What happens to the cash for clunker cars?

[DalesCarpentry]

What happens to the cash for clunker cars? Do they have to be destroyed? To me it seems they must be destroyed because the whole program would be a waste other wise. They are doing this program to get cars and trucks that get poor gas mileage off the road. If they were just resold that would defeat the purpose. Dale

[JustaShooter]

It's my understanding that they get destroyed, but I don't have a link or anything to back it up.  But, that's why some folks are against it since it removes vehicles from the market that might otherwise be an affordable choice for the poor, etc.

Just a Shooter

[nomosendero]

Metal for the new Gov. Yugos due out next year.   

[dukkillr]

What happens to the cash for clunker cars? Do they have to be destroyed? To me it seems they must be destroyed because the whole program would be a waste other wise. They are doing this program to get cars and trucks that get poor gas mileage off the road. If they were just resold that would defeat the purpose. Dale

I believe they engines are destroyed but some of the other parts can be recycled or reused...   A local piece in the paper talked about salvage lots struggling because the price of scrap metal has gone down and this isn't going to help...

[1marty]

cash for clunkers means we're paying for some slobs new car.

[DalesCarpentry]

cash for clunkers means we're paying for some slobs new car.

You might be able to look at it another way though. I am not sure a BILLION dollars is enough to make a difference but that is that much less oil we are importing. Maybe just maybe it will help gas prices fall. Dale

[mirage1988]

Putting politics aside, all I can say is I sure am glad cash for clunkers wasn't around when I was 16 years old and shopping for my first car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That 1978 ford fiesta that I paid $400 for would have been worth $4900?

[DalesCarpentry]

Putting politics aside, all I can say is I sure am glad cash for clunkers wasn't around when I was 16 years old and shopping for my first car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That 1978 ford fiesta that I paid $400 for would have been worth $4900?

Did you own it a year? Was your credit good enough to buy a new car at the time? Dale

[torpedoman]

Great deal for the japs try to trade for a f150 or chevy pick up. Can't do that, but you can get a toyota camery or a honda you tax dollars on the way to japan.Yea they may have plants in tenn but the money they make goes to japan.

[mirage1988]

Umm no- I bought my first car for $400, you totally missed my point.

[mirage1988]

There will be no 400 dollar beaters if the gov't pays to have them all crushed and everyone will have to pay higher auto insurance because their kids are now smashing up smart cars and obamaboxes. Oh wait- the gov't will just REFORM the auto insurance industry....................................

[magooch]

Personally, I'm tired of the government using our tax money to promote this, or that type of social, or economic activity.  Why not let the people keep more of their hard earned money and make their own decisions on how and what to spend it on?  And I'm not saying that this is the first time in history that the government has done this sort of thing--it's just getting more brazen and arbitrary about it.  So it seems to me.

I don't need, nor want a new car, but I would like $4500 of extra cash to blow on something of my choice.  I don't need, nor want a new house, but I would like $8000 extra cash to piss away on whatever strikes my fancy.  I shudder to think what will be the next thing that the government decides we need to spend our money on.

[magooch]

I'd prefer a good old American idea of liberty to spend our money the way we want to and for the government to butt out. 

If I thought that the defense of this country depends primarily on our heavy industry, I'd run out and buy a half dozen new cars tomorrow.  It is my opinion that our defense depends on electing leaders who have a pair and will use the  best weapons that we already have (nukes) and conduct our wars like we really want to win them.  When I say win them, I mean about 30 minutes after we determine that we're in it.  I'm probably not one who would have voted for Truman, but he showed how it should be done--at least with the Japs.

[billy_56081]

The engines and drive trains cannot be used from these cars. They pour out the oil and pour in some chlorate crap. They start the engine and run it until it dies. The salvage yards are talking about not accepting these cars as the most valuable parts are not usable. Where this will cause a big problem is with the folks looking for a good used car. The stockpile of used cars will now be lower, so as the rule of supply and demand go, up goes the price of used cars. Also when will the program have to start to bail out these folks going from a paid for , low licence fees, low insurance and no car payment are being traded for high tabs, high insurance and car payments. So when are we gonna have to start bailing out the car buyers?

[hotrunner]

They engines od the clunker cars are desroyed by the dealer by pouring a "liquid glass" soution in the tank and running them until they lock up.
Agree that these programs should benefit only U.S. manufacturers. Good article in this mo's. Atlantic Monthly mag. re. the Kentucky Toyota plant and the Japs' real agenda in the U.S.A.

[jimster]

Whenever government puts cash in a group of people's pockets that come from another group of people, it's going to be a popular program.  That does not make it right.  It just makes it popular, for the people getting the cash redistributed to them.

Maybe sometimes it's best just to leave things alone...clunkers would be replaced anyway in time, when the economy picks up on it's own with no government intervention, that's a fact.  There would be more oportunity for young first time car buyers to get a clunker for their first car, with plenty of parts.  Clunkers are all young people can afford, the more of them the better for our teenagers.

Borrowing more money at this time and getting us deeper into debt makes no sense at all, and we have some real good insight on how well governent calculates cost as well on this cash for clunker deal.....the one billion they thought was going to last until Nov. lasted all of four days, whoops we figured wrong, time for another bailout....a few billion more!  Right now...because it's a "popular" program...let's spend more!   

Health care will be popular too I bet, but in those 1000 pages of legislation are things even the people who wrote them need lawyers to figure out what it really means.  What it really means is probably not good. 


Who's billions are these??  Where does it come from?  And why-oh-why can't they just leave well enough alone and stop trying to "help us" by spending our tax money?  I'm one of those "do nothing" people I guess...."please do nothing"...I've had enough help already.

[Brett]

Here are just a few of the draw backs to this program as they pertain to me.

1) My line of work requires that I own a work truck.   I cannot work from a small econobox.

2) Even with a $4,500 Government rebate I can not afford to take on truck payments for a new truck.

[DalesCarpentry]

Here are just a few of the draw backs to this program as they pertain to me.

1) My line of work requires that I own a work truck.   I cannot work from a small econobox.

2) Even with a $4,500 Government rebate I can not afford to take on truck payments for a new truck.

Ain't that the truth!!!!!! Dale

[Hooker]

With the governments help and rebates from the manufactures many folks will be able to qualify for a new vehicle.
But they still wont be able to afford the monthly payment.... Hey Isn't this the same method the government used to destroy the housing market?

Pat

[Hooker]

Here are just a few of the draw backs to this program as they pertain to me.

1) My line of work requires that I own a work truck.   I cannot work from a small econobox.

2) Even with a $4,500 Government rebate I can not afford to take on truck payments for a new truck.

Brett your missing the point your not suppose to use rational thought. Your suppose to think, Ohhh I can get a shiney new doodad for my driveway.
This is how this works, the government takes your hard earned money by means of extortion err... I mean taxes and they give this to the loser car manufactures.
Now they need you to take what is left of your hard earned money and and buy a useless throw away car from those corporate welfare recipients.

Pat

[jimster]

I think it would be a popular program to give everyone that is NOT buying a new car $4500 in cash money, for being thrifty and living right.
Money all comes from the same place anyways.  Let's make more popular programs all based on cash from the money printer and our taxes.
We'll call this one "cash for savings" program.  Spread the wealth around like Obama promised us. 

Ya Hooker...you pretty much nailed it.....lot's of people who should not be borrowing any money at all will walk away from their cars just like they did their homes.  Imagine that...people borrowing money like their government and spending what they don't have.  Same concept that got us where we are.




   

[45-70.gov]

cash for clunkers means we're paying for some slobs new car.

You might be able to look at it another way though. I am not sure a BILLION dollars is enough to make a difference but that is that much less oil we are importing. Maybe just maybe it will help gas prices fall. Dale

''WE''  don't  import  oil  ...you  are  speaking and  thinking in   1sr person plural
i  do not  import oil and  i don't think you do either so...... '' WE''  do  not import  oil
tho  i  own  oil  stocks through  a mutual fund....i  hope it  makes  money

some  one  one  is  getting  my  tax  dollars 
so  they  can  get  $4500  dollars  off the cost  of their


that is  not  right and a violation of the tenth  amemdment

as  for it getting  oil  cost  down.......those  driving  a low milage car  i helped  pay  for
will  just  drive  farther 
gas  will  cost  what ever  people  will  pay for  it

[streak]

With the governments help and rebates from the manufactures many folks will be able to qualify for a new vehicle.
But they still wont be able to afford the monthly payment.... Hey Isn't this the same method the government used to destroy the housing market?

Pat

BINGO!!

[nomosendero]

With the governments help and rebates from the manufactures many folks will be able to qualify for a new vehicle.
But they still wont be able to afford the monthly payment.... Hey Isn't this the same method the government used to destroy the housing market?

Pat

BINGO!!

+1 Good post Hooker!!