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White House staff and congressional lawmakers are meeting today to try to find a way to keep the U.S. government’s “cash for clunkers” program running, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
The popular program remains in operation, Gibbs said.
“If you were planning on going to buy a car this weekend, using this program, this program continues to run,” Gibbs said at a morning White House briefing. “If you meet the requirements of the program, the certificates will be honored.”
Gibbs said the Obama administration and congressional leaders are working today “to find and develop ways to continue to fund” this $1 billion program, which may be out of cash after a week of operation.
The incentive program, formally known as the Car Allowance Rebate System, provides credits of as much as $4,500 to new-auto buyers who turn in an older vehicle to be scrapped. Lawmakers had expected the $1 billion program to generate about 250,000 sales and to have enough money to last until about Nov. 1.
Har!
And these are the creeps who want to take over our health plans?
your gov’t at work. if you do the math, 4,500×250,000=1,125,000,000. but hey, whats 125million between friends huh??
Some of the rebates are only $3500
How is it good for the environment to scrap 250000 cars, and replace them with new ones?
This is probably better than the CFL fiasco, but not much.
The entire clunker program was just a pork sweetheart deal for the benefit of the Salvage and Junkyard lobby.
Don’t forget that the government owns 50% of GM. How’s that for recycling?
All there is to say is get used to the following paragraph:
“…Obama administration and congressional leaders are working today “to find and develop ways to continue to fund” this $XYZ billion program, which may be out of cash after a week of operation.
If you have a neighbor who took advantage of this program – as I do – I hope all the Republikan nutballs run right over and scream at them about how unAmerican they are.
I’ll stand back here – out of range.
Simple math shows that 250,000 cars at $4500 amounts to $1.125 Billion. So, either the program was massively successfull and helped to sell 250,000 newer, more energy efficient cars, or the government bureacracy has basically stolen their share before giving over the money for the public use.
One is a massive success, and the other is a bloated mess. Somehow I suspect it’s the later and not the former.
I’m glad for the CARS program. Germany did something similar with great success. I just wish they realized that they really only planned for 250,000 cars. then again 250,000 cars sold in a week is a lot. Or is it?
What about just giving tax rebates for when the people file? This way you don’t have to put money out of pocket, and I am sure all the “clunkers” that were turned in will make a great stockpile of parts, and you ALWAYS sell parts.
Help me if I’m wrong, but 250,000 getting an increase of 10mpg amounts to like a reduction of nearly 50,000 barrels of oil per fillup over the cars they replace?
How can that be a bad thing?
Want to see how efficiently Congress can act when a popular program catches the public fancy?
Turn on CNBC or one of the federal watchdog channels and follow the vote on extending this program.
At the moment there are no “Nay” votes.
The entire bill = 2 pages.
Grrr, I have a qualifying vehicle, but you are required to buy a new car, not just a more efficient used car.
You can save more than the $4500 off the price of a car by buying a 2007 instead of a 2009. I have never bought a new car because it doesn’t pay to buy new.
Final House vote: YEA – 316, NAY – 109
There were 14 Democrats opposed – and the remainder of losers were exactly who you would expect.
Oh the salvage yards may benefit from this program but only as a pass through as the crushed or shredded cars get sold to China to produce other things we need here.
The engines are destroyed by pouring something that toasts them then the car gets destroyed. No spare parts and no salvage allowed.
That makes sure that all those cars can’t be used for parts to keep others like them on the road.
Takes away freedom of choice and tries to force you into a government approved piece of shit.
#9, the dealers are required to junk the cars, and even replace the motor oil with a silicate and run the engine, so that the parts can’t be used.
I just watched a Toyota dealer (on CNN) discussing the Clunker program. He sold 61 cars this week through the program.
He also pointed out he had 5 scrapyards bidding for each of the clunkers he turned. Though there are hustlers out there – in both the junk and car dealerships – telling people they can only get <$100 per car in scrap value, it's a crock.
That scrap price also is deducted from the price you negotiate for the car you're buying; so, don't sign a waiver to the dealer before the deal is concluded.
The Toyota dealer said he's getting prices running from $200 to $800 from the scrapyards he deals with.
But, then, his name isn't Mr. Diesel.
#10 its not a bad thing until you realize that your grandchildren will be paying for it.
#17, ducky,
Most often it is cheaper to pay up front for something than it is to leave it for others to pay for it later. In this case the benefits will pay for themselves several times over.
This would have been a great program… if it hadn’t been castrated by the Republicans.
As always, another missed chance to make America better thanks to Republican interference.
In order to not affect sales and make the program “popular”, the Republicans chopped down the mileage requirement for new cars elegible to buy in the program.
They also increased the elegibility to include purchasing new cars that should not be elegible (new heavy trucks)… AND they decreased the program from it’s original 20 billion dollars.
This was a huge missed opportunity to start moving to much more efficient vehicles, lessening oil dependency and increasing national security… but nooooo…
Like with everything they do, a big Republican fail. Republicans, why do you hate America?
I used to work at a junk yard, we buy cars for $50 – 100 bucks. I don’t think we ever paid any more then 200 for anything that comes in when I was there.
The Cash for Clunker campaign is a really great way to get rid of the gas guzzling light trucks, old cars, and SUVs off the road. It’s just sad that it’s not that successful at the moment.
The program is successful enough to run out of money but then Congress always underestimates that part.
Wow, they pour sodium silicate into the engine then run it until the thing ceases. What a colossal waste. Now you have a car that you can’t even dispose of. The junk yards don’t want them and they are turning dealerships into junkyards.
Way to GO, CONGRESS! And these are the guys that want to control your health care. I can hear it now. “Nope, you are too sick. We will only pay for your lethal injection and the recycling of your body parts.”
Your tax dollars at work, again. And, yes, I have given endless shit to my friends who took advantage of this travesty on congressional fiscal irresponsibility. My friends figure that this is the only time they will ever get their tax dollars back from Washington. I see their twisted logic but I don’t agree with it.
This is what happens with social engineering. The libs hold out a carrot and the vultures swoop in to devour the spoils. There is enough shame to go around for everyone involved.
Is this what we want? Do we want this level of government meddling in the economy and our society? And do we condone these half-baked schemes to buy votes? Damn, I fear for what lies ahead.
Oh, Congress will say that, even though the program is flawed, we should throw more money at it. That will fix everything!
Why not just buy everyone a new car and be done with it?
#19, how do you blame the republicans for this, as they are clearly the minority party?
Ridiculous program. If you look at the cars that are qualified for purchase, (list on Edmunds.com) there are plenty of heavy trucks and cadillacs etc. on the list. What a ridiculous waste of money.
Heard a joke the other day:
The boss gives me a $100 to do a project. The project is a complete failure.
Now I demand the boss give me a $1,000 to do another project.
The funny part is that my boss is such a chump, he’ll give me the money.
I’ve got mine, who cares about anyone else.
As the great philosopher, Ross Perot, was fond of saying, “The Devil is in the details.”
I think the program is great, except that you can us American tax dollars to buy foreign-made cars.
American tax dollars should only go to products made by Americans in America.
Good idea but bad execution.
This resulted in 1,000’s of republican owned Hummer’s being turned in. A much better plan:
– Hummer not qualify
– 35 mph for new car
– 2,000 credit for new car
– Raise prop taxes on Hummer owners
– Tax the church
#28
Tax the church? Stop smoking crack my friend…
#27 — Define American? Most products produced today are international assemblies. Corporate office may be overseas but assembly plants are located in America. GM sales rebranded Toyota products that are assembled in California. I may be mistaken but almost half of GM plants are in another country. Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Subaru have assembly plants here in America. Parts for automobiles come from all over the world now.
There may be an automobile that has all parts made in America, assembled in America with the corporate office located in America but that vehicle will be hard to find.
The “Buy American” movement is not practical.