Cash For Clunkers Success May Be A Problem

What concerns me, is that our government could not do simple math. If they could not figure this out, how are they going to handle Health care reform?

Taking into consideration that the goverment had to allow for administration costs for at least 3 months, then there had better be some well focused scrutiny on legitmacy of selling 50,000 cars in 5 days. I have friends who are car salemen, they are the first I am going to ask how many they sold. Then within the next week the goverment better be issuing a breakdown on how many title transfers have been issued or applied for per state to validate all these so called purchases, and there should not be any delays with the data, that is what we have frggin computors for. Personally this is so profound, that an investigation should be initiated immediately as to what extent of fruad that occured. If there is none, or minimal fraud , then congress should throw another billion out there pronto, works a whole lot better than the whorthless banking system .

I reckon the clunker program was a clinker. And (some) people think this administration can handle a couple trillion dollars in health reform and cap and trade, etc., etc.. Have we learned anything today?

This is a slam to the automotive aftermarket. I'm an independent service dealer. To destroy perfectly rebuildable engines & transmissions, reuseable body parts, etc. is stupid. This ever escalating Big Government is beyond scary. There is simply no regard for small business in Washington. It's discouraging when one realizes how stupid these people are 'cause everybody around here knows - "You can't fix STUPID!"

[...] http://briansullivan.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2009/07/29/sorry-car-buyer-you-may-have-already-missed-ca... is a link to a story by Brian Sullivan televised on the Fox Business Network on 30 July 2009.] [...]

My husband works at a Chrysler dealership. They're almost sold out of the cars that qualify under the rebate because they have sold over 40 cars just this week and most factories are shut down so they won't be getting anymore new cars in for a while. Some dealers, like his, are matching the rebate so people are getting $9000 or more off a new car. You have to have owned your clunker for a year and have it inspected and insured. And yes, the cars are all junked after the motor and transmissions have been ruined. That's a shame. Those parts could be sold to someone in the future that has to fix their car because they can't afford a new car.

What happens to the cars turned in? Are they crushed? It would be a shame to crush a well running 2001 minivan because it only got 20 mpg given there are so many who could use a good old car.

This was and is a stupid program. We are going to give money to people again who do not deserve it. I hope most people are smart and do not by a GM goverment motors car..

The EPA website has revised many of the car listings, such as my Ford Taurus which has an 18 mpg combined rating. However many people are using these CARS calculators that are inaccurate according to the CARS law I downloaded which states that the 18mpg combined rating would qualify my Taurus. Even the CARS website makes mention of fueleconomy.gov as a reference but apparently nobody bothered to update the CARS eligibility calculator??

i work for a large volume gm dealership and this morning 7/29 there was info given that the funds already were gone and we have over 40 clunkers traded in and filed for and none have been paid by the government. it was almost un beleavable until today when we we going to disable the engines and were waiting on payment.

If I understand the cash for Clunkers the benefit is to trade in "old" cars that waste gas for new "fuel sippers". Did anyone consider the actual impact on the environment that making these new cars has? I would love to see an evironmental "cost benefit"...running the numbers for the next five years of an exisiting less efficient lower mpg car compared to energy and resources (and all energy used to find/ exploit/ transform/transport)used to create that new "green" vehicle (and factor in the greater mpg). My guess is the net/net "carbon/green" impact is less over a 5 year period to keep the clunker on the road and not produce the new gas saver(not to mention a billion dollar gov't cost savings). But then again this is government so it's more about the intention then the results.

ANOTHER WASTE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY. SINCE WHEN IS IT OUR RESPONSIBILTY TO SUBSIDIZE OTHERS TO PURCHASE A CAR? I JUST PURCHASED A CAR AND PAYED 1700 SALES TAX . I ALSO PAYED 20,000 IN FEDERAL TAXES,ALSO 3,000 REAL ESTATE TAX AND SEVERAL OTHER TAXES ,TOO MANY TO MENTION.WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH?

I am shocked. You mean, this is what happens when BLG (Big Liberal Government) does a "favor" for Business? Perish the thought. You MAY get paid your $45-hundred a copy, Mr./Ms. Car Store Owner. But then again, it sounds like you may not. BTW, does anyone know whether or not the dealers will be taxed on these freebees, the way Social Security is taxed like income? I'm driving a 12-year-old Jaguar XJ6-- best car I've ever owned. It gets 18-20 mpg City (pretty good, considering our town sits at an altitude of over 6,000 feet). But, darn those quality European car builders-- I can't participate in the Crunch-Yer-Heap program because my ride is still Blue Booked at nearly $7,000. Oh, the injustice!!!

What happens to the cars turned in? are they crushed? It would be a shame for instance to crush a perfectly good minivan just because it only gets 19 mpg. There are many less fortunate that could use it...

To Wally: Make no mistake about what this is. It was an effort to get dealers to back off the backs of Congress and the Administration after they used the bankruptcy court to evade state buy-back laws so GM and Chrysler could close down a bunch of dealers without cause. Yes, dealers were in terrible shape financially, but if they threw a bone to the survivors, their minds would be off what was transpiring. Give it a cover of being "Green" and off it goes. In truth, it was needed about this time last year, not now. But even so, what's a mere billion dollar bribe to car dealers when the Community-Organizer-in-Chief needed to save his union buddies?

Sometimes a handout in tough times is all someone needs to get back on their feet.

This cash for crap program is just another way for the mighty bankers to suck you into borrowing beyond your means to buy a car that you don't need. FIX the old one and send a message to Oboma and his cronies that you won't play there silly games anymore.

So, I'm subsidizing people that once bought fuel inefficient cars to buy new fuel efficient cars why again? For the last decade I have driven cars that have gotten 20, 25, 26 and 28 MPG. I bought my most recent car in 2007. Why are my good choices in effect being punished by not being able to qualify for this program while also subsidizing it? In the end the difference between the MPG of the 250,000 "cluckers" and the new fuel efficient cars is going to be totally insignificant. Make no mistake, this is nothing more than a handout to the auto industry.