House Pumps an Additional $2B Into Cash-Strapped 'Cash for Clunkers' Program

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

BREAKING NEWS > House Pumps an Additional $2B Into Cash-Strapped 'Cash for Clunkers' Program

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/

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more:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=8219863&page=1


House Approves Additional $2B for 'Cash for Clunkers' to Continue
Lawmakers Hope Money will be Enough to Keep Program Running At Least Another Month
By YUNJI de NIES, DEAN NORLAND and HUMA KHAN
July 31, 2009

The House hurriedly passed legislation with an overwhelming majority today to add $2 billion in funding to the "Cash for Clunkers" program.

Lawmakers hope the money will allow the cash-strapped program to run at least through September, when Congress returns from its month-long recess.

[Divine Discontent]

1. Claire McCaskill threatens not to vote for it?!

McCaskill said she won't vote for it next week, supposedly. you can contact her at her webpage http://mccaskill.senate.gov/contact/

If anyone could Call Clair McKaskill 202 224 6154 and tell the male staffer that this plan was helping the environment with reduced smog/CO2 and causing amazing sales of better fuel economy cars and helping keep workers at the plants all across this country (if he asks for city and zip St Louis zip code 63112, Kansas City 64111 are two, or use where you are in Missouri!)



So, how now do they stop senator Jim Demented from tying this up in the senate all next week before they go on a month long break?

[girl gone mad]

19. I called her and let her know I support her decision.

I think she's right.

[Dawgs]

2. And McCaskill has already said that she's voting against it.

Twitter - "I will vote no on any extension of Cash for Clunkers program."

[Divine Discontent]

4. What!? How sickening...

such a successful program. Apparently, she needs inundated with calls and emails.

I wrote her http://mccaskill.senate.gov/contact/

[Sherman A1]

15. Just sent an email

all we can do is try

[DemReadingDU]

3. Isn't this program

so the wealthy can trade in their huge SUVs for hybrids.


If people have lost their jobs (thus not much income), they can't trade in their old car to buy any new car.

[Armchair QB]

5. I wonder how many are buying Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans

as opposed to GM, FORD and Chrysler/Fiat products, supporting the non union workers in Red States

[newtothegame]

6. Are SUV's generally 15-year old clunkers? n/t

[snooper2]

7. Two of my co-workers have done this program this week

One had a Jeep Cherokee with 230,000 miles that got 14average for a Jeep Patriot ( $9000 off )

Another had a Pathfinder V6 with 200,000 and smoking like a bitch- she got a Jeep Compass... ( $9000 off )

It's good all the way around...

And if you have lost your job you shouldn't be looking at a new car with or without the program. It's not a free car program :eyes:

[WatchWhatISay]

22. They both got suckered

We bought a Jeep Liberty in December '08 and had absolutely no probelm getting $8000 off the sticker price, with no trade in whatsoever. Same offer was good on Grand Cherokees, Commanders, Patriots and Libertys last summer. So if your friens cars were worth $4500 on the open market, they got $4500 off (instead of $8000). If their cars were worth more than $4500, they got screwed even worse.

[Divine Discontent]

8. no.

I have a 94 crown vic. It is falling apart. I have some $, but a family friend is loaning if I can get the offer still. I will save hundreds a year in gas costs, pollute far less with a tiny subcompact than with my Ford V8 Crown Vic (it was all I could afford 5 years ago at an auction when I needed air conditioned vehicle to transport a sick sibling with a chronic disease), give profit to a salesperson to go spend in the economy, take a car off the lot which encourages new manufacture of the same low-emissions vehicle, and be able to drive long distances safely.

And even if the people with huge SUV's are using it, at least they're getting the beasts off the road in favor of vehicles that will lower the consumption of gasoline, which decreases demand. 250,000 new cars have been purchased - removing 250,000 vehicles which used roughly 33% more fuel - which is hundreds of millions of gas a year and millions of pounds of emissions!

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. OMG

Yes, a program that takes hundreds of thousands of poor emissions vehicles out of commission, and boosts car production and additional production and factory orders all the way down the supply chain, and results in a 4:1 or 5:1 ratio of cash injected into an economy to government outlay is really fucking terrible. You're right.

:eyes:

Jesus fuck. Some people can't win for losing.

[flpoljunkie]

9. Here's the fueleconomy.gov link to find the fuel economy by manufacturer

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymanu.htm

Be sure and click on the 'Compare to official EPA Window Sticker Fuel Efficiency' Link to get the combined mileage figure for your particular model.

[Divine Discontent]

10. hope that the senate doesn't tie up this bill next week (DeMint & McCaskill against it already)

a new car would be wonderful for my situation (94 crown vic v8, it was all I could afford at an auction 5 yrs ago, I care give now, and with the 4500 can afford a new car that will make transportation less stressful, costly, help lower emissions in the air, sell a car off a lot that's half the size of my v8!).

Thanks for the link for everyone, hope we all can use it - but the plan originally was 4 billion, but GOP lowered it in negotiations to 1 billion (how, I don't know), and so it was supposed to be 1 million cars - I think they would still go through that amount!

[Divine Discontent]

11. kick

[blue_onyx]

12. I hope the Senate can pass it

It's a successful stimulus and will also help environmentally by getting some less efficient vehicles off the roads.

[kirby]

13. Guess where the $2B came from?

They 'stole'/'reprogrammed' the money from the innovative research fund that was established for electric vehicle battery improvement, fuel efficiency improvement, etc. Of all places to take the money from!

[Duckhunter935]

14. shortsighted nt

[Xipe Totec]

16. They ought to make this program self-funding

by tacking a gas guzzler surcharge on SUVs, especially hummers.

It pisses me off that the tax breaks are going to the very people who create the problem in the first place.

[Abq_Sarah]

20. Or better yet

How about a tax on people who live in areas with public transportation, yet still drive their cars. If we're going to use surcharges and taxes to get people to change their behavior, it's better to target the people who have options instead of punishing people who do not.

[Xipe Totec]

21. It's not geography

It's not public versus private transportation.

It's one passenger driving a humongous SUV that rips my shorts.

People have options on what kind of vehicle to drive.


PS: I have no argument against your proposal either, since I use public transportation, and I walk a mile to the closest bus stop just to do it.

[flvegan]

18. Government subsidized asset depreciation.

Good intentions, poorly executed.

[sythe200]

23. What will happen

when all the low cost cars have been melted down by the government? How will poor people be able to afford transportation when all that is available are expensive hybrid cars?

[Divine Discontent]

24. they're only destroying a 1/4 of 1% of the cars in the country when they destory 250,000 gas hogs

and they're going to HOPEFULLY destroy another 500,000 in the coming weeks. This is still only 1% roughly of all cars - these are the most huge engines in V8 form, that many people picked up because it was the only thing they could afford to drive, and people had dumped them 4 years ago when gas went through the roof, and now the govt realizes they can spur manufacturing, sales, state taxes, environmental benefits that are profound, and increased fuel economy and less expense for the drivers to maintain by doing this CARS program.

It's the best billion the US gov't has spent in a LONG time.... we can actually see and read about the changes when someone says I just traded in my V8 engine for a 4 cylinder with 15 mpg better fuel economy and will save 50% on gas fillups, and pollute 75% less! Its a win win win all the way around for the struggling auto industry, consumers who have old worn gas guzzling cars, trucks & suv's and it's not giving money to the banks for once!