In Wisconsin, politicians make relatively similar incomes. A major investment from their salaries goes to their mode of transportation. A recent search into the garages of Senate members showed these vehicles vary from Harleys to Hondas.
Rep. Al Ott, R-Forest Junction, could not run out of positive things to say about his van, a ’91 Plymouth Grand Voyager.
“I love my van, and it loves me,” he said.
Ott said his car has over 199,500 miles on it, but he plans to keep it until it hits 250,000 miles.
“It has a luggage rack, a trailer hitch, and it’s champagne brown with saddle-leather interior. I love it!” Ott said.
He said other than occasional tune-ups and transmission repairs, it has been a very dependable vehicle for him and his family.
Sen. Robert Welch, R-Redgranite, was a little less enthusiastic about his mode of transportation. He drives a red ’95 Blazer that has over 200,000 miles on it.
“The car is showing its wear and tear,” he said. “It has a tape deck, but I think one of the speakers is blown — it’s time for a new car.”
Welch said his car’s best feature is its four-wheel drive, which is convenient for him because he lives in the country and needs a car that can handle well in winter conditions.
Welch said he is not necessarily a fan of bright red — it just happened to be the color he purchased.
“It’s what was available,” he said.
Sen. Dave Zein, R-Eau Claire, makes an appearance at work on a ’91 Harley Davidson FXRT with an American flag attached to the back of it, said his spokesman Pete Hanson.
“He said he likes driving a motorcycle over a car because it gives him more of a feeling of freedom,” Hanson said. He added, “And he definitely considers himself a biker.”
Assembly Rep. Suzanne Jeskewitz, R-Menomonee Falls, can be seen cruising Madison in her recently purchased red Chrysler Sebring.
“I just turned 60 years old, and I needed a red car to make me feel young,” she said.
Jeskewitz has a one-and-a-half hour commute to Madison every day from Menomonee Falls, so she looked for a car with good gas mileage.
“It also is very comfortable and has heated seats for winter driving,” she said.
Sen. Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, drives a Ford Explorer, spokesman Mike Browne said.
“Well, you know, it’s American,” Browne stated, illustrating Chvala’s patriotism.
Sen. President Fred Risser, D-Madison, drives a beige ’94 Toyota Camry, and though he has developed no nickname for his car, he likes its dependability.
“I plan to keep it around for a few years. It’s one of the most dependable cars on the market and it’s fairly priced,” he said.
Gov. Scott McCallum’s car is an official state vehicle. The Buick Park Avenue model escorts McCallum to his destinations with a full-time security police officer accompanying him, said his spokesperson Debbie Monterrey-Millett.
McCallum rarely gets to drive on his own without security because it makes people very nervous, Monterrery-Millett said. The First Lady drives an Oldsmobile Alero.
