tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post787838303698457703..comments2023-11-02T04:23:00.400-06:00Comments on Cyclelicious: Cash for Clunkers: Contact your Senator TODAYYokota Fritzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808661100114872654noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-60575242743725564502009-08-06T00:27:33.272-06:002009-08-06T00:27:33.272-06:00...you sir, are on an informative roll here & ......you sir, are on an informative roll here & to break it down to a simple pass/fail, the C4C program is a huge <b>FAIL</b>...<br /><br />...i guess because i'd like to believe in the "good" of human nature, i always wonder if the person who conceives of this type of program is honestly working from a position of 'background' ignorance & actually believes their own malarkey enough to sell it to the administration or whether they have their own agenda to begin with...<br /><br />...& maybe i'm naive but i'd like to think that although obviously misguided on certain programs, the new president has "our" (read: the little guys) best interest at heart...but this, as part of the "stimulus package" is simply throwing money in the wrong direction...<br /><br />...the same old, same olds have no incentive to change 'cuz they benefit by essentially doing nothing...bikesgonewildhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01489983012589939600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-13503418954854730892009-08-05T22:26:58.162-06:002009-08-05T22:26:58.162-06:00Now, if there's money for trading in my 73 Var...Now, if there's money for trading in my 73 Varsity, bright orange, gas-pipe, 45-lb bike for money for a Madone, we might have something.<br /><br />Just remember, Obama inherited all those clunkers from the previous administration.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-67401805397763558462009-08-05T20:15:54.352-06:002009-08-05T20:15:54.352-06:00"A '98 Ford is near the end of its life a...<i>"A '98 Ford is near the end of its life anyway"</i><br /><br />Jeez, seriously? When I drive, I drive an '85 Holden Gemini and it runs great. A lot of these "clunkers" must have been pretty badly cared for.<br /><br />How about instead of "cash for clunkers", the government gave a low-income rebate for standard car servicing just to keep the engines that are out there running smoothly?Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03654440183944623142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-81280240934626586862009-08-05T20:02:32.123-06:002009-08-05T20:02:32.123-06:00Fritz, I never seen you so outspokin'! The cl...Fritz, I never seen you so outspokin'! The claim that a higher mpg fleet and hybrids are our salvation and may kick start the CHANGE we need is tenuous at best. How fuelish...<br />JackAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-180652070387956782009-08-05T16:38:34.207-06:002009-08-05T16:38:34.207-06:00This is a well supported argument and it's not...This is a well supported argument and it's not worth the energy to quibble over degrees of accuracy. One thing that I might offer for consideration, is the necessary momentum of change that is required in this country for any real progress. All efforts of momentum start slow. Let's be careful about not chopping the legs off programs that we don't think "go far enough".Where Chris Runshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09554455211881718227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-44439027563109601412009-08-05T15:51:06.021-06:002009-08-05T15:51:06.021-06:00thanks for the post, i've sent multiple emails...thanks for the post, i've sent multiple emails to senators boxer and feinstein, each with a different heading category (i.e. economy, environment, transportation).madjakkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11804199497598574578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-54192108153570599192009-08-05T15:17:45.558-06:002009-08-05T15:17:45.558-06:00That Economist article makes some good points, but...That Economist article makes some good points, but they're using numbers from the DOT that might be questionable. <br /><br />I haven't seen a good analysis of the projected fuel savings (and the numbers probably aren't available yet), but that $700 savings/year number is optimistic.<br /><br />And besides, only 250,000 people are eating from that gravy train. What about all the other poor schmucks paying into it the program?Yokota Fritzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04808661100114872654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-65834204951147019132009-08-05T14:36:01.559-06:002009-08-05T14:36:01.559-06:00http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/...http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2009/08/not_where_you_would_put_your_f.cfmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-31994835766584889432009-08-05T14:29:30.310-06:002009-08-05T14:29:30.310-06:00Damn brilliant. The best summary of what I've...Damn brilliant. The best summary of what I've thought myself and various commentary about the subject. <br /><br />And yeah... I stopped being lazy and sent a 'Vote NO' request to my senators (Washington state), though like you, I'm not expecting it to change their votes. Its worth them hearing from me though.<br /><br />The other thing to note is that this is a subtle (or not-so-subtle) process of 'wealth redistribution'. I'm just frightened that we'll be seeing more programs modelled in this format.Zyzzyxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08328089587863350932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-73052651599018089852009-08-05T12:54:33.874-06:002009-08-05T12:54:33.874-06:00Matt: The pain involved in any real environmental ...Matt: The pain involved in any real environmental change is why I don't present an alternative here -- I just ask the Senators to vote no on this program.<br /><br />CARS has very little environmental benefit, and as I noted earlier the cheaper cost to operate a high MPG car will be cancelled out because the owners will just drive more. There's no reason to support it from an environmental standpoint. <br /><br />From an economic standpoint, CARS is a disaster. Depression era stimulus programs <i>may</i> have worked because of under utilized resources. We don't have that luxury today -- CARS results in net wealth destruction, not creation.Yokota Fritzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04808661100114872654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-34425140003674392962009-08-05T12:47:00.875-06:002009-08-05T12:47:00.875-06:00How would you draft legislation that would encoura...How would you draft legislation that would encourage conservation (change consumer behavior) that wouldn't outrage your constituency?<br /><br />I argue that you can't. American's have an embedded sense of entitlement. They're going to drive cars, unless *somehow* a more convenient and cheaper alternative is proposed at the *same time* as the cost to own and operate an automobile increases. <br /><br />We almost saw that during the gas spike of Fall 08. Hybrids (still cars) were in high demand, SUV and low mileage vehicles were slumping, but the second gas prices returned to norm, hybrid sales declined, and trucks and SUVs picked up.<br /><br />Seriously. How do you combat that? Cash for clunkers seems like the most viable (read: realistic) alternative.<br /><br />/$.02<br /><br />-mattMatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13663555606195964637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14852171.post-65481991681891749742009-08-05T12:40:45.221-06:002009-08-05T12:40:45.221-06:00Holy bovines, this might be one of those things my...Holy bovines, this might be one of those things my senator votes against that I agree with (tho' I wouldn't count on him to vote against it, bein' as it feeds into the corporate megastructure).SiouxGeonzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14852040976080951492noreply@blogger.com