Clunkers Gone, "Green for Machines" Next?

(CBS)  Long rows of refrigerators, washers, dryers, and dishwashers, in appliance stores look a bit like the rows of cars sitting at car dealerships, before the cash for clunkers program cleared the lots.

Appliance store sure hoping to get the same boost from "green for green machines" - or whatever the government nicknames its planned $300 million appliance cash give away, reports Don Knapp of CBS station KPIX in San Francisco.

"The hope is we're going to get a lot of money, and a lot of people are going to come in and buy good energy star appliances that will help the state of California and help us in a hard economy," says Eric Ogrey of Airport Home Appliance.

Appliance dealers don't expect anyone will have to junk a machine to get $200-300 on a new energy efficient one. But details of the government incentive program - which is expected to start in November - are yet to be worked out.

What happened in the cash for clunkers program with cars, people held off buying because they knew the money was coming. People in the appliance business say it doesn't work that way here.

What would a cash incentive mean to shopper Kathleen San Miguel?

"I'd be thinking about a refrigerator and a dishwasher," she said.

But when she learned the government incentive is a couple months away, she said she'd keep looking.

Appliance dealers, looking at how quickly the money went on the clunkers program, worry about cash for appliances.

"They've only allocated $200 million to this program across the United States, with 200 million households that can participate. There's not going to be enough money, it's going to run out quickly," said one dealer.

[valentin73]

How about a 'cash for cluckers!' incentive, as one senator put it when he opposed the car deal and voted NO for clunkers, ......maybe they can get people to eat more chicken.

[iloveusa2]

This is just another of his "temporary fixes". What happens when the "Cash for______" deals stop rolling in - The next few years the auto industry will not sell cars and no one will purchase appliances, therefore the economy will faulter once again. Wake up and America and realize that this administration is based on TEMPORARY status and it will not change anything in the long run except your tax responsibility. Every one of us will be paying for the clunkers for a long time. They are not giving you anything - the hard-working Americans who pay taxes are paying for all of this. This is actually doing more damage to our economy than you can imagine

[debinok1]

Another band-aid on another shotgun wound. Just like cash for clunkers, it will give them a temporary boost in sales without helping them in the long term, when the money runs out sales will slump again. This bubble CANNOT be re-inflated, the bust was to severe and it is still going. This is going to take a strong manufacturing base that provides JOBS, when people have JOBS they buy houses, cars and appliances, all without the governments help.

[sjc_1]

This is not meant to be a permanent solution. Have you ever heard the term "priming the pump"? It is meant to move some inventory off dealer lots and get some gas guzzling polluting vehicles off the road permanently.

It is not credible when people criticize the program for not producing results it was never intended to produce. This was never designed to put all auto workers back to work. If you have a plan to do that, I would think that the government would like to hear about your plan.

[debinok1]

Yes, I have heard of "priming the pump" but there has to be something in the pump FIRST. If that was the intent of this program then the timing was WAY OFF. As far as getting cars off the lots, that should NOT have been an issue for the government, that is a Business issue. Helping industry get stagnant inventory off of their books is NOT the governments job. This program actually hurt the people who needed the help the most, the poor and the unemployed. These cars will be DESTROYED, used lots will not have the inventory, so prices on what they do have will go up, that makes it harder for people with limited income to purchase even a used vehicle. Our government should be more concerned with putting people to work, and less concerned about the industries. Which was the POINT of my original post. We NEED JOBS, not hand outs. With JOBS we can buy the things we need WITHOUT government help.

[trapbreaking]

I have an old computer, what will you give me in a clunker trade-in?

.

[cdegolier]

OMG, this administration wastes more money than Paris Hilton. Seriously? Taxpayers funding more so people can buy new appliances. I seriously don't think we will last until 2012, this guy is a complete idiot.

[leeshit]

How are these fools who went in debt going to make a car payment when they get laid off,just wait and see how big of a mistake this was

[cdegolier]

Don't worry obama (taxpayers) will bail them out when they can't make their car payment.

[ffoulkes-2009]

No, Obama won't bail them out. They don't have enuff to pay for a car, they surely don't have enuff to butter the Prez's bread.

[Benton09]

Can we trade in our government for a new one?

[6591Hou]

If the majority of new cars purchased in the 'clunker' program were Japanese brands - shouldn't the UAW be just a little peeved? Toyota was the most popular. Can't see where that helped with the unemplyment issue amongst U.S. auto workers.

[bobnjersey]

[Boycott GM it is the American thing to do right now. ]

are you going to explain this ... or is it a puzzle?

[SkirtLifter]

These "Cash for Clunkers" and "Green for Green Machine" programs are simply income redistribution plans. The worst part of these Gov't sponsored programs, is the fact that some people will take advantage of these programs, and take on debt they can never afford. Then hard working, tax paying Americans, will have to foot that bill too.

Rewarding bad behavior, like being a dead beat, and punishing good behavior, like growing an estate for your family, is a recipe for disaster. Am I wrong?

[bobnjersey]

[Rewarding bad behavior, like being a dead beat, and punishing good behavior, like growing an estate for your family, is a recipe for disaster. Am I wrong? ]

the recipe has already been baked ... it's spend money we don't have ... borrow enlessly ... wage wars for your own political expediency that you can't afford ... spend more money you don't have ... allow private money into the political process and get the ussc to go along ... scam investors worldwide by hiding risk ... spend more money you don't have correcting the 'free market' we allowed in the financial sector ... don't actually change anything that led to any of the huge scandals ... spend more money you don't have saying you're going to fix everything ... fix the next industry w/ bailouts when they finally reach the end of their track.

[specialty8]

You have got to be kidding Obama! Whats next "green for ole grannies"?