ALBANY — State Senate Democrats who bashed Republicans last year for spending $50,000 on a luxury “Brunomobile” have just purchased a new SUV for Conference Leader John Sampson for more than $49,000, The Post has learned.
The 2010 “Sampsonmobile” is a 2½-ton, 332-horsepower Chevy Tahoe hybrid SUV that seats eight people. The vehicle comes equipped with a rear camera, ultrasonic rear parking assist and other luxury appointments, and is almost 17 feet long.
Senate Democrats, who have been battling Gov. Paterson’s attempts to restrain state spending in the face of a $9.2 billion deficit, had mocked former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensselaer) for his purchase of the Brunomobile. At the time, a Democratic spokesman called it “an outlandish use of taxpayer resources.”
But Democrats defended the purchase of the equally pricey Sampsonmobile, which was described as costing just over $49,000, as an effort to cut state costs.
“Currently, Sen. Sampson’s car, a 2005 Crown Victoria, gets 8 miles per gallon and the new one gets just over 20 miles per gallon,” said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for the Brooklyn Democrat.
“We’re looking to achieve fuel savings and savings on the cost of maintenance as we go forward.”
Shafran estimated that $15,000 will be saved in fuel and maintenance over the next five years.
He said the state had received a $26,000 credit by trading in the large, fully equipped, 2007 GMC Savana that was purchased for $50,000 in 2007 for Bruno.
Senate Democrats had made the Brunomobile a symbol of a spendthrift GOP shortly after taking control from the Republicans in January 2009.
In early 2009, a Senate Democratic spokesman estimated that Bruno’s wheels would be worth only $12,000 on a trade-in.
Senate Republican spokesman John McArdle called the Democrats “hypocrites who say one thing and do another, like they’re doing by raising taxes and spending at the same time they’re spending $50,000 for a new vehicle, a Sampsonmobile.”
“This purchase just shows how misplaced their priorities are,” McArdle continued.
Even some Democrats were sharply critical of the purchase. They noted that Paterson has repeatedly warned that the state has faced a cash-flow crisis and has been barely able to cover some of its bills in recent weeks.
“This was stupid and it’s not the message that Democrats ought to be sending,” one senior state official said.
The 62-member Senate has some 20 vehicles assigned for a variety of uses, with top leaders being given cars and, whenever they need them, drivers, who usually double as administrative aides.
Among those assigned state cars are Senate President Malcolm Smith (D-Queens), with a 2007 Chrysler Touring Car; Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx), a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria; Senate Finance Committee Chairman Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn), a 2006 Crown Vic; and Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Nassau), a 2006 Crown Vic.
The 150-member Assembly has many more vehicles, as does the Governor’s Office.
The “Sampsonmobile” Chevy Tahoe
* 5,270 pounds, 17 feet long, seats eight adults
* Rear-view camera and ultrasonic parking assist
* Hybrid gets 21 mpg city; 22 highway
* 332-hp, 8-cylinder engine
* Four-wheel disc brakes, traction control
* Three months of XM radio
* Wired for Bluetooth-enabled cellphones
* $50,720 MSRP