As my office shares facilities with the local Chrysler dealer I have had a front row seat to watch the “Cash for Clunker” program unfold. In all honesty I am having trouble seeing an up side to this.
These photos are of the most recent vehicles taken in through the “Cash for Clunker” program. When I spoke with the owner on Friday evening they were working on a deal that would add a beautiful 1989 Jeep Cherokee to the collection.At this juncture I should note that these vehicles seem to run as well as they look. I should also add that most of the trades are free of encumbrances.
So, can someone help me understand this? Am I missing something?
How does the use of tax monies to move people from being debt free to indebtedness benefit the long term economic direction of the nation?
How will removing a large pool of vehicles from the market that could be sold for $3,000 to $4,500 benefit the folks on a tight budget in need of transportation?
Which creates more pollution, driving a well maintained older vehicle or crushing it to build another vehicle?
In the long term, six months or more, how will this benefit the dealerships?
How do we justify the irresponsibility and waste involved with destroying perfectly good engines?
Any thoughts or ideas?
Any thoughts or ideas?
Thanks, I was hoping someone would state the truth about the cash for clunkers program.
It simply is a smaller part of a larger scheme: to jump start the debt driven consumer economy, which brought us to where we are in the first place.
Borrowing money and giving it to banks, car dealers..whoever, is only delaying the pain.
It goes along with the type of thinking that imagines “Clean Coal Technologies” or “Carbon Credits” actually reducing pollution.
This may bump new car sales for a while, but ultimately a large percentage will end up as repos when the next “leg down” in the economy happens.
Jim,
I ran across your e-mail to George@Urbansurvival and couldn't help but follow the link to your blog which George included – very nicely done!
I'm an ol' friend of the Mother Road myself, growing up as I did in the small towns in Central Illinois – the road was a big part of my life.
And, here it is some 60+ years on – and I'm still just a stones throw from Mother Road – and a short trip down the hill from you, here in Bullhead City.
Landed here in '91 in the wake of the '87 market crash, looking for an escape from the urban insanity of big city life. Spent many years in my youth moving back and forth between St. Louis and L.A. looking for that place to dig in – and finally found it where I least expected.
Rhetorical Question: “Is the US Economy Close to Hitting Bottom?” Most financial and economic commentators say “Yes.”
They didn't see it coming, but they claim to be able to see it going. Me, I'm gonna sit here and take notes – and periodically skim a little cream off the top of the gold market when they ain't looking.
Lance
hi could you please post a few more pictures of the “Clunkers” those above look really nice.
Thanks
Piece o' cake. We have a bunch of lawyers running DC. What we really need are more scientists/engineers/accountants who understand the cause and effect relationships of programs like this.