Patrick defends use of Cadillac

Governor Deval Patrick unabashedly defended his use of a $46,000 Cadillac DeVille for state business, saying yesterday that he abandoned the more customary and less expensive Crown Victoria used by former governor Mitt Romney because "they don't make it anymore."

Hours later his aides acknowledged that the statement was inaccurate.

Crown Victorias are still being made, they said, but do not meet security standards mandated by State Police.

A State Police spokesman said the new Crown Victoria's side airbags interfered with special security equipment that would be installed in the governor's car. He would not describe the equipment.

As the focus intensified on the new governor's spending habits, the administration also found itself fielding questions about hiring a $72,000-a-year aide to handle scheduling and interview requests for Patrick's wife, Diane, a law partner at Ropes & Gray. The new aide, Amy Gorin of Wellesley, and her husband, Norm, led the governor's fund-raising committee.

Patrick is the first governor since Michael S. Dukakis, who left office in 1990, to hire a staff member for a spouse.

"Mrs. Patrick has a full-time job as a practicing attorney, so staff assistance relative to her official duties as first lady is necessary, " said Patrick spokesman Kyle Sullivan.

In appearances and interviews yesterday, Patrick gave a series of defenses for his use of the luxury DeVille.

He said that in conjunction with State Police, he made the decision that the $1,166-a-month car was "useful and appropriate," and that he was too busy with state financial issues to focus too much on which car he used.

He pointed out that it is American-made and comfortable and said to an Associated Press reporter: "You should take a ride in it. It's nice."

"I appreciate that some would prefer that we had bought a different model car," he said. "That desk is stacked with decisions. This is not one I spent much time on. Given the weight and seriousness of the other decisions I have had, I don't have any regrets about this."

Patrick, who pledged during the campaign to convert the state's automobile fleet to hybrids, said that he considered one for himself, but that State Police wanted "something with giddyap."

He said he is looking at retrofitting the car for biofuel.

Asked whether he recognized that he might come under fire for leasing a Cadillac, particularly while he is struggling to close a projected $1 billion budget gap, Patrick said: "I'm sensitive to the fact that I might be criticized for the tie I wear every day. I'm sensitive to that, but I can't be controlled by it."

Patrick aides said the only other option offered by the State Police was a Chrysler 300C, at an estimated cost of $37,000, but wouldn't say why they ultimately chose the Cadillac DeVille DTS.

In addition to the monthly lease payments, state officials have spent $2,455 on special security upgrades, including blue lights and a siren.

Patrick's erroneous statement about the availability of Crown Victorias was the result of a misunderstanding with State Police, they said.

The state already owns Romney's old Crown Victoria, which Patrick rode in during his first month in office. He said the car had high mileage and a broken heater. State officials bought the car for $11,520 after the $623-a-month lease expired in October 2005.

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Romney also used sport utility vehicles in special situations.

"Depending on the circumstance, both Deval Patrick and Mitt Romney have access through the State Police to special-use vehicles, such as large capacity SUVs," Fehrnstrom said. "But those are not their regular autos, and they are used infrequently."

House minority leader Bradley Jones, Republican of North Reading, accused Patrick of spending excessively while calling on others to tighten their belts.

Last month, Patrick asked all of his agencies to find ways to cut 5 to 10 percent from their budgets.

The governor is expected to deliver his budget Feb. 28.

"You keep hearing the budget is getting worse and worse, but the perks seem to be getting better," Jones said. "And what about fuel efficiency? We seemed to have thrown that to the side.

"I understand that he has a myriad of decisions that are of greater magnitude in the grand scheme of things; I accept that," he said. "But why, when it comes to these decisions, is it always the grander, more expensive alternative, instead of the less costly or more inconvenient one."

Patrick has also come under scrutiny for using a State Police helicopter twice during his first six weeks in office.

Romney used the helicopter only once during his four-year term.