Opinion: Obama, with heavily armed personal drivers, hails more cash for ‘cash for clunkers’
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The president, who no longer does much personal driving in his Ford, is not only pleased that a billion dollars for the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program has already driven out the door, but he’s delighted more money is being loaded even as he speaks.
Additional belching Brinks trucks are part way on their way with federal cash thanks to quick action over at the House of Representatives, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi has her own driver always on standby. But, hey, whoever said in Washington they should do what they say others should do?
The House approved another $2 billion today. Now, it’s the Senate’s turn.
The president just released a Friday afternoon statement. Here it is:
I want to thank leaders in the House of Representatives for working quickly and in a bipartisan way to pass legislation that will use Recovery Act funds to keep “Cash for Clunkers” going.
This program has been an overwhelming success, allowing consumers to trade in their less fuel efficient cars for a credit to buy more fuel efficient new models. It has given consumers a much needed break, provided the American auto industry an important boost, and is achieving environmental benefits well beyond what was originally anticipated.
The program has proven to be a successful part of our economic recovery and will help lessen our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the quality of the air we breathe. I urge the Senate to act with the American consumers in mind to pass this important legislation.
The first billion bucks flew out the federal exhaust pipe so quickly in part due to pent-up demand; people driving junksters knew it was coming, so held off any new-car purchases they were considering in order to benefit from the federal largesse. The American way.
Experts estimate some 100,000 would-be buyers were waiting.
While the replacement of one older car is theoretically better for the environment -- despite those buses and garbage trucks freely emitting clouds of blue-grey fumes all over the roads that authorities can’t seem to spot. And it’s all certainly swell for government summertime publicity, other car experts say the program is a drop in the bucket. Both for the environment and for boosting the troubled automobile industry production.
Car sales tend to spike in late-summer anyway as savvy citizens pick off end-of-model year sales. So August will be a bit better than usual for car salesrooms.
The 200,000-250,000 clunker deals the initial funds were set to finance are like, only a partial day’s traffic on the Santa Monica Freeway.
And, guaranteed, those missing cars won’t be the ones that would have been in front of you there.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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