Opinion

Corrupt NY politicians? Drive them out of town!

The Issue: Rep. Edolphus Towns’ car lease, which costs $1,285 per month and is funded by taxpayers.

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Rep. Edolphus Towns paid more than twice the normal cost to lease a taxpayer-funded vehicle, which looks a little fishy (“Towns’ Car,” Editorial, Dec. 28).

The Post was curious enough to want to know why, so your reporters asked Towns to produce his lease agreement, and the big shot refused.

Maybe he felt he was being singled out because of his party affiliation — just because there are a number of Democrats investigated for unethical and criminal behavior doesn’t mean all Democrats are crooks.

If The Post keeps up this investigative reporting, New York will soon be out of legislators.

This responsibility is left to The Post because everyone else in government is busy regulating the important stuff, like sidewalk bike riders.

Alexis Jeffries

Bayville, NJ

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Towns’ spokesperson’s arrogance says it all: “It is what it is.”

These paragons of virtue are doling out other people’s money. Of course they will not show any papers.

If I were doing this, and I am not a petty chiseler, it’s simple: The dealer leases me the car for the “normal” price and “rebates” the difference to the customer.

Emanuel Gross

Manhattan

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Are these politicians required to keep contemporaneous logs of their daily usage to document their “business” and “personal” travel, as business owners are required to?

If Congress is serious about saving money, here’s a great place to start. How about reimbursing members of Congress the IRS-approved rate of 55.5 cents per mile for documented business travel?

At that rate, Towns’ $15,420 annual lease payment would cover over 27,000 miles of travel in his district.

Then Towns could drive his campaign-funded Infiniti and not have the taxpayers provide him with a second car.

The 99-percenters should focus their attention on federal government employees instead of Wall Street. At least these businessmen use their money instead of ours to support their lavish lifestyle.

Bobby Ring

Piscataway, NJ