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Federal “Cash for Clunkers” Program [American]

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Reminds me of the gun buy-back programs, which probably didn't reduce crime because most of the guns that were relinquished were not functional anyway.

There are good points to this program, but only if it is voluntary to the car owners. A mandatory basis would be a pluperfect waste of money, IMHO.

Crikey, can't they think of a better "stimulus" proposal than this? How about collect tuition loans/grants/scholarships for Community College students?

Money: it's just cabbage to Washington. :eeek:
 
I just thought it could also be deemed as informational, especially for people in the collector car hobby... My apologies, Basil, if you think it's too political, I do know you watch that kind of thing...
 
I wonder if the monies will be higher for foreign vehicles?


mark
 
I recently got an email from summit.com telling about this. I have heard of this before, but just in certain states. I guess they are trying to push it nationally. I know they can have my MG when they pull my cold dead fingers from the Les Leston wheel. :smile:
 
These people need a wake up call to REALITY!
Just because they can afford out an of pocket a brand new vehicle they think everyone can?
I knew they were over educated idiots but this idea takes the grand prize!
 
SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) has just sent out a similar post.

Something to keep in mind.
 
It would be a workable idea if it included that a Politician,CEO,Investment Banker,or Realtor be strapped into every car to be crushed.Opps! Forgot! Every trunk must include at least 3 Lawyers. Attention! These are not political statements,just ideas rattling around in my head.These ideas make far too much sense to be anything political.
 
The real ,proble with a program like this is that it doesn't really seem to know what it's supposed to do.

If it's to promote new car sales the effects are laughable: offering peanuts for old "clunkers" isn't going to shift people from them into mcu more expensive new cars. At the very, very best it simply puts a floor under to lowest price for an old clunker and that might, if they're very lucky help increase used car prices somewhat (though the effect will decrease as the value of the used car increases- a $1000 for a clunker will affect used cars in that price range but have a decreasing effect for used cars costing $10K, or 15K or more). I really cannot see this as having any real effect on new car sales.

If the policy is intended to take older, less efficient and polluting cars off the road it seems misguided in simply equating old or cheap with inefficient. A far better and more effective approach would be to institute emissions limits and make passing them a condition when inspecting cars. It'd be cheaper, and older classics should have an exemption- a grandfather clause. It's not the 30+ year old classics or old even the few bangers still banging about that are the problem- it's the masses of newer cars that are more of the source of these problems.

I guess this is political... but the thinking is muddled, and the policy ineffectual.
 
OK - help me out here. Does the "cash for clunkers" idea really exist anywhere other than just online?

I've found dozens of online and email references to "boy this is a stupid idea", but they all refer to other online blogs - never to something from any government office or committee. Interesting that I did find one NYT article where the writer proposes the idea, but it's just his personal "stimulus" idea.

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/business/27view.html

The reference in the first post is just another "SEMA opposes the cash for clunkers program".

I agree that the idea is a loser, but can someone please point me to where someone in government is actually proposing it?

Thanks.
Tom
 
It appears to me that Nancy stole this idea from California, her home state - there may be other states with similar programs, I don't know.
There is a program here that allows car owners to <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">voluntarily</span></span> turn their old cars in for cash, up to $1000.00. This program is supposed to get high polluting cars off the road whether they pass the biannual smog check for registration renewal or not. Cars made in 1975 and prior are exempt from smog checks here but if someone wants to turn in their clunker they can.
I'll resist the urge to comment about the federal version as I don't want this to turn political!
Roy
 
I think that's the point - there's no federal proposal anywhere, and certainly none I can find even remotely related to Pelosi, that actually talks about this.

Seems we've got a bogus rumor running amok again.

But again, please correct me if someone can find something other than a blog or opinion columnist, saying Pelosi (or anyone in Congress) is actually proposing this!

Thanks.
Tom
 
Did anyone notice the Copyright year at the bottom of the page as 2007? :confuse:
 
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