Feds Own More Vehicles Than Hertz (your tax dollars at work #2)

(AP) | LARRY MARGASAK

[Phantom Lord]

Though the Energy Department feels its number of cars should be weighed in light of the large number of contract workers it uses,

Why would a contract worker be given a car? They are not even employed by the government! Technically they are employed by the employement agency they are contracted through.

I wonder if vehicles own and operated by the military are included in the count. That would greatly skew the numbers I would think.

[Wright is right!]

A simple way to reduce the fleet in a hurry would be to require that much of the non-essential fleet of ordinary cars and twucks be NON-AIRCONDITIONED. This would dramatically reduce the demand for a gubmint vehicle by those who probably don't do anything more than drive it to and from work each day, and it would CERTAINLY reduce the impulse for "workers" to use such cars for pleasure driving on the weekend.

As a f'rinstance, most of the telephone company vehicles around here have no a/c. And you sure don't see too many of them at the kids' soccer meets on Saturday mornings.

Michael

[Anthem]

Another Hertz donut from those generous feds.

[Dallas]

Or, just paint all of em pink......that'll stop personal usage.

[Revolting cat!]

Another way to reduce their use would be to have them all be Yugos, especially now that we've conquered Yugoslavia and it is ours, so to speak.

[the bottle let me down]

Why would a contract worker be given a car? They are not even employed by the government! Technically they are employed by the employement agency they are contracted through.

I think that the argument here is that only the government employees are performing essential functions that also require the use of a car. Everything else (the "non-essential" stuff) has been farmed out to contract employees. Therefore, one should expect a high vehicle to employee ratio.

As I said, I think that this is the argument. I didn't say I was buying it.

[exit82]

It hertz to believe this could be true.

[Dallas]

I threw up in a Yugo once.....I don't think anyone even noticed.

[Dallas]

LOL.....

[John Jamieson]

.....drive it to and from work each day, and it would CERTAINLY reduce the impulse for "workers" to use such cars for pleasure driving on the weekend.....

Unless the rules have changed since I worked for the gov., both are already not allowed.

[Diddle E. Squat]

They'd just blend in with all the Mary Kay cars.

[jcparks]

Not bad. That's only $3800 per car. < /sarcasm >

Is this the annual maintenance cost? What was the purchase price? This story does NOT tell the whole truth.

No wonder I see so many govment vehicles on the road.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Save on insurance by having them drive an Adobe with its moldable bumpers(and doors, and quarterpanels, and...)

We'll now see who is a true connaisseur of late '70's/early '80's pop culture.

[Revolting cat!]

I seriously doubt that significant cost reduction can be achived by reducing the number of cars the Feds have. If the contract workers don't use them, they'll use their own and charge the gubmint twice as much. Someone, perhaps Steve Forbes, observed that Americans keep believing that government can be made more efficient while providing us with all the goodies and services (and more) that it has been providing.

Instead of asking why the Department of Agriculture has x number of vehicles, we should be asking why the hell Department of Agriculture has offices in almost every US county, agricultural, urban, desert, lake. Why is there Department of _______________ (fill in the blank)? But of course that'll never happen; we got here incrementally and we might get out of here incrementally too. Unfortunately, you cannot eliminate a government agency incrementally. What to do?

[UCANSEE2]

These figures do not include this info: They show 1 car for every 2.7 employees. Doesn't sound too bad ?

Now, how many of the total employees in a government agency are allowed TO USE THE GOVERNMENT VEHICLE? Probably about 10%.

So, now the figures change a little. More like 10 cars for every 2.7 authorized vehicle users.

[scholar]

Now, how many of the total employees in a government agency are allowed TO USE THE GOVERNMENT VEHICLE?

As critical as I am of the federal government, I do have to say something in their defense here. I once worked for the US Attorneys Office in Chicago, so I am familiar with a number of federal employees who drive government cars.

Will only speak of those I know about. FBI and Customs agents that I knew probably had a government car to drive--not all however. DEA usually drove vehicles confiscated from drug dealers. Postal Inspectors got a car when necessary.

As for the Labor Dept., I have a friend who is a manager for the CPI. She is allowed a car if she is going out of town on government business--the rest of the time she takes the commuter train back and forth to the federal building like any other peon.

[UCANSEE2]

So, you are agreeing with the fact that MOST of the employees of a particular AGENCY do not/are not drive government vehicles ?

[VRWC For Truth]

I wonder how many of them are gas guzzling SUV's ???