably and accelerate faster than Suburbans? Oh, and they would trade in a couple junkets and buy from a dealer in the middle of nowhere.
The citizens for Jesse White fund Pays for the suvs Secretary White is driven around in, and operated by Illinois State Police and/or Illinois Secretary of State Police. They’ve been involved in a few traffic accidents, and never had any issues with misuse allegations or problems with insurance.
I wonder if it was purchased from a dealership that employs union employees? I am sure the unions after spending all that money would appreciate a union shop be the seller of that vehicle, just wondering!!
“The governor’s proposed budget is in the red X to the power of 225,000.” Not to get all pedantic, but I think you want to say “X times 225,000″ because “X to the power of 225,000″ means 32,000 multiplied by itself 225,000 times which would probably be somewhat north of the number of all the subatomic particles in the all the universe several times over. While the Illinois tax burden seems that big, it really isn’t.
-Inspector Gadget- Mendoza might have made minor slip up buying oversized SUV but trust me she would never buy a vehicle from a nonunion dealership. If not for all the union money she isn’t elected
It sounds like the purchase of this vehicle is to conduct travel across the state - not just to and from Chicago - and will allow multiple employees to drive at once (not using their own cars and each getting reimbursed for gas). It seems like an efficient use of a vehicle and will save money in the long run. Rauner on the other hand hired a bulk of Munger’s staff into other positions, including the former comptroller herself. The car is a one time expense while these other positions will cost taxpayers multiple more dollars month after month and into perpetuity in pensions. I’ll take the former over the latter.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:34 am:
Dear Abdon,
Way too long, bud. I’m sure “some” wanted it ALL out there, but in reality, taking on so much for one move, a set-up move no less, that’s not the best response.
OW
- Yikes - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:35 am:
Setting aside whether or not you can justify the purchase, what was she thinking? She and her staff should have known better. Let’s hope she doesn’t have additional spending issues like this. If she does, could be a serious political problem for her. What an unforced error.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:38 am:
Agree that the “novella” needs editing, but I do like the background on the vehicles. And just an FYI for the Comptroller, you might want to check out that Explorer and make sure it’s not having any issues of its own-
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ford-explorer-lawsuits-exhaust-leak-carbon-monoxide/
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:45 am:
Perhaps the better course of action would have been for “Friends for Susana Mendoza” to buy or lease a car. Her campaign account had $280,000 available at the end of December.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:49 am:
How many vehicles could the state buy each year with the First Lady’s Chief of Staff’s salary?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:50 am:
===Perhaps the better course of action would have been for “Friends for Susana Mendoza” to buy or lease a car===
Good point.
- LisaC - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:52 am:
The hiring of Munger as Deputy Governor cost much more than the used car purchase by Comptroller Mendoza and we will get much more work out of the used car.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:52 am:
Curl of the Burl- that might pose problems for liability insurance- using a “private” vehicle to perform government duties, especially if it was to be used for multiple employees of the Comptroller’s office.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:52 am:
===Perhaps the better course of action would have been for “Friends for Susana Mendoza” to buy or lease a car.===
No.
The “daily” use of the vehicle and insurance issues, heaven forbid, any state worker, on state time, gets into a “sanctioned” vehicle that is paid for by “political funds” but use is governmental daily. Yikes.
It’s designated as a governmental vehicle. That’s the difference as to why it would be tough to take that on when they don’t have to.
- Boat captain - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:53 am:
Agree with you Rich, seems like a setup to me. They may criticize the purchase but no mention of the money that is being spent on the rehiring of Munger and part or all of her staff. Seems like a reasonable purchase to me.
- VanillaMan - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:53 am:
Seriously?
This shouldn’t have become an issue.
Thanks to the amateurs in the comptroller’s office, this is being served up by the GOP as some kind of scandal by their amateurs.
Can anyone do their jobs?
- Slippin' Jimmy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 9:53 am:
10% of that purchase would have paid my previous two years dental bills, which the dentist demanded payment for up front.
- Arock - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:06 am:
What are the State limits for when items purchased by the State need to be bid? Doesn’t the state have a central purchasing department that solicits bids on thousand of items(including vehicles)that may have been a better deal? No matter what account it was paid from it is still taxpayer money and there are procedures to follow.
- Mouthy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:07 am:
Chiding the person who has the database of every purchase ever made by everybody in state government isn’t a bright idea..
- Tom - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:09 am:
In my day, this would not have amounted to a hill of beans. I an only hope we get back to some sanity around here. There was once a time when the campaigns stopped and people actually tried to work things out. I sound like an old man. Wow.
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:11 am:
Willy - if this is HER vehicle or a vehicle that is used to drive her then what is the issue?! A campaign with that much cash left after a bruising mid-term election can certainly afford the insurance premiums and take the “risk”. Otherwise this causes an unnecessary headache and gives the ILGOP a litany of campaign material to use in August, September, October and November 2018. A few extra bucks would mitigate that.
Members of Congress and the U.S. Senate typically buy vehicles with their campaign accounts to ensure that a) the blowback is minimal and b) the officials can go to any event without the question of whether he or she is driving or being driven to a campaign or political event in a government-purchased (or provided) vehicle. If an MOC or Senator can do it then Comptroller Mendoza can do it.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:11 am:
===No matter what account it was paid from it is still taxpayer money…===
If it came from the political fund, that would not be the case.
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:12 am:
221 - sorry to be argumentative but House and Senate staffers routinely have to use their own vehicles (often with other staffers) to travel to-and-from government functions and events.
- Thoughts Matter - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:13 am:
Stop the gotcha stuff. Your constituents want you to lead and govern, not complain about imagined stuff. She got rid of two clunkers, and bought a reliable car appropriate for the Illinois weather.
- Roman - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:13 am:
Rauner’s hiring of Munger while featherbedding the state payroll with her Comptroller’s Office staff exiles is at least ten times the political “scandal” this is.
But the Illinois GOP managed to get the Mendoza nonsense on Chicago television this weekend. Once again, the Republican messaging steamrolls the Dems. If this was a boxing match, they’d stop the fight.
- Hhood - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:13 am:
State employee are driving junk cars needing replaced. That 32000. Could have bought more than one car. Any state employee driveing a long past needed replacement vehicle Will not forget her car purchase. I think her purchase of such an expensive vehicle even if needed. Will haunt her. And why wasn’t this vehicle bought thru. Cms. Live every other agency has to use
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:14 am:
This…
===The state budget impasse didn’t stop newly elected Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza from purchasing a $32,000 used SUV as part of her department’s fleet…===
… and this…
===Mendoza’s office on Friday said the vehicle was purchased in January to replace an inoperable car — one of her offices’ nine cars — that was rejected as a trade-in and will be junked. And they noted various offices of state government have purchased more than $11 million in vehicles — excluding leases — over the last two years.===
If a “Member of Congress” or a Senator has a “fleet” to fulfill their constitutional duties, then…
… otherwise, no.
- Archiesmom - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:15 am:
I’m tired too, Tom 10:09. In a state under acute crisis, we’re spending time debating this. It’s sad, what government has come to.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:16 am:
It appears the idea of “replacing a fleet car” versus a “Member of Congress” or Senator having a vehicle is too much for some to grasp, or…
- Texas Red - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:20 am:
The purchase may or may not be a problem. I would suggest that in the future the Comptroller refrain from the, everyone else does it response… “And they noted various offices of state government have purchased more than $11 million in vehicles — excluding leases — over the last two years.” The voters hate that equivalency stuff – it make all government look greedy. Rather just state the case that the car was a needed expenditure period.
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:21 am:
Big supporter of Mendoza. Set-up or not, she could, and should, have bought a cheaper car. That could be said for many, many government offices.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:26 am:
What part of the Constitution does she not understand? It prohibits any “obligation” unless there is an appropriation. Maybe the fund she used meets that definition but it is unclear. In any event, it was bad publicity.
- A Jack - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:30 am:
Did CMS offer to fix the broken cars with their $32 million salary appropriation that they didn’t use for salaries? I bet they could have fixed a bunch of state vehicles with that.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:33 am:
Susana Mendoza has made herself an easy target because she cannot keep her motor mouth shut.
Seriously, she reminds me of Carol Moseley Braun.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:40 am:
I looked at a couple databases of 2016 Explorers for sale right now and current “market prices.” The price paid is not out of line with similar SUV’s for sale today, but substantially higher than expected dealer retail prices for similar vehicles.
Aside from the total BS line about “Rauner spent $11 million” two things about this bother me. First, why select a vehicle with lower fuel mileage and higher operating costs than a full-size sedan? For the same money (or less) they could have purchased a Chevrolet Impala with the same passenger capacity and much lower costs (Unless the Comp’s job requires off-road travel). More importantly, I don’t see a great deal of effort to utilize competitive procurement practices. If Explorers are not on CMS’ list of vehicle contracts, (which at least in cop form they were in FY16) CMS can quickly do a one-off bid and secure a very competitive price.
I would be the last one to say that a Constitutional Officer should ride on official duties in a junker, although Jim Thompson did for over a year or over 3 years depending on one’s definition of junker. However, when he replaced his cars, it was done above board, competitively, and legally. I should know-I handled it.
- Rabid - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:42 am:
The state has six vehicles and a fire truck on IBid for sale
- GOPgal - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:42 am:
Are there more than 20 people in the entire state paying attention to this small-ball pettiness? Normal people with real lives and jobs are following national politics if anything. That’s where all the action and movement is.
How about this, how about if Rauner and the rest do their jobs and stop pretending anyone cares about their petty little sandbox fights and youtubes that no one watches.
- Langhorne - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:47 am:
Predictible
Tiresome
Yawn
Years ago i worked for an agency that would scavenge surplus property for cars we could use before they fell apart. Got two “2 door chevrolets”. Turns out they were snazzy undercover camaros, turned in by the state cops–w police engines, fat
tires, and state plates. The second time guys (not me) got clocked at 100+ mph, they were taken away.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:53 am:
We may wanna hang on to that fire truck.
- A guy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:55 am:
Doh.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:58 am:
Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 10:12 am:
Curl the Burl- 221 - sorry to be argumentative but House and Senate staffers routinely have to use their own vehicles (often with other staffers) to travel to-and-from government functions and events.
The questions remain if you want the campaign fund to purchase the vehicle- who owns it and who is insuring it.
Use of a personal vehicle (POV) is allowed for government use, but there are prohibitions, and there is also the need to prove you have adequate insurance.
Examples: https://www.illinois.gov/cms/agency/vehicles/documents/vups/vup_dph.pdf
https://www.illinois.gov/cms/agency/vehicles/Documents/VUPs/VUP_PRB.pdf
- GOPgal - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:06 am:
I don’t view Susana Mendoza as any profile in courage by any means, but she did recently get a serious editorial published stating obvious fact that Rauner was violating constitution by refusal to submit a balanced budget. Correct even if hardly a novel observation. IL GOP then retaliates with petty charge of waste even as Rauner spends at least 10 times as much (as someone else noted above) on patronage hires of Munger and her staff.
Rauner and his people are as predictable as they are petty. Astonishing to me that Rauner could really believe that anyone sees this small ball as serious leadership.
- JLR - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:10 am:
She is new on job. It is a used car. What do you want her to drive? How about a pick up truck?
Let’s get serious here. Rauner is destroying Illinois in every way he can.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:10 am:
Phony “scandal.” A $32,000 investment in a vehicle that can take multiple staff members on state business and that will last for ten years (as the junked out cars did). Most thinking taxpayers will think it was a good investment.
- Curl of the Burl - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:18 am:
221 - my hope would be that Comptroller’s staffers (especially high-level staffers) would have “adequate insurance” and not be driving under the influence or using vehicles for personal reasons.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:19 am:
Surprised COPies failed to whine about millions out the door for Manger stooges who failed notice the hiring freeze
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:23 am:
She should have bought an Impala or Malibu - like most state agencies’ fleets - for 10K less. Then she could have used the remaining funds to fix the other other older vehicles?
GOP is making a big deal about this issue, but she wrapped it up in a bow and handed it to them.
Debating the budget impasse, approp authority, and the like is complicated.
An elected “wasting” $32k buying a SUV when they could have spent $20k buying a small sedan — people get.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:29 am:
Langhorne, for a short period of time back in the day, I had the last Chevy Caprice that had been bought for Dan Walker. The thing was like brand new and had maybe 10,000 miles (this is 1979.)
Couldn’t figure out why nobody wanted it until I looked it over and went for a drive. It had a 454 Corvette engine and was geared to tow Walker’s Jeep. It was a rocket! After I got kinda in trouble for doing a NASCAR-level burnout by the Stratton Building, we retired it and sold it at auction. Brought very good money.
- Biscuit Head - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:30 am:
“I’d recommend she drive her own car and just expense the mileage” - Aaron Schock
“Yeah, and get it maintained very very often” - Frank Mautino
- Surprised ? - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:35 am:
Hopefully no one is surprised or shocked by this story. There are rules for those in Springfield paid by us and then there’s us. Can they spell h-y- p-o-c-r-I-t-e.
- Flynn's mom - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:38 am:
why not a compact car?
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:40 am:
Surprised ?
What exactly is hypocritical about buying a used vehicle with state money to conduct state business? If the vehicle lasts ten years as the other Comptroller vehicles did, it comes to a little more than $3,000 per year for the vehicle. Please explain how that is a bad investment.
- Going nuclear - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:53 am:
I’m glad Mendoza won, but the car purchase thing could have been handled better. I went online and found a CMS master contract for a mid-size, passenger sedan (#4018308). The Comptroller’s office could have purchased a new flex-fuel Ford Taurus for $19,800. For $1,600 more, her staff could be traveling around the state in a compact hybrid electric vehicle, saving a few bucks on fuel purchases.
- 41st Ward - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:00 pm:
If only there were some other way to deliver checks and W2’s across the state…
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:16 pm:
Go nuclear- the Explorer probably is flex fuel. We have some for work, and they are flex.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:17 pm:
Oh Annonin’, that’s old news, man. I would rather chat with you about the new NASCAR rules. I’m confused as heck.
- Jake From Elwood - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:32 pm:
I am no fan of Ms. Mendoza but she needs to have a trustworthy vehicle to perform her job. The vehicle was used and the price is not too offensive. Municipal officials spend more on their vehicles than this. Overblown.
- Red rider - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 12:51 pm:
Who cares the state buys cars all the time. Let’s get 200 more trooper cars. How many plaines,I will live at the fair grounds, I bet that’s a lie.lets spend money on a fair we don’t have.
- Arthur Andersen - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:13 pm:
So Jake, would you object if the State Police picked up a couple used Escalades at a reasonable price for Gov. Rauner’s use because they ride more comfortably and accelerate faster than Suburbans? Oh, and they would trade in a couple junkets and buy from a dealer in the middle of nowhere.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:14 pm:
“An motor car? Land sakes! When I was a boy, newspapers were a nickel and public officials came to work on a mule!”
– MrJM
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:21 pm:
==- Flynn’s mom - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 11:38 am:==
Try reading.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:25 pm:
–Kind of a novella there.–
There’s the rub.
If you want to talk about budgets, taxes and spending like a grownup, it takes heavy liftin’ with the readin’, writin,’ and cipherin’.
If you want to talk about it like a petulant child hopped up on Mountain Dew, you go apey over a $32K used car.
X = $32K.
The governor’s proposed budget is in the red X to the power of 225,000.
The current backlog of bills is X to the power of 343,750.
Rank those in order of outrage.
- Blue dog dem - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:29 pm:
Rauner can hire 23 from Mungers staff, and Munger herself, and this free spending liberal can chastise someone else?
- Mama - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:36 pm:
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:25 pm: =
You sent their no-hitter right out of the ball park. Good one.
- Anon - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 1:51 pm:
The citizens for Jesse White fund Pays for the suvs Secretary White is driven around in, and operated by Illinois State Police and/or Illinois Secretary of State Police. They’ve been involved in a few traffic accidents, and never had any issues with misuse allegations or problems with insurance.
- DuPage - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 2:07 pm:
Rauner: 32K? That reminds me, the wine club bill for last month came in.
- Inspector Gadget - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 2:22 pm:
I wonder if it was purchased from a dealership that employs union employees? I am sure the unions after spending all that money would appreciate a union shop be the seller of that vehicle, just wondering!!
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 2:26 pm:
Total bum rap.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 2:35 pm:
“The governor’s proposed budget is in the red X to the power of 225,000.” Not to get all pedantic, but I think you want to say “X times 225,000″ because “X to the power of 225,000″ means 32,000 multiplied by itself 225,000 times which would probably be somewhat north of the number of all the subatomic particles in the all the universe several times over. While the Illinois tax burden seems that big, it really isn’t.
- Union Guy - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 3:45 pm:
-Inspector Gadget- Mendoza might have made minor slip up buying oversized SUV but trust me she would never buy a vehicle from a nonunion dealership. If not for all the union money she isn’t elected
- Very few care` - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 3:47 pm:
The state issued car that I drive every day has 282,000 miles on it, who cares? NOBODY
- Shytown - Tuesday, Feb 21, 17 @ 3:51 pm:
It sounds like the purchase of this vehicle is to conduct travel across the state - not just to and from Chicago - and will allow multiple employees to drive at once (not using their own cars and each getting reimbursed for gas). It seems like an efficient use of a vehicle and will save money in the long run. Rauner on the other hand hired a bulk of Munger’s staff into other positions, including the former comptroller herself. The car is a one time expense while these other positions will cost taxpayers multiple more dollars month after month and into perpetuity in pensions. I’ll take the former over the latter.
- Inspector Gadget - Wednesday, Feb 22, 17 @ 8:19 am:
Funny that old fleet of cars was good enough for JBT and Munger. But Mendoza couldnt wait to buy herself a better vehicle. Wonder what JBT would say?