Comments on: Will a Cash-for-Clunkers Program Work?

U.S. Program Has Many More Restrictions than its Successful Counterpart in Germany

[whitemale08]

It's neo-fuedalism folks, to pay for these stupid bailouts of Goldman Sucks and JP Morgan.

It will go from cash-for-clunkers to mandated trade-ins like Germany where they restrict any car over 5 years old on the auto-bahn.

We don't want to live like fuedal Europe.

I want to have the right to keep my '57 Chevy not forced into perpetual debt so banksters can package it up and turn it into a worthless derivative and credit-default swap for Goldman Sucks and JP Morgan.

IT'S DISGUSTING!!!!!

[CitizenMikeM]

Paranoia

[Bobthefirst]

Yes, it's complete and utter paranoia, CitizenMikeM. The fact that Obama said all cars have to get 35 mpg by 2016 has nothing to do with it at all. The fact that you are required to display proof of a state inspection in most states and pay registration (tag) fees in all states - and you can fail to receive either of these if your vehicle doesn't meet the 35 mpg standard in 2016 - is complete hogwash. The government doesn't have to make it illegal to purchase a used car that doesn't get 35 mpg, they only have to deny you the ability to register it for use on public roads.

You see, CitizenMikeM, giving real world examples - like what is happening in Germany - indicates that it isn't so much paranoia as history repeating itself. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana

[whitemale08]

Another program to pay for these stupid stupid Bush/Paulson/Obama/Geitner bailouts.

Forcing people to go back into debt like they did in Germany...what an idea!!!

What they won't tell you is that most Germans don't have a driver's license because it costs thousands of euros to have one.

What they also won't tell you is that most Germans don't even have air-conditioner.

There's a carbon-swap-tax that's so steep, only the rich has air-conditioner.

Lyndon Larouche tried to warn you that the bailouts was just a swindle and Global Warmers is just a scam; to turn everyday civil activity into a luxury.

A luxury to deficate in the toilet.
A luxury to take a hot shower.
A luxury to eat hot food.
A luxury to drive a car.
A luxury to have electricity 24/7
A luxury to live in a regular-size home.
A luxury to have children.
A luxury to visit relatives.
A luxury to have funerals.
A luxury to wear clothes.

A LUXURY TO LIVE LIFE!!!!

[mikedudical]

The biggest problem with cash-4-clunkers is that consumers are railroaded into buying retail cars when consumers can get a far better deal on a used car right now. Perhaps never in history has there been a glut of used and repossessed cars on the market. A quick visit to craigslist.com or repofinder.com is an example of the saturation of used cars that need to be bought up before we start pushing retail again. Simple supply and demand.

[tmittelstaed]

They know about the used market. The hope is that if the people with money who can afford a new car take advantage of the cash-for-clunker program, that will take them out of the used car market - thus reducing prices of used cars, bringing them into affordable range of the really poor people in the country who couldn't afford a new car even with the money from cash 4 clunkers.

They know that the worst polluting and worst gas mileage cars are owned by the poorest of the poor out there. No rebate program in the world will help those people get better cars. The only thing that will is if used car prices drop to the point that people are literally giving away good used cars for salvage prices. Then the poorest-of-the-poor will get better cars and their junkers will go to the wrecker.

[payasyougo]

So if you are planning on buying a new car, first go out and buy an 84 v8 bronco or any of the large PU trucks that are for sale ragged out for less than $500. Then use that $500 vehicle to get a $3500-$4500 CARS cash bonus. So for a little work you can make 3-4k towards the purchase of that new vehicle that you were going to buy anyway.

For those that actually own and depend on an old clunker, you can't afford or qualify for a loan anyway so this program is only for the rich that are smart.

Yeah, this program works. It was really for the benefit of the car manufacturer anyway, not the general consumer.

[iam4honesty]

You obviously can't read, nor can you reason. It says clearly that the vehicle must be newer than 25 years old, and must be registered to the current owner for at least one year. And, yes, genius, it will benefit the car manufacturers, their employees, the companies who provide the items that those employees buy with their paychecks, and the employees of THOSE companies, and on and on. It's called stimulating the economy.

[ArmandB]

If it is a government program it is safe to say that it doesn't work as advertised.

[ricklf1]

I agree with ArmandB! What government program ever works as advertised. So now the American Taxpayer is buying up all the used junk cars and the scrap metal will go overseas. Another dumb idea to help bankrupt America. My God, when are we going to wake up in this country?

[tulsa85]

Re: Cash for clunkers - you used the '89 Buick Regal as an not qualifying example say it originally was reported at 21 MPG. According the the carrs mileage website there are two Buick regals - the first showed an Old rating of 20 city/29 hwy and combined 23 and the New rating of 18 city/27 hwy and combined 21.
The second regal was Old 19 city/30 hwy and 23 combined and the New rating wa 17 city/ 28 hwy and 23 combined.

Which MPG is correct for vehicle qualification - the combined for the old calculation method or the MPG for the new calculation method?

[willow0313]

HoHum...........Guess my caddy doesn't qualify...