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When you hear Cash for Clunkers praised as “the most efficient stimulus for the auto industry,” you kind of have to wonder. Why did we spend the other hundred billion bucks?
14 Comments on “Pay Taxes? Thank Yourself for Cash for Clunkers...”
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The more reports I see about c4c, the more pissed I get. At least half of those cars do not deserve to be clunker’ized.
A few days ago I talked to a couple who had recently clunkered out their ’98 Windstar. I didn’t get to see the van, so I have no idea what it looked like cosmetically. They said that they had already replaced the engine once and the transmission once and there was no end in sight to the troubles with it. They were quite happy to ditch it for a Prius hatchback. I saw them a few days after the returned from a 1,000 mile road trip in the Prius and they were still grinning from ear to ear.
It does make you wish we had tried this program nine months ago!
At least half of those cars do not deserve to be clunker’ized.
In this video, what’s the deal with the newer looking Tacomas (2 of them), 4Runner, and Tundra?
I figure those vehicles would be worth well over $4500 in the used market.
Those old domestics in the background from the 1980’s belong there. The current generation 4Runner and the Toyota Tundra doesn’t deserve to be a clunker just because it gets “18mpg”, I’ll buy that 4runner off them for $4500 shoot. shouldn’t that thing technically have more kbb resale value?!
100% of the taxpayers have given a gift to 1% of the car owners, and some car dealers.
@John Horner:
I don’t blame the couple with the Windstar for taking advantage of the deal. But it is not the taxpayers’ responsibility to fund their new car. Period.
I’m just pissed that my 13-year old Volvo didn’t qualify because I was smart enough to buy a car that got decent gas mileage back in 1996. And now it truly is a clunker, and it’s probably worth less than half of what a clunker would have gotten me in Uncle Sam money at a dealer.
Bottom line, I’ll probably dump it and not buy a car at all. Downsizing the fleet looks good to me.
Now, if there were an incentive for me to trade it in on a new, more fuel efficient vehicle. . . .
The real irony here is that many of the beneficiaries of the Obama administration’s C4C legislation are the individuals who didn’t vote for him. Meanwhile, the demographic who did vote for him (more likely to already have fuel efficient vehicles in their possession) are effectively subsidizing the folks who didn’t vote for him.
Let’s see how this pans out in the next election.
findude : Meanwhile, the demographic who did vote for him (more likely to already have fuel efficient vehicles in their possession) are effectively subsidizing the folks who didn’t vote for him.
I’m guessing you mean white middle and upper income liberals. On the other hand, if you are speaking of blacks, then, on average, you are probably wrong in your assumption.
I wasn’t paying attention, and this is probably not news here, but I just found out that VW (and likely other companies) are offering lease deals using C4C incentive money as a monthly payment buy down. So, in effect, the purchaser is trading something he/she owns for the opportunity to essentially rent, but not own. The more I think about this deal, the more I realize it is just another sign of the decline of a once great America.
The only thing that really makes me sad is the two old forward control Toyota vans headed for the crusher.
I don’t know why I am recalling this story but I am inclined to tell it.
About 9yrs ago when times were “good” the provincial government issued cheques to all Albertans under King Ralf’s party. It was somthing like $400 in CASH! The event was a hot topic.
My point is that I was glad to get it and so was EVERYONE else!
Again times were good. I don’t understand how spending money when times are hard gets any government out of debt (maby in the long run). Most people like to live there lives “here and now”.
I’m a bit pissed at it as well. I’d kind of like to replace my wife’s 2000 Jetta TDI with a new Jetta TDI. But the only incentive for me is the $1300 “clean diesel” tax credit because I chose to not buy a ridiculously inefficient vehicle. Oh well. It just means we’ll keep her car longer.
One does wonder how much in taxes each new C4C purchase generates? You have income taxes on labor, sales taxes, registration, insurance, etc.
It would be nice to have more transparency to see figures on everything, but the money being spent to subsidize the C4C program is generating revenue that was not there before – how much I would love to know. Will it be enough to cover the program? It certainly is moving metal, and with that money is flowing through the system.
Is this guy serious or is he being sarcastic? 8 years in the auto industry and he still can’t tell a new vehicle from an old one? This dude says “old cars” about half a dozen times as he drives past at least 4 perfectly good and relatively new Toyota Tacomas, 4Runners and Tundras. This is truly sickening.
I can only assume one of the defining characteristics of an idiot, is sufficient lack of understanding of economics, to believe an economy is somehow made better off by destroying that which has economic value. These are probably the same monkeys that believe blowing stuff up, only to rebuild it, is economically beneficial. Long live the retards, ’cause they form the most numerous mob in our great lynchmobocracy!