Cash for Clunkers suspended!!

[batstiva]

Ha Ha. I would get one, but my other car wouldn't qualify either.

[TominMO]

What bothers me about cash for clunkers is that the people who need larger good-running older cars, i.e. cheap cars, now will have less to choose from, and what's left will cost them more...supply and demand. Good for the seller, but not for the low-income buyer who just needs very basic transportation big enough to hold the family. Kinda sux. Also not good for the JY owners and their customers. Once again the govt screws something up with a "brilliant plan".

For most people (what I call "the unenlightened"), Festys are just starter cars for college kids or Burger King employees or whatever, to be traded up as soon as possible. And that's fine, as long as they sell them to us! (Cheap.)

[bugbor]

Cash For Clunkers Suspended

If anybody thought this through they'd realize that the companies and banks that finance these cars are gonna be makin' the money, along with the insurance companies that'll be rakin' in the premiums on the higher valued new cars. Oh, and what about the states that're hurtin' for money, like Kalifornistan, that'll make tons in sales tax and the higher registration fees? How many counties and cities get a chunk of the sales tax?
Yeah, like they're really doin' this for the environment and the little guys. All the cars they're sellin' are already built, and now they've just accelerated the buying cycle a little bit. With all the vehicles sitting as un-sold inventory, and deflated demand, I doubt the factories are in a hurry to build anything else, knowing it'll be sitting 'til demand builds up again.
And there're folks out there who actually believe that this is gonna have a lasting effect on the economy? Then again, for how many years have we been votin' back into office the fools who give us programs like this? Maybe the public really is as dumb as the politicians think we are.

[freshtiva]

i am mad, my 1991 dodge spirit and mazda 323 and 95 geo metro do not qualify

I think its great that the Festiva gets zero dollars trade in value. Like Id trade one in anyway. At least none will be destroyed via this government program.

[blkfordsedan]

I heard a radio interview Friday with the Sales Manager of a local GM dealer. They had 60 deals on Thursday alone and spent until 2:00AM Friday filling out paperwork for the Government. As of Friday afternoon, only 14 had been approved. They let the customers take the new vehicles and now have over $200,000 tied up in "clunkers" sitting on their lot and are waiting on the rebate approval from the Government. They can't destroy the engines yet in case the Senate votes down the proposed $2 Billion to extend the program, which could yet happen. If it does, they will have to call the customers back and renegotiate the deals.

Friday I saw TONS of new cars with "IN TRANSIT" stickers cruising around town being driven by college age kids. I wonder how many repos there will be in 6 months. Isn't this (government subsidizing of property for people who can't afford it) the same principal that got us into trouble in the housing industry? I can only assume that with the credit crisis, the banks are pretty picky and those who got loans for new cars under this program have excellent credit and the means to support their purchase!

On a lighter note, several local car dealers have placed bid dumpsters in front of their buildings and have "thrown away" several clunkers. I saw an old Dodge Colt sticking out of the dumpster yesterday. Today a different dealer had an Olds Silhouette van and a mid-90's GMC 4X4 sticking out of their dumpster. All I could think about was how clean and straight both vehicles looked!

[stevewl1164]

Go Bastiva!

[stevewl1164]

Seems like such a waste of cars! All those single moms and college students being deprived of a running vehicle....just to supposedly save the environment. Where is my $4500 check for driving a fuel efficient car? At least no Festiva will be destroyed!

[batstiva]

Go Bastiva!

Eh?