US: Feds To Offer Cash For Your Clunker

[Bob Hubbard]

Feds To Offer Cash For Your Clunker on Sunday January 18, @02:32AM

Posted by kdawson on Sunday January 18, @02:32AM
from the distressed-assets dept.

coondoggie sends along a NetworkWorld piece that begins, "The government... wants to motivate you to get rid of your clunker of a car for the good of the country (and the moribund car industry). A 'Cash for Clunkers' measure introduced this week by three US Senators, two Democrats and a Republican, would set up a national voucher program to encourage drivers to voluntarily trade in their older, less fuel-efficient car, truck, or SUV for a car that gets better gas mileage. Should the bill pass, the program would pay out a credit of $2,500 to $4,500 for drivers who turn in fuel-inefficient vehicles to be scrapped and purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle."
http://slashdot.org/#


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[Bob Hubbard]

That sounds awfully familiar......

An idea for a possible partial solution to our gas troubles
Bob Hubbard

Yeah.....I thought so.

 

[terryl965]

Yes Bob you and those senators are on the same wave length, what does that tell yea?

 

[grydth]

Next, the Fed will be getting into repo's......

I'd like this a lot better if there was an involuntary aspect to it for all the greedy bail out CEO's.... the Fed will take their gas guzzling luxury chariots and leave a ECHO in the driveway.....

 

[crushing]

Bob, maybe someone in government is catching on and monitoring MT for all our great ideas!

Some of the fine print. . .

• The traded-in vehicles must have a fuel economy of no more than 18 miles per gallon;
• Auto needs to be in be in drivable condition, and have been registered for at least the past 120 days;
• The voucher needs to be used towards the purchase of a vehicle that has value of less than $45,000, is model year 2004 or later, and meets or exceeds federal emissions standards;
• Vouchers could also be redeemed for transit fares for participating local public transportation agencies.

I wonder if the 18 mpg is actual current, or if they go by what the sticker said when the car was purchased. If it's 18 mpg in current condition, what is used as proof?

 

[MA-Caver]

Well, I could use the money and buy myself a younger model of the one I got now ('91 Jeep Cherokee) but ... between $2,000 to 4,000 bucks I could only buy myself yet another older model. I don't have the rest for a $20K or more value of a car... I'd be trading in a used car for yet another used car.
Besides... I like m'jeep.
Thanks but... no thanks.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Yes Bob you and those senators are on the same wave length, what does that tell yea?

Naw. They still ****ed up the economy, etc etc. I just had the idea almost a year ahead of em.

Maybe in a few years they'll catch up to us here.

 

[Cryozombie]

for the good of the country (and the moribund car industry)

Ya know in going along with this, I also heard on the radio a couple days ago that certain persons in our government are proposing that, to assist the automakers, there be a MINIMUM sell price on gasoline that it can never dip below... the reason being when gas took its recent dip in price it caused turmoil for the auto industry who complain that with gas prices fluctuating so wildly they cannot accuratley predict what type of vehicles will be in demand by customers.

Now, me personally... I think the good old fashioned, "Runs well for several hundred thousand miles with no issues" trumps the difference to me of "20mpg vs 17mpg"... but Hey, lets fix gas prices at 4bucks a gallon to make someone rich.

 

[terryl965]

Naw. They still ****ed up the economy, etc etc. I just had the idea almost a year ahead of em.

Maybe in a few years they'll catch up to us here.

Yes maybe so.

 

[punisher73]

I don't know, I would be willing to give up my '94 Ford Exploder for some cash.

Just don't make me drive a Prius!

 

[Cryozombie]

I don't know, I would be willing to give up my '94 Ford Exploder for some cash.

Just don't make me drive a Prius!

How about those really Ugly Scions that look like boxes on wheels? Those are horrible, especially the purple ones...

*looks around for Bob*

Hehe. I actually wanted one of those because they were Uggo.

But then I bought my Gas Guzzling Monstrosity of a V8 Camaro so I would have somthing to drive... in winter. LOL.

Yes, I am stupid. But no, I won't trade it. Yet.

I think, as an alternative to a voucher for car trade in, instead of it being MORE expensive to licence... (at least here) I should get a break for riding a motorcycle most of the year and saving on both Gas, and wear on the roads. My personal opinion: The extra fee for adding the letter M to that piece of plastic that says I can drive, and the Tolls for use of the toll road, should both be Waived for people on Motorcycles. Incentives that don't really COST anything per se, just reduce a small amount of income.

 

[CoryKS]

Yay! I always wanted to buy someone else's ****** car. Ima gonna send them EXTRA moneys!