Cash for Clunkers - a Disgrace

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I agree with all that this is a huge waste of money but on the flip side I can't think of another stimulus program that actually gets money in the people's hands rather than a company or government agency. In the grand scheme of the stimulus plan this is less than .2% of the total spending.

The governments computer system crashed with less than 20,000 people trying to use it. What's going to happen when there are 100,000,000 people trying to use the government computer for healthcare?

[formula_gramps]

Now, now folks, perhaps you are all forgetting the expression about how the road to hell is paved with "good intentions".......

Let's see. They shut the program down after only a week. They had a billion dollars to use for the "turn in" program. And they went through it in one week? So at $4500/car that's something like 222,000 cars. Now "administration" was separate. I read where they had allocated $52,000,000 just to administer the program.

Does it really seem to possible that they could have had 222,000 cars turned in in one week?

I agree with the posters who have pointed out what a waste this is. The other thing that no one mentioned yet, is what this does to the availability of salvage parts. If they simply destroy these cars, there will be fewer parts, and hence, higher prices.


Sadly, this is what happens when you allow the country to be run by people who have never had a real job.

[MN6WS6]

They have said that there could possibly be that many applications in the pipeline, which is why there was the concern. As of two days ago we had 7 CFC cars, and today when I left we had a parking lot full of customers, which we have not seen in a while.

We were 20% off in gross in the parts department, which is not the first time that has happened since the economic downturn. What's scary is that it dropped off big time in the last week, and all the work we've been getting has been some type of warranty (factory or extended) or insurance jobs. Very little customer pay work. We're not even doing many oil changes, and they were on special this month. That's all tell-tale signs that people are walking the lot instead of fixing what they already own.

[markd79ta]

Opinion in WSJ says it all.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...645819464.html

1.8 trillion deficit and counting. It is good to know that we are subsidizing the UAW (oh wait auto industry) while spending it looks like about 3 billion to destroy perfectly good cars.

BRILLIANT

Hopefully we make to the next election before the country is bankrupt.

[Joshu]

Now everyone here knows me as the bleeding heart liberal. However, I just cannot wrap my head around the benefits to this program. I support Obama on most things but this is ridiculous. It's environmentally unsound and financially flawed. Don't we have better things to spend our money on?

[98 'Bird]

Opinion in WSJ says it all.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...645819464.html

1.8 trillion deficit and counting. It is good to know that we are subsidizing the UAW (oh wait auto industry) while spending it looks like about 3 billion to destroy perfectly good cars.

BRILLIANT

Hopefully we make to the next election before the country is bankrupt.

Great article! It's like FINALLY someone with some common sense published. I was convinced that this country had officially gone insane when all I heard or read in articles was how this program is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I think everyone who believes success lies in the outcome of "CARS" has to be subconsciously blinding himself to the full picture. And this article just sums it up perfectly. It's like this author finally broke the silence. (S)he might have to watch out now

[markd79ta]

Great article! It's like FINALLY someone with some common sense published. I was convinced that this country had officially gone insane when all I heard or read in articles was how this program is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I think everyone who believes success lies in the outcome of "CARS" has to be subconsciously blinding himself to the full picture. And this article just sums it up perfectly. It's like this author finally broke the silence. (S)he might have to watch out now

Read the Wall Street Journal...

[Steel2686]

Now, now folks, perhaps you are all forgetting the expression about how the road to hell is paved with "good intentions".......

Let's see. They shut the program down after only a week. They had a billion dollars to use for the "turn in" program. And they went through it in one week? So at $4500/car that's something like 222,000 cars. Now "administration" was separate. I read where they had allocated $52,000,000 just to administer the program.

Does it really seem to possible that they could have had 222,000 cars turned in in one week?

I agree with the posters who have pointed out what a waste this is. The other thing that no one mentioned yet, is what this does to the availability of salvage parts. If they simply destroy these cars, there will be fewer parts, and hence, higher prices.


Sadly, this is what happens when you allow the country to be run by people who have never had a real job.

Good post and I agree 100%. All the math should have been done prior to implementation. Unfortunately, that seems to be a running theme.

[markd79ta]

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video0...w.foxnews.com/

Obama

[Jeff_in_Atl]

There is just something fundamentally wrong with screwing up a perfectly good engine.

[MN6WS6]

A dealer nearby us said they currently have 60 "clunkers" as of Saturday evening. Our dealership has 7, every one a truck, SUV, or van. We got our "engine killer" stuff in Saturday, supposed to start tearing them up this week. One's a really clean early 90's Ranger.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Oh I saw on TV Sunday they were at a Toyota dealership in Roswell and there was a black Trans Am in the clunkers lot to be destroyed. I couldn't tell if it was an LT1 or LS1 but it had chrome 5 spoke wheels.

[Christopherrr]

Oh I saw on TV Sunday they were at a Toyota dealership in Roswell and there was a black Trans Am in the clunkers lot to be destroyed. I couldn't tell if it was an LT1 or LS1 but it had chrome 5 spoke wheels.

FOX was in Nalley Toyota earier on Friends today...couldn't even stand to watch the television. Maybe I'm biased, but shouldn't they be in a Domestic dealership instead?

Shouldn't the environmentalist be going ape **** about this...I mean, all the waste, the energy to destroy perfectly ok vehicles. There is no logic behind this bill...

[98 'Bird]

!@#$ !@#$ ****!!!!!

Oh I saw on TV Sunday they were at a Toyota dealership in Roswell and there was a black Trans Am in the clunkers lot to be destroyed. I couldn't tell if it was an LT1 or LS1 but it had chrome 5 spoke wheels.

Makes me sick. As I said, if it's a V8 'Bird or Camaro with an auto trans anywhere from '84 to '00 it's a clunker according to the government.

Was it clean looking? Not that it matters - still a damn waste.