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The Spectacle Blog
President Obama has certainly been busy with his bailouts, stimulus packages, and attempts to take over the health care system. It seems as if the money that we don’t have is still burning a hole in his pocket. Obama’s efforts to stimulate the economy ($1 trillion here, $1 trillion there) continue with the implementation of Cash for Clunkers yesterday.
Cash for Clunkers allows people with older cars a government rebate for up to $4,500 when trading in for new, more fuel efficient cars. (Let’s clarify, by “old” the government means a car less than 25 years old that already gets less than 18 MPG). Car dealers must meet certain requirements, released last week, in order to be a “qualified” dealership. This presents two problems: The first being that we, the taxpayers, are essentially buying other people new cars.
This apparently will stimulate sales and benefit both car dealers and manufacturers, as well as those who qualify for a new car. I don’t remember “the right to own a car” being in the Bill of Rights or for that matter Roosevelt’s far more expansive Four Freedoms. The second thing I take issue with is taking functioning cars of the road to be destroyed in favor of newer (post-2007) more environmentally friendly models.
How is it environmentally friendly to create a fleet of new cars and destroy, thus waste, old ones before their time? And this all to the tune of $1 billion (provided it doesn’t go over budget). How long can the government throw around billions of dollars like it’s petty change? And is the taxpayer-funded Cash for Clunkers really going stimulate the economy more than it costs? Voters need to start looking at the costs and not just the benefits of these government-sponsored programs.
View all comments (15) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Molly O'Connor
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/07/28/obamas-latest-clunker
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Marc Jeric| 7.28.09 @ 2:55PM
Why am I forced to buy a new car for some ec-nazi? Where do these $4,500 come from? From taxpayers like me, of course - while the credit goes to those criminals Pelosi and Reid.
Lonnie| 7.28.09 @ 3:20PM
I heard a pundit on Fox say that some of these cars have been underwater and are suspect. Is this true?
Becky| 7.28.09 @ 3:37PM
And it doesn't help that in this economic downturn that the destroyed cars are the ones that those who can't get a loan or afford a new car will have less to choose from, and what is left out there will increase in price. Used cars prices will probably go up as availability goes down.
The unintended consequences is that the lower income is hurt, probably leading to Barney Frank engineering a new car right for those who can't afford them to put in the garage attached to the house they can't afford.
jr| 7.28.09 @ 3:39PM
I have a 2001 car that qualifies for $4,500 -- which will be trashed if I take the bribe. At retail, it is worth about $10 - $12 thousand. Should I go for the $4,500? I want to do what is right for our country.
Signed, Confused
arch stanton| 7.28.09 @ 3:43PM
Ha Ha Ha. Had a 1999 Explorer with 152000 miles. We bought a Jeep Patriot. We received a $3500 rebate from Jeep and $4500 from Obama. Oh, and although we had an old car, we make plenty and paid the car off. We have paid more than enough in taxes. Thankfully, our patience has been rewarded and we got our free money;) Not everyone with an old SUV is poor. Some of us just wait for great situations.
Tim| 7.28.09 @ 4:07PM
If you trade in your 1988 Olds for a 2009 Prius you get $4500 and a green star for helping Gaia.
If you want to trade in your 1988 F-15 for a 2009 F-22 you are a war monger, and a waster of the public purse. Same goes for that M-1 tank or Navy Chopper.
toad| 7.28.09 @ 4:44PM
Well I ride a used 250cc motorcycle that get 50 + miles per gallon. Should I trade that in for some worn out V-8 van and then trade that in for Hyundai Accent? Or should I just wait till next year when I qualify for Medicare and take the free cyanide pill?
Missy| 7.28.09 @ 10:40PM
Toad, is it the red cyanide pill or the blue cyanide pill?
Smitty| 7.28.09 @ 10:43PM
Arch, maybe you got money; but honey, it's anything BUT free.
stu| 7.30.09 @ 8:58PM
Well I don't have a car that qualifys my vw diesel gets about 50 on the highway, but. I think its great I would rather give the general public money rather that bail out GM and AIG. This plan would work better than bailing out banks. Ps if GM made anything that would get even close to the VW diesel's they wouldn't be in trouble now.
Jaxon| 7.31.09 @ 11:27AM
Read this article: The Real Reason for the "Cash for Clunkers" Suspension. The ex car salesman blog shares exactly why they stopped the program. Even reports that some sales managers are calling asking for the money back because they were denied the rebate when the final paperwork was submitted but their car was already ruined by dumping a solution in the engine. They now have no car. Scary. See: http://tinyurl.com/ml9sdo