# Deval Patrick’s Caddy shaft



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

Taxpayers pony up $14G for gov's pricey ride

As Gov. *Deval Patrick* faces driving criticism for a long road of bad political turns, taxpayers are still paying for the original dent to his image - the Cadillac DTS.
The state paid $14,958 last month to keep the governor's official 2007 Cadillac because the vehicle's two-year lease had run out, a Patrick aide confirmed last night.
That amount is on top of the $16,080 taxpayers covered for the 24-month lease and another $11,909 Patrick himself pitched in for the payments to blunt criticism.
"The lease for the vehicle was expiring and could not be extended," said spokesman Kyle Sullivan.
"After looking at a wide variety of options, it was determined that purchasing the current used vehicle was more cost-effective for the commonwealth than leasing or buying a new vehicle."
The state got a $3,306 reimbursement for unused mileage, Sullivan said.
State officials spent $2,455 on special security upgrades for the Cadillac, including blue lights and a siren.
If Patrick were to return the leased car, the state would have to pay to take out the security equipment that was installed and for any repairs, Sullivan said.
Patrick, who often has grappled with the impacts of political symbolism, drew fire for leasing the $1,166-a-month Cadillac DTS instead of a more common Ford Crown Victoria shortly after he took office in 2007.
The governor originally defended the pricey ride, but after continued outrage, he offered to chip in $496 each month on the $46,000 luxury vehicle to bring the state payments in line with the cost of the car used by former Gov. *Mitt Romney*.
At the same time, Patrick paid back $27,387 he had used to buy new furniture and drapes in his office, and a $72,000-a-year employee meant to serve as a chief of staff for his wife stepped down.
This isn't the first time the state has purchased a formerly leased car for a governor. State officials bought Romney's old Crown Victoria for $11,520 after a $623-a-month lease was up in 2005.
But the purchase comes as Patrick again faces complaints that he is politically tone deaf after helping early supporter Sen. Marian Walsh nab a $175,000-a-year position at an obscure funding agency that had been vacant for 12 years. She has now agreed to take the job for $120,000.
A new 7News poll conducted by Suffolk University this week showed the governor's standing with voters at a low point.

Deval:

+ *Carr: *Are we being punked, Patrick? 
+ Deval may be sinking, but GOP boat is leaky

(35) Comments | Post / Read Comments

Deval Patrick's Caddy shaft - BostonHerald.com


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

Oy, when is his term up?


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## Pvt. Cowboy (Jan 26, 2005)

Talk about a RETARDED purchase. Leasing any car for a 2 year term is usually the WORST or most expensive method for acquiring the car, the residuals are piss poor and usually the money factors aren't subvented. It would have been cheaper if the Commonwealth had financed the car instead over a 4 year term, or at LEAST had stroked a check for the car and billed Patrick for the difference. Did anyone add up the math on all of this? 

Commonwealth: $16080 for lease payments
Deval's kick-in: $11909 for payments
Residual: $14958
Blue lights/siren: $2455
Undermileage: $(3306)
Total: $42096

Wow. This is a financial mess. I guarantee the commonwealth could have purchased the car for employee pricing. Then obtain the 4000 in rebate money. Unreal, this car ran 42k when in reality it should have been 36k. They can't even get THIS right, and it DOESN'T take a rocket scientist to figure out.


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## Harley387 (May 1, 2002)

I'm sure that Deval fully expected to be leaving Massachusetts for Obamination's cabinet by now. This whole "Governor" thing is probably an unexpected inconvenience to him. He probably didn't think he would need more than a 2 year lease.


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