Clunkers for cash a scam and dangerous
07-30-2009, 03:57 PM
#21
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Joined APC: Dec 2007
Posts: 216
Our local news is reporting that the government just cancelled the program.
5:42 PM MDT, July 30, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional officials say the government plans to suspend the popular "cash for clunkers" program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases. The Transportation Department called congressional offices late Thursday to alert them to the decision to halt the program, which offered owners of old cars and trucks $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. The congressional officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Through late Wednesday, 22,782 vehicles had been purchased through the program and nearly $96 million had been spent. But dealers raised concerns of large backlogs in the system, prompting the suspension.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
5:42 PM MDT, July 30, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional officials say the government plans to suspend the popular "cash for clunkers" program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases. The Transportation Department called congressional offices late Thursday to alert them to the decision to halt the program, which offered owners of old cars and trucks $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. The congressional officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Through late Wednesday, 22,782 vehicles had been purchased through the program and nearly $96 million had been spent. But dealers raised concerns of large backlogs in the system, prompting the suspension.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
07-30-2009, 05:51 PM
#22
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I'm just trying to do the math. We start with a billion dollars. Call it 4000 per car, that's 250,000 cars sold in less than a week. It looks like about a million cars/trucks/SUVs are sold a month in the US. Would maybe half of them qualify? I guess they should have seen this coming.
Last edited by Twin Wasp; 07-30-2009 at 06:08 PM. Reason: Correcting sales figures
07-30-2009, 08:14 PM
#23
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Sorry you disagree with the program. It worked fine for me. I traded in that 4.6L V-8 with a 18 mpg for a car that gets better gas mileage and scores a 9 and a 7 on those environmentally sensitive programs, plus my car has that CA Partial Zero Vehicle Emissions (PZEV) thing that makes it incredibly clean to burn (for a car). Certainly the greeniest car I've ever owned. I'd be much more interested in my tax dollars paying for this program than the one I heard about on the news this morning where they spent $77 BILLION over 5 years on protecting some insect species or something equally ridiculous!
USMCFLYR
USMCFLYR
It doesn't matter what the new gas mileage is, the overall hit on the environment is worse than if you had kept your old vehicle.
07-30-2009, 08:20 PM
#24
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It works for you, but not the environment. Essentially, we manufactured cars that didn't have a home. Then, we artificially created a home and will throw away the old vehicle. Sounds great until you factor in the environmental costs and energy of building the 2nd vehicle.
It doesn't matter what the new gas mileage is, the overall hit on the environment is worse than if you had kept your old vehicle.
It doesn't matter what the new gas mileage is, the overall hit on the environment is worse than if you had kept your old vehicle.
USMCFLYR
07-30-2009, 10:49 PM
#25
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07-31-2009, 04:48 AM
#26
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It works for you, but not the environment. Essentially, we manufactured cars that didn't have a home. Then, we artificially created a home and will throw away the old vehicle. Sounds great until you factor in the environmental costs and energy of building the 2nd vehicle.
It doesn't matter what the new gas mileage is, the overall hit on the environment is worse than if you had kept your old vehicle.
It doesn't matter what the new gas mileage is, the overall hit on the environment is worse than if you had kept your old vehicle.
07-31-2009, 06:26 AM
#27
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Posts: 361
USMC,
Congrats on the new car. I also got a new car but since I have been buying a new car every 7 years I did not get taxpayer money to help buy mine.(no slight meant to you). This is just ANOTHER wealth redistribution program. If the program was canceled after one week because the gubernment couldn't plan ahead......
.......then what makes anyone think the gubernment(no matter who runs it) can run healthcare?
Congrats on the new car. I also got a new car but since I have been buying a new car every 7 years I did not get taxpayer money to help buy mine.(no slight meant to you). This is just ANOTHER wealth redistribution program. If the program was canceled after one week because the gubernment couldn't plan ahead......
.......then what makes anyone think the gubernment(no matter who runs it) can run healthcare?
07-31-2009, 07:45 AM
#29
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Speaking of Hummers, perhaps it is environmentally responsible to buy one and squash a Prius with it. The Toyota Prius hybrid is, of course, fuel-efficient. There are, however, environmental costs to mining and smelting (in Canada) 1,000 tons a year of zinc for the battery-powered second motor, and the shipping of the zinc 10,000 miles – trailing a cloud of carbon – to Wales for refining and then to China for turning it into the component that goes to a battery factory in Japan.
Opinions differ as to whether acid rain from the Canadian mining and smelting operation is killing vegetation that once absorbed carbon dioxide. But a report from CNW Marketing Research ("Dust to Dust: The Energy Cost of New Vehicles from Concept to Disposal") concludes that in "dollars per lifetime mile," a Prius (expected life: 109,000 miles) costs $3.25, compared with $1.95 for a Hummer H3 (expected life: 207,000 miles).
07-31-2009, 07:54 AM
#30
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