"Cash For Clunkers" Program Runs Out of Gas

Ponca City, We love you writes "The Washington Post reports that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called members of Congress to inform them that the 'cash for clunkers' program will be suspended because the program has run out of money, and congressmen say they intend to ask the Obama administration to divert some funding from the existing economic stimulus package to maintain a scheme that they see as genuinely stimulative. 'Clearly, this has been a very stimulative program that's got consumers back into the car market. It's our hope that possibly more funds can be made available,' says Cody Lusk, president of the American International Automobile Dealers Association." If there is more funding, though, a report on CNET says it may come out of money to have been set aside for renewable energy loans by the US government.

Comments

Fuck you, this is about EVERYBODY

[BadAnalogyGuy]

If you think that the only one who benefits when someone buys a car, you're sadly mistaken.

Everyone who buys a car in the United States puts money in the hands of the car dealership, the salesperson who sold the car, the manager of the dealership, the automobile company's American division, the autoworkers who built the car, the companies who make parts for the car, the employees of *those* companies, and so on ad infinitum.

Buying a car is one of the most patriotic things you can do outside of buying a home. It puts money in so many pockets that there really ought to be incentives to buy automobiles. This program should continue to be supported and funded because it is exactly the kind of fiscally conservative action that puts the money the government takes in taxes back in the pockets of the American public.

So yeah, buy a used car if you want to save money, but please realize that you aren't helping anyone except the oil companies in that case.

Re:To boost auto sales...

[Vectronic]

Tough it out you fuckin pussies. We didn't climb out of trees into our shiny new SUV however many thousands of years ago. Besides, Soccer, Baseball and Softball are usually canceled in rain or snow, occasionally school altogether is.

Re:Did I miss something

[oldhack]

It's really a bailout for Detroit automakers. Hey, it's the bailout era. Measly couple billions don't even sound like a real (gov't) money these days :P