You Paid For It: Congressional Cars
There are many perks and benefits that go along with being a member of Congress.
We first told you last year that all members of the House of Representatives are given the option of leasing a car at taxpayer expense. It's a free car and free gas, all on your dime.
Most House members don't take the perk, many of them say it just doesn't look right.
With two new Representatives from the Capital Region now settled into office, we decided to see how they're handling the car perk.
We discovered that Congressman Scott Murphy of Glens Falls has chosen to reject the benefit. He drives his own car around the 20th Congressional District. He does put in for mileage, however, and is reimbursed by the taxpayers.
Paul Tonko of Amsterdam also has decided not to take the free car -- he tells CBS 6 News he'd rather see public funds go toward job creation and health care and energy reform.
Tonko drives a Mercury Milan hybrid around his 21st Congressional District, and does not ask to be reimbursed for mileage.
On Nov. 3, voters go to the polls to choose a new Representative in the 23rd Congressional District, a sprawling North Country district that includes Fulton and Hamilton Counties here in the Capital Region.
Three people are running for that seat, and we asked each campaign if the candidate would take the Congressional car perk if elected.
A spokesman for Republican Dede Scozzafava said "Dede will not be taking the car benefit."
A spokesman for Conservative Doug Hoffman said "No, he's perfectly happy with his own car."
Despite phone and email requests made to the campaign of Democrat Bill Owens, we got no response to our car perk question.
By the way, our research shows that only about thirty percent of the 435 members of the House take advantage of the benefit.
