…to buy a car today. That’s what the “Cash for Clunkers” program is about. (Heck, that’s what well more than half of government spending’s about anymore. *sigh*) Everyone who’s gone out and bought a new car recently under the now strapped-for-cash “Cash for Clunkers” program has gotten their “feddle gummint” money on the deal by billing your children and grandchildren; it’s all “pay the debt forward” in a very perverse way.
And this idiotic greenie idea that it’ll do something wonderful for the environment is plain hooey. It’ll take at least five years of substantial fuel economy savings for these new cars to “pay” for the energy it took to manufacture them, more than likely. Probably more. And by that time, what do you want to bet that most of the buyers of these new cars will be ready to trade in on another energy deficit car?
Meanwhile, cars thjat have already “paid off” their energy deficits are being trashed–the drivetrains (the most energy-intensive postions of the manufacture) of “Cash for Clunkers” program trade-in cars are all being turned into scrap metal. Scavenging drivetrain parts (huge energy savings in avoiding manufacturing new replacement parts, and even moderate energy savings from rehabbing used parts) for cars folks would rather repair than scrap becomes impossible.
Now, Congress is talking about stealing another two billion dollars from your grandchildren for this boondoggle.
*feh* on them.