You Can Own Wisconsin AG History

Neato, too bad I got out of the car market last June.

From today's Spice Boys column - last item.

You soon could own an infamous piece of Wisconsin political history. State officials are putting on the auction block next month the '99 Buick Park Avenue that Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager made famous. The car, which has slightly more than 50,000 miles on it, will be available for purchase during a public auction on March 5.

"There's no business need for the car," Department of Administration flack Scott Larrivee said flatly last week.

Nearly two years ago, Lautenschlager drove the black Buick into a ditch off Highway 151 while on her way home to Fond du Lac from Madison, where she said she had been drinking with friends. She later pleaded guilty to drunken driving and was fined.

It turned out that she had been in a couple of fender-benders with the car and that she had been commuting from Fond du Lac for more than a year without reimbursing the state for use of the vehicle. In a settlement with the state Ethics Board, she reimbursed the state $672 for personal miles and paid a $250 fine.

Lautenschlager gave up her state car after the accident.

A Lautenschlager spokesman said the Department of Justice alone has returned 11 cars since Gov. Jim Doyle ordered that the size of the state fleet be reduced - an edict that came after Lautenschlager's car woes were made public.

The Republicans, who have never shied from taking a swipe at Lautenschlager, saw the upcoming sale as one more chance to kick her.

Quipped one GOP operative: "Hopefully it comes with a disclaimer that this car has wound up in a ditch."

Kelly Blue Book value of the car puts it at $11,505 for the Sedan 4D. It's $12,760 for the Ultra Sedan 4D. Spivak and Bice don't mention which type of model it is. Those prices are if it [the car] is undamaged.

Obviously, it's not.

Cross Posted at Lakeshore Laments by Kevin.