CARS is Like Really Great Stuff
By Johnny Roosh
Tim Pawlenty ripped the federal CARS “Cash for Clunkers” program this week.
It makes no sense, he said on his weekly radio show, for the federal government to bail out a company such as General Motors and then give consumers as much as $4,500 to buy a car from GM.
“It makes everybody feel good,” Pawlenty said, “but because we own GM, we’re just paying ourselves back. It seems a little odd.”
Car dealers respond predictably…
“I think the governor’s comments are unfortunate and maybe ill-informed,” said Scott Lambert, executive director of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association. “This program has clear benefits to it. The only downside is that it’s using taxpayer money
We wouldn’t want to nit-pick where the money’s coming from.
…but it’s stimulus money that’s working. It’s promoting some of the biggest economic activity the state has seen all summer.”
Maybe so, but what happens when the program stops?
It’s akin to Billy Mays endorsing cocaine.
August 9th, 2009 at 7:31 am
When the money stops, it stops, that’s what.
This was a terrific program. NO, it should not go on forever, NO, I don’t know of anyone who thinks it should. It gave a one-time STIMULUS to confidence and purchasing of a US-Made durable good.
Pawlenty’s comments are going to bite him in the arse, this program was effective AND popular, and one helluva lot better idea than has come from the Governor’s office while Tim was in it. I’ve flown back with TPaw a coupld of times now, he’s nice, but he’s obviously aiming his sights very high. This was about running for President, not whether the program was a good idea. We got a LOT more in stimulus money for building roads than in cash for clunkers and you didn’t see Pawlenty turning that money away or denying the political windfall the roadbuilding will bring him.
August 9th, 2009 at 7:48 am
Over half of the cars are from foreign manufacturers.
Top 10 vehicles purchased
1. Toyota Corolla
2. Ford Focus FWD
3. Honda Civic
4. Toyota Prius
5. Toyota Camry
6. Hyundai Elantra
7. Ford Escape FWD
8. Dodge Caliber
9. Honda Fit
10. Chevy Cobalt
Confidence? To continue the analogy, you mean like cocaine gives you confidence? Just as temporary and it leaves you worse off than you started. The thing is, just like cocaine, once you start you may not feel like stopping and we have many wasteful, useless and “temporary” government programs that started off just like CARS.
Its amazing how liberals think every program using other people’s money is a good one and the guy that decides to run a state like a Minnesotan should run their household, that is to say within their budget, has no good ideas. As if novelty is the measure, versus common sense.
Stimulus money is our money. We didn’t “get” anything. It’s our money already – at least those of us that actually pay taxes.
I’ve flow on a plane with a lot of people too but that doesn’t make us acquaintences. Pawlenty has ratcheted up his monologue, and probably because of his aspirations but he’s still right.
August 9th, 2009 at 8:07 am
It’s amazing how Progressives look only at intentions, never at results, when judging government success.
CARS borrows money and gives it people who can afford to buy a brand-new car, money that will be repaid by poor people in cigarette taxes and FICA withholding from their minimum-wage jobs.
CARS requires the “clunkers” be destroyed, thus insuring that poor person riding the bus to her job at WalMart won’t be able to afford the freedom of a clunker, but will remain a vassel of the public transit system.
Wave at her as you cruise by in your new car, Pen. She’s going to pay for it, in tax money and wasted time, for years to come. Hope you feel good about that.
.
August 9th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Pawlenty’s comments are going to bite him in the arse, this program was effective AND popular,
Of course!
Last week, I ran a “program” where I gave people $1000 in cash to junk their VHS tape decks and buy BlueRay players. IT was HUGELY popular – 100% of the people I approached took me up on it – and very effective, because 100% of participants saw the intended result.
Of course, I’m out four million dollars.
Do you see the analogy? Please?
And I’m not sure why you say thsiprogram is “better” than anything Pawlenty has done. Pawlenty did what he promised to do, which, for a politician, is a rare and wondrous thing.
August 9th, 2009 at 8:45 am
“this program was effective AND popular”
Really? Perhaps it was a hit among your circle Peev, but according to this poll, 54% of Americans opposed additional funding for it while 33% were in favor:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/auto_industry/august_2009/54_opp
August 9th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Actually Johnny it’s money we borrowed from the Chinese in order to buy Japanese and Korean cars.
What we are doing is sucking money out of everything else in order to buy votes for politicians. Just like ethanol and ethanol tariffs are hugely popular with corn farmers and corporations who convert food to fuel. This program will be continued as long as it buys votes.
August 10th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
CARS is great. My aunt and uncle, professionals who make about $185,000 a year, just got free gov’t money to buy a foriegn made car. With leadership like this, Congress should have us bankrupte before you can say “hopeychange”.
August 10th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
“CARS borrows money and gives it people who can afford to buy a brand-new car, money that will be repaid by poor people in cigarette taxes and FICA withholding from their minimum-wage jobs.
CARS requires the “clunkers” be destroyed, thus insuring that poor person riding the bus to her job at WalMart won’t be able to afford the freedom of a clunker, but will remain a vassel of the public transit system.”
Spot on Nate!!!
It not only is inflating the value/decreasing the supply of affordable cars, but it also does the same thing to the used parts market. John’s Auto should immediately raise prices 10% to 20% across the board.
Peevee, why must you deny less fortunate folks the right to an affordable car? Why must you deny folks with affordable cars the right to replace parts at an affordable price? What do you have against poor folk, Peev?
(ps, Peev I hope you have recovered from your meltdown the other day on PenisBlog, that sure was ugly in a car wreck sort of way.)