Comments on: ‘Cash for Clunkers’ — It’s a Lemon

By: Chevette

Chevette — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:42:50 +0000

Eric Florack mentions the CHEVETTE as the Ironic clunker in #36 above. Have you checked the clunker websites?
My son has a licenced and insured drivable 1985 chevette that traversed Washington state from East to West in a huge snowstorm last winter. It does NOT qualify for the program because it gets over 18mpg, unlike many of the cars you CAN BUY with the program. Delicious irony indeed…..Ron Paul told ya so…………

By: Crisnconee

Crisnconee — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:17:39 +0000

I have a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with 160,000 miles…own a home that is upside down…and we are in an arm that is 7.5 and going higher I suspect…..ahmsc are a bunch of crooks…( I dare anyone to compare the Libor rate in the NY times to the rate the day American home mortgage servicing company AHMSC raises rates…In order to refinance..we have to put up 10 to 12 thousand in cash…so we pay our 8.5 + adjustments like good republicans…….however…I am taking advantage of OBAMA’S little incentive…..we do, every now and then…have to use a tire iron to bang the battery cable if it does not start…and…our driveway is littered with oil marks..we just paid off a pontiac vibe…365 a month car payment…we felt relief to have that gone…if we could refinance our house…and get a consistent rate…we could feel comfortable buying a new (2nd) car..however…skanks…like bruce rawen with drew mortgage in MA…switched us into a Adjustable rate mortgage at the closing table……(imagine that)…740 credit score…(why did that happen) and now we are just hanging until we can get equity…cause 5 years later…the market has dropped….bottom line is this…we haven’t dumped our mortgage like everyone else…we got shanked by a lying mortgage broker who should be jailed…so WE will cash in and take the $4500. and get screwed by some car dealer who has convinced us to by a jeep patriot for 15500 with the cash for clunkers trade in…which is what someone without the cash for clunkers would pay…bottom line is….unless you are a savvy sob…you are going to get screwed.

By: Sean

Sean — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:27:24 +0000

I’d rather think of this as revenge of boomers on their kids. Think about it, if you are a boomer in your 50’s, you’ve been driving that old paid for, kid hauling clunker while you helped put your kids through college. Your liberal kids help elect a liberal president and congress who can’t help but give things away (even though you will ultimately foot the bill in your taxes). So even though your kids might be paying off student loans, their pay is low as they are starting their career, they might be saving for a house or struggling to make their morgage, they have health insurance that barely pays for the medical expenses of their own children and they really could use a little extra money to upgrade an old subcompact to something more suitable to a growing family, their liberal elected representatives have created a windfall for boomers with big old cars, nearly paid off mortgages and highest earning years of their careers. So thank your liberal kids, go out and trade that old SUV or minivan for some small sexy thing to help you through your mid-life crisis. Its the best “payback” you’ll get until you kids have children of their own.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:04:53 +0000

The best thing is that with the increased mileage on a new vehicle most people just drive more, or drive faster.

No net change in fuel consumption.

(Nobody can spend billions with no effect like da gooberment. Urban Renewal, Slum Clearance, Model Cities anyone? War on Poverty anyone?)

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:24:29 +0000

Gee this sounds vaguely familiar to the the theory “Everyone should own a home”……..So here is how I see it happening: They start all kinds of programs and tricky financing etc to get people qualified. People who cant afford cars(homes) will somehow miraculously get approved by dealers(mortgage companies), then drive their new cars for 6 months, then default on their car(home) and we will have another auto(home) meltdown. But all is well since the dealer(mortgage co.) will pocket the 3500 to $4500 bucks, and the government will bail out the financing companies bad loans by just printing more money. See it all works great……let’s all go car shopping!!

By: vvp39

vvp39 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:00:22 +0000

“Do the people that write these bills have any clue as to what they are doing?”

Yes. They think it will help them get re-elected.

By: Self-hating Boomer

Self-hating Boomer — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:41:58 +0000

Umm, Bilge. ‘73 cars didn’t have computers. If you’ve never heard of one, Google “carburetor”. They’re kinda cool. They managed to vaporize gas and mix it with air without a computer or injectors. Some didn’t even use electricity.

By: comatus

comatus — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:47:25 +0000

“1984 or later.” As the Current Resident always says, let me be clear on this.

Do you mean the vehicle must be 1984, 1985, 1986 etc, or 1983, 1982, 1981, etc? This makes a bid difference.

Certainly US cars of the 70’s were unloved and unlovely for the most part. But anyone using tax dollars to destroy the classics of the 60’s and before is a God-damned Communist pure and simple.

Also keep in mind that this steamer has been floated in the punchbowl since the 70’s by noted war hero and New School rube Bob Kerrey. It’s not from Yerp; it’s home-grown WJ Bryan sos’lism.

By: VT Steve

VT Steve — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:08:33 +0000

Aside from the idiocy of this bill, the cost, according to the details, is $4 billion? Isn’t that roughly 3 times what Congress cut out of missle defense just last week?

By: Delia

Delia — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:01:29 +0000

55. Bilge:

“Certi-fly-ably pimpalicious!”

Thanks a lot. My keyboard will never be the same again. LMFAO!