Anyone trading in their clunker?

[adam g]

Giving cars to the poor is noble. But what happens when someone who can't afford a car has to repair the one that there given. In cases the owner would be able to fix it himself. Owning a car comes with more headaches than just the initial cost.

 

[geno8769]

True. I wonder how much this will impact charities, that have already been terribly impacted by the downturn? No one will donate cars anymore.

 

[Agnem]

Good to see you posting again John! You were in the "where are they now" catagory. That Pep Boys thing is unbelieveable. Anyway, I'm appauled by this cash for clunkers program, at least the part that destroys the trade-in. That cuts the throat of used car dealers, auto-salvage yards, and many others who depend on old cars for jobs. A better way to do it would have been to just do the deal without the damage. The old iron will leave the road on its own eventually anyway. Now if Obama wants to do something useful with our money, why not start up a company that builds large scale transformers so that our utility companies don't have to buy them from Korea. Aren't we on the verge of rebuilding our infrastructure? I find it obserd that when we do, it will be done with foreign components. What's next? Dams and whole power plants by foreign contractors and laborers?

 

[Compu Doc]

True. I wonder how much this will impact charities, that have already been terribly impacted by the downturn? No one will donate cars anymore.

As for the cars that did get donated to charities, a charity would have them sent to an auction and get a percentage of the sale so the car that the person donated to a charity thinking the charity was getting 100% of the donation are sadly mistaken.

The car gets sold and then onto a used car dealers lot. If the car isn't road worthy or unrepairable the donated car is junked. The only charity I know of that sells cars directly is Goodwill Industries but they are far and few between.

Some of these people that are on welfare should have a car donated to them so that they have a way of looking for a job and have a way to get to the job.

I don't know what politician it was or what group of politicians came up with the idea of destroying the cars but whoever they were should be voted out of office.

 

[adam g]

Mel I agree we should be spending our money and time jumpstarting made in america. Not just infrastructure but everthing. One of the big ceos on yahoo this morning said that there are 6 million companies with more than one employee. Why don't we give an incentive to them to hire just one more employee. I would like that better than destroying good cars.

 

[Compu Doc]

Good to see you posting again John! You were in the "where are they now" catagory. That Pep Boys thing is unbelieveable. Anyway, I'm appauled by this cash for clunkers program, at least the part that destroys the trade-in. That cuts the throat of used car dealers, auto-salvage yards, and many others who depend on old cars for jobs. A better way to do it would have been to just do the deal without the damage. The old iron will leave the road on its own eventually anyway. Now if Obama wants to do something useful with our money, why not start up a company that builds large scale transformers so that our utility companies don't have to buy them from Korea. Aren't we on the verge of rebuilding our infrastructure? I find it obserd that when we do, it will be done with foreign components. What's next? Dams and whole power plants by foreign contractors and laborers?

Mel, Thanks for the concern of where I was. I have been out of work since January 2,2009. What a great way to start the new year. I hear you on the transformer thing. The rebuilding of the world trade center has a contractor for the glass. The contractor subcontracted the job out to glass made in China. So much for keeping the jobs here. All it is about is money. If a contractor could make more money by having the product made overseas they certainly will because they are not concerned about having people working in this country.

I think what they should have done also with the clunkers for cash program is to not only not destroy the engines in the cars but make it to where you could only do it for a car from Ford, GM or Chrysler. You could however trade in any car foreign or domestic.

 

[Compu Doc]

Mel I agree we should be spending our money and time jumpstarting made in america. Not just infrastructure but everthing. One of the big ceos on yahoo this morning said that there are 6 million companies with more than one employee. Why don't we give an incentive to them to hire just one more employee. I would like that better than destroying good cars.

Now that's where I am all for giving an American company a tax break. Hire an employee get a tax break. Hire more employees get a bigger tax break. You can't just give a business a tax break hoping that they will hire more employees and while we are at it don't tie the tax breaks that businesses would receive to gender or race. Make it equal across the board.

 

[adam g]

I called my parts store to find out how many products are made in America. He laughed. I told him I was serious and have told him before to sell more USA. The problem is even the American owned companies import a ton of there parts. I guess its up to You and me to buy American were ever we can.

 

[Agnem]

Nice recovery on this thread by the way. Now, lets get serious about what we can do to fix this. Not a lot I know, but the way I look at it, if you posted to this thread that you disagree with this program, have you written your legislators? I just did. My letter to Todd Platts....

I wish to inform you that I am against the cash for clunkers program for 2 reasons. First, the destruction of traded in vehicles is counter productive, and damaging to the people who benefit from used car parts. It also deprives our youths from future opportunities to restore classic cars, be they deemed classic or not at this time. It is detrimental to the history of our country, and I would also imagine that the energy being spent to destroy these cars is a huge waste. There are better ways of achieving the end goal of a cleaner environment. I also doubt the sincerity of our leadership with regard to the true reasons why THEY wanted this program, as it does not appear to be the will of the American people. The second reason I object to this program, is that my tax money is being given to people who are in turn giving their money to foreign companies. This program should have been exclusive to the domestic "big three" who need the turn around which I have already paid for. This is a huge example of what is wrong with our government today, and why the bail out and expected turn around is not happening! At ever turn, our money leaves our shores never to return.

If you don't want to write your congressman directly, go to this web site

http://www.fightcashforclunkers.org/

You can fill out a form there.

******** about it and feeling helpless is fine, but would you die without a fight, or would you rather go out swinging?

 

[JPR]

No clunker trades for me, I am keeping my truck and both the 89 and 92 Volvo. With the current economic situation, I can not see going into more debit.

 

[13fcolt]

Nice recovery on this thread by the way. Now, lets get serious about what we can do to fix this. Not a lot I know, but the way I look at it, if you posted to this thread that you disagree with this program, have you written your legislators? I just did. My letter to Todd Platts....



If you don't want to write your congressman directly, go to this web site

http://www.fightcashforclunkers.org/

You can fill out a form there.

******** about it and feeling helpless is fine, but would you die without a fight, or would you rather go out swinging?

yep! im trying to get actual numbers for energy and monetary costs along with the difference in pollution between maintaining a good truck vs. this program. .gov would do better to hand out turbos and rebuilds.

 

[Agnem]

Never mind the fact that we took 2 "clunkers" and combined them into a truck that gets 31 mpg. (the NightMoose) That's 20 MPG better than a new Powerstroke, yet it has more of a right to live than the NightMoose.

 

[noddaz]

I am with you here...

No clunker trades for me, I am keeping my truck and both the 89 and 92 Volvo. With the current economic situation, I can not see going into more debt.

I would like to take advantage of the situation and trade my truck in on a new Power Stroke... The G'ovt giving $4500 and Ford giving hefty discounts...
But I do not want the monthly payment. (I work in the auto indusrtry and do not know what tomorrow will bring...)
So I keep my old truck and my old van (also eligible...) and my cars... (not eligble...)

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

Nice recovery on this thread by the way. Now, lets get serious about what we can do to fix this. Not a lot I know, but the way I look at it, if you posted to this thread that you disagree with this program, have you written your legislators? I just did. My letter to Todd Platts....



If you don't want to write your congressman directly, go to this web site

http://www.fightcashforclunkers.org/

You can fill out a form there.

******** about it and feeling helpless is fine, but would you die without a fight, or would you rather go out swinging?

Yup, working on a letter for Debbie Stabenow. (aka Stabemnow)

This program will hurt the middle and lower class the most. I can't afford a new vehicle. Got enough "Clunkers" in my yard but they get better mileage than it's replacement would get.

Why should we reward the auto industry with this type of program when all they are doing is cutting more people loose every day because they have to trim expenses. Riiight! They're just shipping the work overseas for a lesser cost as they still need to have to work done.

It seems that the easiest way to buy American nowadays is to hit a yard sale or buy a used vehicle from a used car lot.

My stress level is too high to speak what I want to speak here.

 

[k_williams1982]

If you don't want to write your congressman directly, go to this web site

http://www.fightcashforclunkers.org/

You can fill out a form there.

******** about it and feeling helpless is fine, but would you die without a fight, or would you rather go out swinging?

I'd be going out swinging and kicking. Just completed the form above. Thanks for the link Mel!