Cash for Clunkers

[thome]

You really have a hard on tonight, don't we, old man?

I am feeling rather "Typee".

[bueno bob]

I hear you, but most people will be talked into buying the showroom floor model and way out of their price range.

A few years ago, I might have agreed with that. Based on today's economy though, people are much more hesitant to spend money on anything. Sales of all forms are down; this is a bonus incentive to buy, sure, but I do think people tend to err more on the side of caution these days. I certainly don't have the statistics to prove that, but the amount of people throwing money around has certainly gone down a tremendous amount.

I tend to give people more credit than they deserve, though...really, this IS a matter of personal responsibility. Hopefully the housing crisis has taught Americans a little something about that.

Due to -sales commission- salesmen, who could give a fukk about nelly's mom's need for a lexus to drive the kids to school in instead of that 5 to 10 year old mini-van.

But there's nothing new about that...car salesmen have been sharks from the time that cars were invented...

[thome]

I bet I have bought more rounds for th'house for my fellow humans (stimulate the world baby) than all beers, you have ever seen.

Why don't you go buy a car for Nelly's, mom and stop trying to tell her to increase her debt, during a depressed time in our social financial matriculation.

[Nickdfresh]

....

This begs the question, how much "assistance" would the American public need if the government didn't take so many taxes?

Or how many taxes from the middle classes would the gov't need if they actually made corporations pay their fair share (other than in bribing congress)...

[Nickdfresh]

You Buy'n, richie rich payment stimulo's man..?

You really have a hard on tonight, don't we, old man?

[sadaist]

Unless you've tracked the serial number of your specific tax check and followed where it was distributed to (each and every penny), you don't have any fucking CLUE if he benefited from YOUR taxes.

If he benefited from government money, then he benefited from MY tax dollars (and every other person that pays taxes). No two ways around that. Your argument is ridiculous. So according to you I should either pay my taxes & shut the fuck up about how they are spent....or, if I don't like what's being done with them just don't pay them at all and suffer the long arm of the law.

How ironic would that be? I go to jail for not paying my taxes....and your taxes go up to pay for my incarceration, health care & meals.

Get back to me when you're working poor and struggling with two jobs to put Macaroni & Cheese on the table every night, hoping to Christ that your car lasts you just a little while long so that you can maintain both jobs, and THEN maybe you'll have a point to make.

And you know my current & past financial situations how?

As long as tax dollars are being returned to the American public in forms of assistance, RATHER than going to promote bullshit overseas war agendas, I'd be in favor of it.

This begs the question, how much "assistance" would the American public need if the government didn't take so many taxes?

[Nickdfresh]

I am suspecting someone is proxy posting in Nicks name the above statement is so fukking retarded I just must believe it was a crime somehow.

At least I know how to spell "fucking," as you're a fucking douchebag. Maybe someday, they'll have a 'cash for trailers' program -and then you can get a new house!

[thome]

Your head is filled with BS. No one said anything about a false choice of "poor house" or new car.



Why don't you go guzzle some more cheap beer, dummy...

You Buy'n, richie rich payment stimulo's man..?

[thome]

Not everybody can repair their own vehicle, thome. Not everybody can afford to have a car die on them with a blown headgasket or a stripped transmission. Paying over a thousand dollars for repairs can be catastrophic for some families. Hell, paying $300.00 for repairs can be catastrophic. And how do you get the money when you absolutely need it and nobody can help and you've got pennies left to last you for two days before you get your next paycheck? Payday advances? It'll work, but once they get their hooks in you, that's even MORE detrimental.

The bottom line is reliable transportation is a NECESSITY, especially to working families with kids. You can't just fall back on write-offs like "Well, save your money!" either because many working class people CAN'T. The cost of living in proportion to the rate of pay is exponentially out of alignment and everybody knows it.

This program is designed to help people with the burden, get the economy in order by influencing vehicle sales (which has been wildly successful) and may even help to stabilize emissions control as a distant third.

Numbers won't always agree in every case; in some cases, it probably IS better to keep a so-so car in the hopes that it won't run into a life threatening problem. But that's up to individual families to figure and decide for themselves. It can't be used as a be-all end-all to say why the program sucks. Everybody is different and every situation is different, but having been there myself once (and knowing people who are STILL in it), I can certainly identify with the need and the benefits.

Were it four years ago, I'd have done it myself.

I hear you, but most people will be talked into buying the showroom floor model and way out of thier price range .

Due to -sales commission- salesmen, who could give a fukk about nelly's mom's need for a lexus to drive the kids to school in instead of that 5 to 10 year old mini-van.

[bueno bob]

Secondly, a billion was a drop in the bucket with most countries previously initiating such programs at proportionally higher levels of funding initially as there was bound to be an initial surge that would slow down over time...

Exactly. Everything new, especially new and on this type of level, is going to generate a high level of interest right out of the gate.

JJ Abrams version of "Star Trek" isn't filling theaters now, either, but it certainly did on opening Friday...

[Nickdfresh]

Yeah Right.

Times are tough your headed for the poor house go get a new car and payment.

I call BS

Your head is filled with BS. No one said anything about a false choice of "poor house" or new car.

It is sheep thinking lemmings, will go get a new car.

ALL CARS GUZZLE SOMETHING!

EDIT: TYPICAL BULLSH!T Save the world by getting in debt...shattapp!!!

Why don't you go guzzle some more cheap beer, dummy...

[Nickdfresh]

And it's amazing how the government program ran out of money only 8% into the scheduled time for this. Can't wait for them to be running my health care. Should be smooth sailing.

The government didn't account for greedy dealers jumping the gun and (in some cases illegally) writing deals in early July. So, many of the Cash for Clunker cars sales were actually completed prior to the program taking effect officially on July 24th...

Secondly, a billion was a drop in the bucket with most countries previously initiating such programs at proportionally higher levels of funding initially as there was bound to be an initial surge that would slow down over time...

[thome]

"Given away to the gov't?" WTF are you talking about? The cars are made inoperable, then scrapped at salvage yards with their steel being smelted. While there have been some decent vehicles that probably work perfectly, there are also rotten pieces of junk contaminating the environment by leaking oils and contributing to smog and using up fossil fuels that are being taken off the road and replaced with ULEV engines and people are learning to make do with a smaller hatchback and sedan as a small family vehicle rather than using the excuse of having a couple of kids to buy enormous SUVs to compensate for small penises and insecurities. Many of these vehicles also would have needed repairs to stay in running condition, and often owners completely ignore that anyways...

I am suspecting someone is proxy posting in Nicks name the above statement is so fukking retarded I just must believe it was a crime somehow.

[bueno bob]

The property taxes on a junker I have as a fixer upper is 58.00 per year. Runs like a top look like sh!t till I get done with it.

Not everybody can repair their own vehicle, thome. Not everybody can afford to have a car die on them with a blown headgasket or a stripped transmission. Paying over a thousand dollars for repairs can be catastrophic for some families. Hell, paying $300.00 for repairs can be catastrophic. And how do you get the money when you absolutely need it and nobody can help and you've got pennies left to last you for two days before you get your next paycheck? Payday advances? It'll work, but once they get their hooks in you, that's even MORE detrimental.

The bottom line is reliable transportation is a NECESSITY, especially to working families with kids. You can't just fall back on write-offs like "Well, save your money!" either because many working class people CAN'T. The cost of living in proportion to the rate of pay is exponentially out of alignment and everybody knows it.

This program is designed to help people with the burden, get the economy in order by influencing vehicle sales (which has been wildly successful) and may even help to stabilize emissions control as a distant third.

Numbers won't always agree in every case; in some cases, it probably IS better to keep a so-so car in the hopes that it won't run into a life threatening problem. But that's up to individual families to figure and decide for themselves. It can't be used as a be-all end-all to say why the program sucks. Everybody is different and every situation is different, but having been there myself once (and knowing people who are STILL in it), I can certainly identify with the need and the benefits.

Were it four years ago, I'd have done it myself.

[Nickdfresh]

I'm not talking about "shitheap" vehicles...

Good for him for getting the $4500 (BTW, he has already paid more than that, regardless) for junk...if you don't know that, you're an idiot...

But from what i've seen, a great percentage of these cars GIVEN AWAY to the government, are perfectly fine, operational vehicles! I have a big problem with that...

If you can get $4500 for a real 300,000 mile clunker that is bought and paid for, than good for you...


IT'S A SCAM!

"Given away to the gov't?" WTF are you talking about? The cars are made inoperable, then scrapped at salvage yards with their steel being smelted. While there have been some decent vehicles that probably work perfectly, there are also rotten pieces of junk contaminating the environment by leaking oils and contributing to smog and using up fossil fuels that are being taken off the road and replaced with ULEV engines and people are learning to make do with a smaller hatchback and sedan as a small family vehicle rather than using the excuse of having a couple of kids to buy enormous SUVs to compensate for small penises and insecurities. Many of these vehicles also would have needed repairs to stay in running condition, and often owners completely ignore that anyways...