Do American car buyers need busybody Senators Dianne Feinstein and Susan Collins to bipartisanly mess with the outrageously successful Cash for Clunkers program so that they will buy more earth-friendly vehicles than the original legislation required? No, they do not.
And the Transportation Department reported that the average gas mileage of the vehicles being purchased was significantly higher than required to qualify for a rebate of $3,500 to $4,500. Of 120,000 rebate applications processed so far, the department said the average gas mileage of vehicles being bought was 28.3 miles per gallon for cars, 21.9 miles per gallon for S.U.V’s, and 16.3 miles per gallon for trucks.
“The statistics are much better than anybody dreamed they would be,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California. The actual mileage gain so far, she said, was due not to the details of the law but to “the good judgment of the American people.”
Ms. Feinstein, along with Senator Susan M. Collins, Republican of Maine, was the author of an early version of a “cash for clunkers” bill that would have required bigger improvements in mileage. Their decision to express support for extending the current version of the program, expressed at a late-afternoon news conference, was an important signal to other senators concerned about whether the program was doing enough for the environment.
What’s that expression, something about it being broke so don’t fix it? Oh, yeah, Chuck Schumer reminds us:
Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, an early backer of the Feinstein-Collins approach, also voiced support for an extension. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he said. “It’s working in every way. It’s working as stimulus, it’s working to help families, it’s working to improve mileage.”
Go shopping if you need a new car. Go today. And buy with confidence, since it seems like the Senate has decided to stay out of your way.
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Another win for America equals another loss for the “Party of No.”
Can the car makers keep up with demand for high milage cars if we get this program more funding?
Wow, and just Friday and Monday Sci Fi was barking angrily about REVISING the Clunker Legislation because it was obviously being USED by people in an unethical milage manner!!!
What to you attribute SciFi’s 180 Degree Turnaround, and so FAST, Teddy P?
This is really shocking!!!
I had my doubts about this program I thought the mpg rate was to low the American consumer after years of Bush’s high oil policies seems to have learned better.
Just what moron as an oil policy buys more oil for the strategic oil reserve when oil prices are sky high the year before a Presidential Election?
This act is a major factor in why we won and John McCain lost the election. GOP mistakes on the economy killed their hopes.
I like this program poorer people are more likely to have clunkers because they can’t afford to buy newer cars every few years. This program helps the working poor as opposed to banks
Naturally the GOP hates this program.
I wonder what would happen to the stockmarket if we announced cash for clunkers was getting $10 billion dollars? Car stocks, steel makers, etc would all go up.
With 10 billion going to cash for clunkers would GM be able to start paying back the money they borrowed quicker?
Yep
If Harry Reid can’t get a program that works like this through the Senate without giving away the store to the GOP as usual well we need a new Senate Leader!
We should do this again next year when GM rolls out the Volt.
OT: the nytimes is now reporting that the 2 journalists left n. korea with clinton.
hahaha!
I have a feeling that DiFi and SusieQ like this program because Ford likes it. when I saw a big splashy article about how much the US car dealers were loving it, I knew they’d come around. They don’t really care if WE like it.
Good thing it’s a three way win.
Eli is upstairs!
…But If You Must Shoot Somebody, Please Ditch Your “I ♥ Glenn Beck” Button First
In a related story, the Federal Government has instituted a Cash for Clangers program. To qualify the participants must be over 300lb, talk incessantly 3 hours a day, be paid over $250 million per year and addicted to prescription drugs.
The credit is paid in the form of Blissful Silence (BS), an absence of Stultifying Race Baiting (Reverse BS), and Baffling Stupidity (Even more BS). The Federal Government expects a Rush of applications.
At one time I was sympathetic to DiFi’s point, and thought it would be better if the bill required a higher gain in MPG to get the money. However, the numbers are in, and even though the public isn’t being required to buy much more fuel-efficient cars, they are doing so anyway. So, it’s helping.
The House is already in recess, so the Senate should sign on to a straight renewal. People like DiFi can start working now on an additional, future renewal that has stricter standards if they want, but for now it would be best to just put up the money.
GM is so greatful for their bailout that they are promptly going to outsource a product that is currently mined in Montana, (used in catalitic converters) to Russia.
Go buy a new car, today? Why? 28.3 miles per gallon for cars, 21.9 miles per gallon for S.U.V’s, and 16.3 miles per gallon for trucks is pathetic, the legacy of over a decade of lack of pressure on US auto makers to pursue fuel economy.
My 1990 Toyota turned 250,000 miles today. I got 38 mpg on a recent highway trip. I never get below 30 mpg city.
My car won’t qualify as a clunker even if I wanted (or could afford) to buy a new car — it gets better mileage than most new cars.
Bah, humbug!
Excellent to see folks actually, you know, buying the more Earth-friendly cars.
It’s also important to note that for new cars to qualify for the cash for clunker cash, the new car purchased to close the deal has to be less than $45,000. This is a very reasonable and smart way to help ensure that the taxpayer dollars go towards people who really need it to make the change.
There are tax credits still available for those who purchase new fuel efficient cars that meet designated efficiency standards regardless of the price tag.
Wow, I didn’t know the part about the price cap. That is pretty cool.
I actually know someone who took advantage of Cash for Clunkers. The clunker was an old powder blue pickup truck named Kirby with terrible gas mileage and a lot of history. Kirby hadn’t been doing all that well, but could be coaxed into action when needed. Well, Kirby has been replaced by a smaller, newer vehicle with much better gas mileage though no history yet. I doubt my friend would have replaced Kirby without this Cash for Clunkers deal. Sure, the new truck is not a Honda Civic or a Toyota Prius, but it sips gas in comparison to old K.
Well, it’s not for everybody. I don’t even own a car. But when I use the little car-share Prius, Fit, Scion, or Jetta, I am glad for fewer monster truck/SUVs I have to sit behind, totally blocking my view of the road ahead.
They are unsafe for everybody, and I’m happy to see them go to the crusher.
Top ten vehicles traded in:
The Ten Most Traded-In Vehicles
1. Ford Explorer 4WD
2. Ford F-150 2WD
3. Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD
4. Jeep Cherokee 4WD
5. Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan 2WD
6. Chevrolet Blazer 4WD
7. Ford Explorer 2WD
8. Ford F-150 Pickup 4WD
9. Chevrolet C1500 Pickup 2WD
10. Ford Windstar FWD Van
This is the long-term value of the program: people’s gas bills will go down. Sure, the planet might be a little greener and there might be fewer particulates in the air, but lowering folks’ gas bills at the pump is what they will see, remember and (hopefully!) vote for.
I don’t think you’ll convince many of the C4C trader-inners that the “stimulus” isn’t working, as the GOP wants to.
Now that DiFi’s been placated on the cash for clunkers, piss her off again, esp. if you’re a Californian. I called her office Monday to ask why I couldn’t find her position on a public option for health reform on her website. I was told by a very polite young man that the senator hasn’t presented her position yet, but that she was “open to a public option.” I said I was very disappointed to hear that and asked how I could leave a comment. He said that I could leave it with him. I told him what I thought, that she should have long ago taken a position favoring a public option. I could hear him typing as I spoke. He asked for my Zip code and that was the end of the conversation. I followed with an e-mail comment to her site saying that she not only should be endorsing a public option but that in light of the huge fiscal difficulties in her state with millions unemployed she should be in the forefront pushing health-care reform.
Respectfully, the program was clearly not designed for you.
On July 23rd my clunker was worth $4500 to me, as it was rated at 18 mpg.
On July 24th it was re-rated at 19 mpg by the EPA. It’s magic!
But I didn’t find out until I heard the reports of people having traded in cars which the EPA changed the mileage rating on.
13 years old, close to 200,000 miles (I bot it used out of state when my wonderful Mazda died dead on a trip…really miss that baby’s mileage, upper 20’s, better on hiway driving. Sob), not getting 18 mpg with any local driving tossed in. Once it gets up to cruising speed, lowest 20’s, but that doesn’t happen much.
Oh, well. Easy come, easy go.
If my Health Insurance Parasite hadn’t been –and still is– bleeding me dry, I could have bought a different car. But the parasite demands feeding, or it will let me die.
How about when Ford rolls out the Fiesta? I refuse to buy anything from Government Motors.
… in the meantime, I’m waiting for Ford to put their new 5.0-liter “Coyote” V8 in the Mustang GT. Should be good for 400 HP, and should be enough to smoke those Camaros…
Especially if one’s constituency bought and got stuck with a gas guzzling SUV that they couldn’t give away.
One thing that bothers me about the cash for clunkers program is it rewards those who have not really been all that concerned about saving fuel in the past.
For the past thirty years I’ve owned cars that get 30+ per gallon. For people like me, no credit will be available because we did too good a job of being careful consumers.
I think the government should write all of us out a check for $4,500 to spend as we please.
“Go buy a new car, today? Why? 28.3 miles per gallon for cars, 21.9 miles per gallon for S.U.V’s, and 16.3 miles per gallon for trucks is pathetic, the legacy of over a decade of lack of pressure on US auto makers to pursue fuel economy.”
Amen to that.