April 25, 2006
Mayor Nickels' 168 pages of luxury automobile expense records

One of Mayor Greg Nickels biggest policy initiatives these days is to get people out of their cars:

Promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit;
I've been curious about Mayor Nickels own automobile usage, so I recently submitted a records request for all of his city-paid auto expenses for 2005-2006. The city responded late yesterday: Nickels has been driving enough in the last 16 months to fill 168 pages of expense records.

I should be getting the full stack of documents later this afternoon. I already know that this will include the work orders for the Mayor's Lincoln, which was purchased in 2005, the Mayor's Cadillac, which was purchased in 2006, and the Mayor's backup car, a Ford Explorer. If only President Bush were just as committed to implementing the Kyoto Protocols!

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 25, 2006 08:45 AM | Email This
Comments
1. What? He has three different cars? Even two (one Lincoln and a Cadillac) is outrageous. No wonder Seattle is nearly bankrupt. Sheesh!!!!!!!

Posted by: C. Oh on April 25, 2006 09:00 AM
2. Do as they say, not as they do.

Nickels believes he is too important to be troubled with the details of the mass transit schemes he has planned for us little people. And he's got a lot of showy rhetoric that casts Seattle as the Environmentalist Jewel. But that rhetoric is simply for his political aspirations as any fool can see.

Way to expose him for what he is, just another rich Democrat who uses cars like the rest of us.

Posted by: Jeff B. on April 25, 2006 09:05 AM
3. To be fair, if the Ford Explorer really is just a backup, then he really only has two cars: one for each face.

I can see Greg looking into the camera and saying, in his best Mel Brooks voice, "It's good to be the king!"

Posted by: TB on April 25, 2006 09:28 AM
4. Go get 'em, Shark!

Librano motto: "Do as I say, not as I do"

Posted by: A Watchdog on April 25, 2006 10:15 AM
5. And what is Mayor Nickels' response when queried as to why HE doesn't take public transportation? It's for his security!

I have a question for His Highness The Mayor:

If the buses aren't safe enough for you, why do you want ME to ride them?

Posted by: Larry on April 25, 2006 10:49 AM
6. He certainly doesn't need THREE vehicles. Also, all three are gas hogs,contradicting Mr. "Kyoto is good". Nickelbag will probably justify these autos the same way Kerry justified his SUVs, yacht, and private jet--"but these aren't mine, they belong to someone else". Keep shining the light on these b*st*ards, Stefan! Eventually the rats will scurry away.

Posted by: Burdabee on April 25, 2006 10:51 AM
7. Is it just me, or does Mayor Nickels look kinda like Benny Hill?

Posted by: thecomputerguy on April 25, 2006 10:58 AM
8. "Buses for thee, but not for me" (said Nickels)

Posted by: Michele on April 25, 2006 11:09 AM
9. Another irony with his use of cars is that Mayor Nickels is obese like Joel Connelly. He could stand to walk a few miles here and there and get out of those cars.

It's hard to listen to the haughtiness of liberal journalists, the mayor and other politicans regarding socialist health care schemes, when they don't even take care of their own health.

Posted by: Jeff B. on April 25, 2006 11:13 AM
10. Well, clearly, since Mayor Pootles has his lard ars on the global stage as a crusader for Kyoto, he needs these high security cars and SUVs.

Posted by: BananaLand on April 25, 2006 11:15 AM
11. Maybe the good Mayor could hire as his driver, the 81-year-old Daffodil Parade Driver that Queen Christine Gregforhire refused to use because “HE WAS TOO OLD”

Posted by: Pacific Grove Phlash on April 25, 2006 11:15 AM
12. **Is it just me, or does Mayor Nickels look kinda like Benny Hill?**

He sure does.

http://www.mortystv.com/showcards/benny_hill.shtml
http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/benny/index.html

Posted by: Janet on April 25, 2006 11:15 AM
13. Howyousdoin

Did yous know dat half the Mayors in the U.S. have Cataracts the udder half drive Rinclons, wes got a Mayor wid both.

Forgetaboutit

Posted by: Joey bag of doughnuts on April 25, 2006 11:32 AM
14. I'm sure all of this will be the subject an extensive expose in one or more of the mainstream media outlets :-).

Aren't blogs wonderful.

Posted by: PW on April 25, 2006 12:18 PM
15. Come on guys, you're all being to hard on poor old 5 cents. He said

"Promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit"

He is doing what he preaches. He is car pooling everywhere he goes! If he didn't he would have to drive himself and find a parking place!

Posted by: Fred on April 25, 2006 12:25 PM
16. What a big surprise from Mayor Fatty Nichols. He and his fat wife can do themselves (never mind the planet)a bit of good by getting out of thier own cars.

Posted by: Granite Stater on April 25, 2006 01:13 PM
17. of course, gotta have a hyphenated name person doing the response work.

as ps, what kind of name to children of these double name people get...4names?

Posted by: righton on April 25, 2006 02:03 PM
18. Liberals: Generous with your money and your liberty
Conservatives: Generous with their own money, and not willing to be generous with their own or your liberty

Posted by: Jason Woodruff on April 25, 2006 02:06 PM
19. (nicklesthinkingon)
Hey you little people read those reports, shove it and go get on the bus....I could give a dang about you and your ideas this is my little dictatorship and the rest of you can go to he//.

Now if I can just get that governor's gig or learn more at the next Algore enviropsycho conference maybe I will move up the ranks 'round here.

I am liberal and You will do as I say and be reeducated if you want to do what I do!

(/nicklesthinkingoff)

Green folks will build the next camps with concertina wire


Posted by: Col. Hogan on April 25, 2006 02:29 PM
20. 1 Both Mr Nickels and Mr Connelly are limousine liberals
2 Both of them are calorically challenged and poor role models for the children
3 At least Mr Nickels is properly registered as a voter
4 Not too sure where Mr Connelly actually lives: Seattle or Whidbey Island?

Posted by: Green Lake Mark on April 25, 2006 02:41 PM
21. Don't y'all remember AlGore using 'enangered' California redwood to refurbish his house with a few years back. This is just what liberals do.

Posted by: JDH on April 25, 2006 03:00 PM
22. Someone should also look at the mayor's other travel expenses. As we speak he's at a mayoral "gun summit" looking for ways to take away 2nd amendment rights. I'm sure the taxpayers paid for his trip. Did he fly coach or 1st class? Does he take taxis or limos? Where is he staying? How much will this trip cost the taxpayers?

Posted by: Joseph Cantu on April 25, 2006 04:13 PM
23. Let's not forget that Al "I did inhale" Gore gave away "sensitive" wetlands to one of his big donor developer friends by getting the area reclassified. Gosh, the Times and PI sure didn't report that. And like the mayor, Mr. Foam at the Mouth likes to travel first class while the rest of us are supposed to suffer with public transit.

If Mayor Nickelbag really wanted to show his sincerity, he would ride the bus most days and take a hybrid the rest of the time. And he would insist his security force leave their guns at home to demonstrate his support for the gun control he wants to impose on the rest of us. His is typical communist thinking--grand plans for the lowly workers while he lives the high life "because the job requires it". Gag!!

Posted by: Burdabee on April 25, 2006 05:10 PM
24. If Mayor Greg Nickels wants the citizens of Seattle to get out of their cars and take public transportation, then he should set an example.

Nickels lives in West Seattle and it should not be any problem for him to walk approx 4 blocks from his home to SW Admiral Way and take Bus #57 to town. Bus #57 goes right by City Hall. Besides the exercise would do him some good

http://transit.metrokc.gov/cftemplates/show_map.cfm?BUS_ROUTE=057&DAY_NAV=W

Posted by: Janet on April 25, 2006 09:02 PM
25. What gumption.

This dug up by the ever-digging Shark, just days after Gore praises Nickles for all the great C02 reducing work he does.

The "environmentalist" Liberal mayor has a fleet of city cars that probably gets 16 City/20 Hwy, while I, a loyal conservative Republican, take the bus to work 4 days a week.

Didn't Gore once fly to a global warming conferance on a half-empty Air Force 2?

Hypocricy. Some of these "environmetalist" Libs should look it up!

Posted by: GregM on April 25, 2006 10:27 PM
26. " As we speak he's at a mayoral "gun summit" looking for ways to take away 2nd amendment rights."

He'd better NOT consider taking away the citizens right to bear arms..(He can't do it anyway - but it angers me that he thinks he can..)..He doesn't want to pay to staff his police force....Hey! *We* may be the only security on his bus lines!.....We should bill him for security work everytime we ride a bus armed!

He won't consider getting rid of illegal aliens, he wont adequately staff his police force - yet wants us to give up our right to protect our lives and property? He wants us to ride the bus while he drives in luxury?

Oh yeah......this man is smoking crack!

Posted by: Deborah on April 25, 2006 11:49 PM
27. YA GOTTA LOVE THE IRONY!!

Deborah says "We should bill him for security work everytime we ride a bus armed!"
I love it. I'll back that measure. Deborah you are the best.

Since Nickels, Sims, Gregoire, and their ilk are so convinced of the inherent good nature and re-trainability of the human heart, and they are consistently reassured of the lockstep loyalty of their own party constituency, one is left only to conclude they believe that gun control should (must) be instituted to protect them from conservatives like me (and Deborah).

How does this fit with the FACT that ALL of the assassinations in America using guns were committed by liberals (some liberal whacko’s against other liberal whacko’s like JFK). The insanity in their ideology is self perpetuating, the inmates are currently running the asylum, and conservatives (the adults in our society) are observing what happens when ding-dongs are at the wheel. Most violent criminals are liberals, and most violent criminals who use guns are male liberals. I will take care of myself and mine regardless, but where does that leave many conservative and liberal women?

Like many fellow conservatives, I will ALWAYS OWN AND USE GUNS FOR SELF PROTECTION just as ALL of my police and military friends will -- no matter what the government says. That scares liberals, but guess what . . . many, many women who refuse to be cowed by liberal nonsense where self protection is concerned will do so as well. Liberals envision me as the "type" they need to subdue and Deborah (and some otherwise-liberal women) as the ones gun-control laws are protecting.

Given the liberal doctrine that places partisan political power at all cost ahead of individual liberty and security, they should be most concerned about Deborah. Both sides agree that GW Bush was elected by the anti-gun control element comprised of American women (liberal and conservative) in the 2000 election. They also agree that the same element of political demographic elected him once again in 2004 in light of 911 and the national defense imperative. Hopefully liberals will dismiss these facts as hogwash just like the many other crucial facts they ignore.

The fact of the matter is . . . liberals are trying to disarm the very people who protect them from themselves. It won’t work, but the idea of Nickels cutting his own throat is --in a dark sort of way-- amusing.

Thanks.

Posted by: Amused by Green Nickels on April 26, 2006 08:42 AM
28. "they should be most concerned about Deborah."

Amused....(you bad.. ;)

Shucks! I'm really a "nice" person...
Just don't try to rob, assault, rape or murder me or my family....and you'll be fine!

Posted by: Deborah on April 26, 2006 11:25 PM
29. More hypocricy...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002955908_milbankgas27.html

Posted by: GregM on April 27, 2006 10:43 AM
30. GregM,

Surprising the Times printed this story.
This issue is so foolish.

Posted by: Amused by liberals on April 27, 2006 03:18 PM
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