DHCR Commissioner/RIOC Chair Among Those Cited For Use of Private Chauffeured Car By NY State Officials Costing Taxpayers $86 Million
An alert reader forwards this article from 3/15 NY Post detailing the use of private cars and chauffeurs by NY State officials paid for by $86 million in taxpayer funds. Among the officials mentioned for use of these free cars and drivers are DHCR Commissioner Deborah Van Amerongen who is also the Chairperson of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. According to the NY Post article:
... Housing Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen, who is picked up from her Upper West Side apartment - less than one block from a subway station - and driven in a 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid to her downtown office or to meetings. Her driver earns $57,479 a year and has no other duties.In a time when corporate officials receiving federal bailout taxpayer funds are rebuked by Congress for their use of private corporate planes, perhaps NY State government officials should be more careful with their use (abuse?) of private chauffeured cars paid for with government funds as well.
... Gov. Paterson's office defended the use of the drivers, saying some commissioners were required to travel extensively and "use the car as a private workspace in order to maximize their time."...
