Baby, You Can Drive My Car . . .

[Joanne98]

Who knew Americans were hanging on to so many junky cars? And it’s not just in the South, where car-related redneck jokes are as ubiquitous as moon pies and RC co-colas (personal favorite: if your house is on wheels and your car is not . . . you might be a redneck). The government-backed “cash for clunkers” program has been a runaway success, adding needed stimulus to the economy and providing direct assistance to middle-income Americans and failing car dealerships as well. Alan Greenspan applauds the program as creating a sense of optimism among Americans while simultaneously boosting the economy. July will present the best new car sales numbers in years.

Imagine . . . you’ve been struggling to keep your head above water, maybe your spouse lost his or her job and you’re been operating on one income. You’re hanging onto that ‘95 Lumina with the broken a/c and headliner held up with safety pins and, even though it gets 14 mpg, you don’t have a choice. You’d love to get a reliable, more fuel-efficient new car but you can’t afford it. Meanwhile, the local car lot is in serious trouble. If it shuts down it’s another blow to the depressed local economy, with more job losses and ripple effects throughout the community. Then comes the “cash for clunkers” program, which provides up to $4,500 on those old iron dinosaurs if traded in on a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle.

It’s a great feel-good program for a nation still recovering from eight years of death, destruction, and economic devastation. People who have never owned a new car before, and thought they could never afford one, are driving away with huge smiles on their faces, and dealerships teetering on the brink of failure have been thrown a lifeline. Finally, a smart government program where everybody wins.


So, obviously, Republicans want to kill it.

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http://www.opednews.com/articles/Baby-You-Can-Drive-My-Car-by-Kathy-Malloy-090803-473.html