Cash for Clunkers is a Cluster****

[Japher]

Well...?



At least this one appears to be working.

[DanS]

No I didn't, I backed up my argument with a clear logical progression that the Cash for Clunkers program would stimulate the economy, unlike other spending which intended to do so, but instead rewarded those who caused the problem.

You don't think the car companies were a cause of the problem?

[Sava]

You don't think the car companies were a cause of the problem?

Hey! Obama fired GM's old CEO remember? So he didn't get rewarded for screwing things up.

hrrm... except for the golden parachute maybe

But if CEO's don't get big humonginormous compensation packages for failing, then companies can't hope to attract top talent... that fails. hrrmm... uhhhmmm... CAPITALISM RULES

[Drake Tungsten]

Just for the record, all of you taxpayers helped me buy a Japanese car. I'm sure as **** not going to waste yours and my money on an American POS.

[rah]

I do wonder if they had limited this to american POSs if they would have burned through the billion already.

Does anybody think they should have limited to cars built in the US? (my HONDA was built in Indiana)
I know so american cars built in Mexico wouldn't have qualified but I think it would have sent the right message.
And more importantly (based on the hundreds of ads for this this weekend) they'd have to disclose which cars are actually made in the US>

[Arrian]

Just for the record, all of you taxpayers helped me buy a Japanese car. I'm sure as **** not going to waste yours and my money on an American POS.

[Kuciwalker]

I do wonder if they had limited this to american POSs if they would have burned through the billion already.

Does anybody think they should have limited to cars built in the US? (my HONDA was built in Indiana)
I know so american cars built in Mexico wouldn't have qualified but I think it would have sent the right message.
And more importantly (based on the hundreds of ads for this this weekend) they'd have to disclose which cars are actually made in the US>

The answer is "obviously no, because it would be in abrogation of several treaties and would have resulted in a trade war".

[Arrian]

I think it would have sent the right message.

What message would that be, exactly?

A car assembled ("built" may be stretching it) in Tennessee by a company owned by Japanese, is somehow morally superior to a car assembled in Mexico by a company owned by Americans?

-Arrian

[Drake Tungsten]

Does anybody think they should have limited to cars built in the US? (my HONDA was built in Indiana)

My car was built in Japan.

[Guynemer]

Can't use the program.

My 14-year-old Ford Contour still gets 28-30 mpg, and runs like a dream. Buy American.

[Arrian]

Toyota/Honda
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Ford
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GM
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Fiat
Chrysler
Horse & Buggy

-Arrian

[Japher]

You don't think the car companies were a cause of the problem?

I think GM would have been allowed to fail quicker and with a lot less dollars out of the government's pockets had it not been for the sub-prime and credit crunch concerns adding to/escalating the issue. The issue isn't just with car manufacturers, but with the suppliers and world of industries that stem from the auto companies, foreign ones included.

The banks were dragging everyone down with them.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Can't use the program.

My 14-year-old Ford Contour still gets 28-30 mpg, and runs like a dream. Buy American.

Ford is fine. Its the Governmental Motors that needs to fail.

[Arrian]

needs to fail

Interesting way of putting it.

-Arrian

[Kuciwalker]

I think GM would have been allowed to fail quicker and with a lot less dollars out of the government's pockets had it not been for the sub-prime and credit crunch concerns adding to/escalating the issue.

Not exactly. The Democrats were just able to use the AIG et. al. bailouts as political cover to throw money at the UAW. So it's true that without the credit crunch the Democrats would have had a harder time doing that.