They became the status symbol for politicians in the 1990s: big, tinted-windowed, extra-loaded SUVs that ferried around the governor, the mayor, Cabinet secretaries, and other government officials who shunned the plain sedans of their predecessors.

Now, as environmental concerns over the gas-guzzlers mount, the Romney administration is considering eliminating all but the most essential sport utility vehicles in the state government fleet, in favor of lighter, smaller cars that get better mileage.

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