Riding in Style: Number of Limos for Team Obama’s Fed Employees Has Jumped 73%
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on June 1, 2011
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exits a limousine - limos for federal employees have increased 73% during the first two years of Pres. Obama's presidency
The age of hopenchange just keeps getting better and better… not only has the booze bill to taxpayers nearly doubled during the Obama administration compared to that of the Bush administration (heck, Nancy Pelosi’s liquor and food bill when she had her own taxpayer-funded private jet as Speaker of the House was about $1,000 a week), but it is now reported that the number of limousines for liberals in the federal government has risen 73 percent.
Reported by iWatch, Limousine liberals? Number of government-owned limos has soared under Obama:
Limousines, the very symbol of wealth and excess, are usually the domain of corporate executives and the rich. But the number of limos owned by Uncle Sam increased by 73 percent during the first two years of the Obama administration, according to an analysis of records by iWatch News.
Most of the increase was recorded in Hillary Clinton’s State Department.
Obama administration officials said most of the increase reflects an enhanced effort to protect diplomats and other government officials in a dangerous world. But a watchdog group says the abundance of limos sends the wrong message in the midst of a budget crisis. The increase in limos comes to light on the heels of an executive order from President Obama last week that charges agencies to increase the fuel efficiency of their fleets.
According to General Services Administration data , the number of limousines in the federal fleet increased from 238 in fiscal 2008, the last year of the George W. Bush administration, to 412 in 2010. Much of the 73 percent increase—111 of the 174 additional limos—took place in fiscal 2009, more than eight months of which corresponded with Obama’s first year in office. However, some of those purchases could reflect requests made by the Bush administration during an appropriations process that would have begun in the spring of 2008.
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Paige, of CAGW, called the new federal limos “one more reason why there is so much cynicism in the public about what goes on in Washington.” She said terrorism and security has become the catchall justification for increased federal spending.
Doug Powers @ Michelle Malkin weighs in — They Don’t Call Them ‘Limousine Liberals’ For Nothing:
Is each re-set button getting its own limo now? And not to nitpick, but wasn’t the world supposed to be less dangerous as of January 2009?
The “limo” data is difficult to track with any degree of certainty, because, well, the government doesn’t quite know how to define what a limo is…
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If they can’t define “green job” it’s no surprise “limo” throws them for a classification loop.
From The Lonely Conservative, No Recession in DC – Obama Admin Increases Number of Government Limos By 73%:
This is how socialists in power behave. They get all the perks while the rest of us are expected to share the misery. Socialism is for the little people.
The number of limousines owned by the federal government has increased by 73% under President Obama. They say it’s for increased security, but couldn’t they put some armor on those little green cars they want the rest of us to drive?
From The Daily Caller, Federal limousine purchases spike:
Car sales aren’t weak for those dealing to the White House.
The number of limousines used in the federal fleet nearly doubled from 2008 to 2010, iWatch News reported. The largest recorded hike in the fleet was for Sec. Hilary Clinton’s State Department.
The inflated fleet has come about out of a need to protect government officials, the Obama administration told iWatch News. Data from the General Services Administration shows that in 2008 only 238 limousines were used. In 2010, 412 limousines were used.
A spokeswoman for the GSA told iWatch that the numbers were unreliable and broad. She also added that the term limousine can define sedans or protective duty vehicles.
The Government Accountability Office released a March report that revealed the federal government threw down $1.9 billion for new vehicles in 2009, according to iWatch News.
Just for grins, here’s the POTUS limo (which is exempt from his own enviro-mandates), nicknamed “The Beast”:
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