Monday, August 3, 2009

Cash For Clunkers Is A Clunker-Updated

Pat, at And So it Goes in Shreveport, said, tongue in cheek, that she would like a Cash for Computers program. Sitting here pecking on my netbook, I could get behind that. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, a Texas Republican whose district houses the now bankrupt Pilgrim’s Pride, a poultry producer, asked when we might have a Cash for Cluckers program. I eat a lot of chicken so I’m down with that as well. In fact, I could go for a Cash for Gas program to ease my commute. The hotel industry is suffering during the recession and I could really use a vacation, so how about a Cash for Hotels? Cash for Restaurants and Bars? There are so many industries hurting right now and so many things I would like and could use, why not?

Because it is fundamentally unfair, and un-American, to take from one segment of society to benefit another segment. It is redistribution and it is fundamentally contrary to our values as a society. Cash for Clunkers temporarily props up the automobile industry at the expense of the American taxpayers and even if it had worked as intended, it would still be wrong.

Updated!

I have to disclose two things. First, I have never owned a Ford but since the bailouts of Chrysler and GM I have said repeatedly that if I were to buy an American car (I am a Toyota owner) it would be a Ford because they did not take taxpayer money. Second, prior to retiring a few years ago my uncle owned one of the most successful Ford dealerships in the country. Understandably, I am getting a huge kick out of this:

Ford posted a 2.9% increase in sales in July over July 2008 numbers, the first improvement in year-to-year sales comparisons in nearly 2 years for Ford.

GM dropped only 19% from last year.

Chrysler dropped 9%.

1 comment:

SeaDog said...

I ask you, Why should the taxpayer flip the bill for the clearly unconstitutional cash for clunkers program? Our children and grand children will have to pay for this program! The people that are participating in this cash for clunkers program are greedy and self centered. They have chosen to place our country and children into more debt – and for what? A new car! That is not why we vetrans chose to serve our country – in IRAQ, Afghanistan, Viet Nam, the cold war, Korea or WWII. We serve our country to preserve the American way of life – not socialism. Cash for clunkers is certainly not a program that “defends the Constitution “it in fact undermines the Constitution. How many more industries will Congress selectively bail out? The industries supported by powerful unions seem to be Congress definition of all Americans! The “Cash for clunkers”program is nothing less than a Congressional stick up of our children – placing us in more debt to China. The next time the government decides to spend billions of dollars for a program think about where the money comes from and who is paying the bill.