Comments on: LA Mayor to City Council: Cough-Up Your Cars!

By: Facebook User

Facebook User — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:51:40 +0000

The reported answer to the call for the abolition of the City’s executive motor pool is so ludicrous it could only have come from a politician. Why aren’t the council members already driving fuel efficient vehicles, carpooling, and using public transportation? If it’s such a wonderful idea for all of us little people, why not for them as well?

Of course, as far as I’m concerned, they should drive whatever they want, as long as they are paying for it, not me.

By: blautens

blautens — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:14:49 +0000

Take home cars for police officers aren’t quite the same as other fleet vehicles assigned to individuals – it’s easy to do the math with the fleet and find out that if you don’t finance or lease (and most large agencies don’t), properly administered take home car programs don’t actually cost any more than rotating cars 3 shifts a day (AKA line cars) – they last much longer, since besides the actual mileage difference the individual officer tends to take much better care of “his or “her” assigned car than some line car flogged by every member of the department.

Add the intangible value of the perception of a larger police presence because of a larger marked fleet, the benefit of having them parked in neighborhoods, and the fact you can use it as an incentive in lieu of actual pay – it’s not hard to see why many departments do it.

By: David Holzman

David Holzman — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:23:54 +0000

Good on the mayor for this. But California could probably do far more for the state’s budget (yes I know this is about the city’s not the state’s budget) and clean air by passing a state version of the federal SAVE Act, proposed by NC Dem Rep Heath Shuler, to require employers to e-verify all prospective employees, to avoid hiring illegals.

By: William C Montgomery

William C Montgomery — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:54:43 +0000

Good to see that a government agency is (finally) getting with the times. Most (villainous) private corporations purged themselves of their executive motor pools a decade ago.

If counsel members are so concerned about harming air quality following the dismissal of their low-emissions perks, perhaps they should do what they expect the electorate to do: begin using public transportation.

By: jkross22

jkross22 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:45:47 +0000

This should be resolved the same way any other political issue is handled in CA: Put it on a ballot and lets vote.

I’m not a Villa-Raigosa fan, but kudos to him for crackin’ the whip.

By: Gardiner Westbound

Gardiner Westbound — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:39:39 +0000

Politicians and civil servants everywhere become Chicken Littles running around screaming the sky is falling when a personal benefit is threatened.

By: KixStart

KixStart — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:53:05 +0000

Replace their – and the Mayor’s – complimentary city vehicles with bus passes and bicycles.