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Cash For Clunkers- Great Program or Same Ole Same Ole?

August 4th, 2009 Aliy N

The associated press today (8/4/09) released an article that the current administration (which promised transparancy in Washington) will NOT be releasing the records to show where the $1 Billion has gone. The president is currently pushing congress to approve another $2 billion for the program.

The administration is claiming that the cars traded in equate to 61% more fuel efficiency.They are high 5-ing over the success of spending over a billion dollars we don’t have. With that said, I do appreciate that for environmentalists this would be GREAT news. But, keep in mind environmentalists, you can not validate the administrations claims without the documentation to back it up.

The transportation department is sitting on records of 157,000 rebate requests. Why, if the evidence is sitting in a database, and it proves the success this program, would they sit on the data they’ve been promising to the AP since last week!? Can it be that yet again the “new era of transparency” is lying to us?

It’s OK Mr. President, we know most government run programs are a failure. Most of them cost over 10 times more than anyone ever projected they would cost. We can take the truth.

If the program is as successful as you say I would like to see the data to support it. It would be the first real bi-partisan success for the Obama camp. Why NOT let us see it? While you’re at it Mr. Obama, may I please see the federal budget you were suppose to release a couple weeks ago too?

So, yet again we are left with the question, success or failure the era of lying to us continues.


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Posted in President Barack Obama

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  • Dora
    At a cost of $1 billion dollars to the US government we're leveraging 250,000 gas hog beaters off the roads and replacing them with new more fuel efficient, less polluting cars. That's soon to be $3 billion and 750,000 cars.
    According to the WSJ it'll add an annualized $50 billion to third-quarter consumption, or more than two percentage points to consumer spending growth. (That may understate the impact, they note, because even people who do not qualify are being drawn into auto showrooms and buying new cars anyway through other incentives.)
    $3 billion dollars investment for a $50 billion payback in growth, not to mention a whole lot of people gainfully employed who'd otherwise be drawing unemployment. GM even decided to keep open 50 of their stores they were going to close. Less oil consumption, Ford says they're selling hybrid Fusions and Escapes hand over fist, and a smaller carbon footprint for all kinds of happy new owners.
  • back2basics
    Dora, GOOD POST!  You are right in your theory that clunkers will be off the road and it will help pollution somewhat.  What you are not confronting is the REASON for the cash for clunkers and the IMPACT it will have on tax payers on down the road.

    Let's be truthful now that we are in somewhat of a dialogue of debate.  Here's what the overall sense seem to be in the people that I talk with.

    !.  The government's take over of the auto industry didn't work out well after the take over and so many dealerships were closed down and many jobs lost.  (Dealerships are still being closed as we write these posts.)Chrysler and GM car sales nearly came to a halt.  And, it was going down hill in many other ways.  The government needed a quick fix for this to make Obama ideal of government's take over of this industry look good in the eyes of those he wanted it to.  So, cash for clunkers was a fast way for the taxpayers to help Obama sell a lot of cars in his newly owned industry.

    2.  Many years from now people are still going to be paying for this little episode of Obama's.  TAX - TAX - TAX!  That's how it has to be if it was done!  EVERY DOLLAR THAT GOES INTO THIS CASH FOR CLUNKERS PROGRAM WILL BE PAID BY TAX DOLLARS - YOUR'S AND MINE AND EVERYONE ELSE...  Do you agree with my assessment?
  • JackieM
    B2B--the environmentalists--mostly liberals/democrats--don't seem to have a problem with the huge impact on our landfields.  wonder why?
  • Dora
    @Bubbles - no
    it appears that you are unfamiliar with the tremendous success of the cash for clunkers program.  the jobs created and saved.  tax revenue generated,  dollars in the system,  increase in the stock market,  money moving, consumer confidence,   and a huge boost to the steel industry... just to name a few.
  • Dora
    @Jackie-  I have a cousin who has a constant frown planted on his face- always did- even as a child.  My father dubbed him "rain in the face".   You remind me of this cousin.  Never a good word.  Never a pat on the back.  Never a kindness.  Never anything constructive.
    Is this your aim?
    It's hard to see your worth except as an example of what not to be.
  • Back2Basics
    Dora, I am familian of the "Hyped Up" success of the clunker program.  You just refuse to look at the REAL reason for the program and the IMPACT it will have on tax payers in the future.  As usual, you see things with a ONE TRACK mind!  ONLY LIBERAL...
  • Back2Basics
    Hell, if this was something Obama thought up that was really for the people and not to cover his own ass at the expense of the people, I would be all over it...
  • Back2Basics
    Aliy, good work with this post.
  • JackieM
    Dora--just because obama is fucking up this country and hasn't done anything postive for this country during his term is a reason not to be happy with him.  i don't give a damn about him personally but i care about how his policies affect others.  you can gloss over anything and everything all you want but i won't.  not that it is any of your business, but i only frown at obama's bad policies.  i know it is hard for you to understand but it is sickening to watch people lose their jobs and homes.  i guess you can't relate and it doesn't affect you personally so you don't care.  that is why you continue your rhetoric.
  • aliy
    They released the list today and found that other than the Ford Focus, ALL the other cars that we're giving rebates on were Honda and Toyota.

    So, Dora is correct in that it created jobs, however, it created jobs OVERSEAS. I'm sure Japan is THRILLED with the success of the program.

    Ford didn't take a bail out so I'm happy they made something off this one.

    But, like I said, this IS a huge win for the environmental people, until you start looking at exactly what we're doing with the clunkers we're clunking. Is a car on the road that much worse than a car that is rotting and expelling CFC's into the atmosphere in a junk yard?
  • aliy
    And before you liberals scream at me it was YOUR party that took out the provision in the bill that said they had to be AMERICAN made cars. Don't think that fact is lost on us. If you had left that provision in there, we might have seen a REAL boost to OUR economy instead of Japans.
  • Back2Basics
    Hey!  After all this time, I finally figured Ole Dora out.  She must be an angry old woman, living by herself that is lonely and needs attention.  She stays on this site and pretends to be controversial so we will give her attention.  WOW!  Am I smart or what?

    I am liking Glen Beck more and more each time I watch his show.  Aliy, do you watch him?
  • aliy
    Absolutley!!! Glenn is AWESOME. He makes me laugh, he's got great guests. He is one of those people I was watching back when Bush was in office. If Dissent is the highest form of patriotism, Glenn is a HIGH up there patriot.

    He is equal opportunity. He will trash a republican for doing something stupid (like Sanford). He rallied against Bush and the first bail out. He really is just honest to God, for the people.

    He's a constitution supporter and carries around one in his back pocket (like I do) I use to like more when he was on after Nancy Grace because it was easier to be home at 9pm than it is 5pm but I tape his show a LOT. I get his daily email.

    He's the reason I have a copy of the health care flow chart of how it's suppose to work. I'll send you a copy so you can post it on B2B! It's nuts.

    There are some people who will support republicans no matter what they do (I suspect Ann Coulter is one of those) but in Glenns world, you mess up, you are NOT too big to fail!
  • Dora
    sad little clown ^
  • Dippy
    @Dora.  Your arguement about stimulating the economy may be a valid one, in the short term, but as far as the climate goes, check out this article:

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090805/ap_on_sc/us_cash_for_clunkers_pollution

    If any of you out there care to read another great blog entry on this issue, check this out: Cash for Clunkers: Why, in the long term, it will do more harm than good
  • UncleSugar
    The "Cash for Clunkers" program is this best program in the history of America. You all are missing out on some amazing deals. Come on down to my show room and I'll make your day!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LcYZxGdY8U

    -Uncle Sugar
  • aliy
    That's great but are you selling AMERICAN cars? That's our gripe right now is that it should be something to simulate OUR economy, NOT Japan. If you're selling American made, feel free to tell me where you are, I'll come look!
  • Samantha
    Perhaps the slowness of the reimbursement to the delaerships is yet another ploy to kill off some more capitalism.