[JJ_BPK]

I've been reading the discussions about the clunker trade in program.
Today I finally read an article that spoke to the problems I see..

1)take 660,000 clunkers off the road
a)now what do people who can't afford new 30K USD cars buy??

2)Crush those 660,000 thousand cars??
a)who cleans up the 1/2 empty gas tanks??
b)who disposes of the Freon gas in the air conditioners??
c)who cleans up the toxic acid in the batteries??
d)who's city get the new Mount Clunkmore pile of now useless rusting
vehicles??

3)Get those 660,000 off the road BUT
a)what do the small family run used car dealers sell??
b)what happens to all the junk yards that sell used door, hoods, fenders to people that can't afford big-buck auto shop fixes??
c)what happens to the thousands of small auto parts stores and corner gas station mechanics??
d)what do we export to ultra-poor countries that need cheap transportation, like Haiti, Cuba, South America, Africa, California??

4)Move these people with the clunkers into new 30K USD car,, with 6% auto loans
a)who is going to bailout these people that can hardly maintain a clunker who now have a 500 USD monthly car payment???

5)That 6 billion USD you just gave to the auto makers,, for FREE...
a)who's pocket is it coming out?? Yours & Mine

It's great to have an good idea,,,
It's even better to have an idea that is useful to society
It's not good when you don't plan for the consequences...

Think about it Proles..
Jimmy

PS:
Yes, we do drive a Lexus RX300 SUV,, it's a 2002 model, 86,000 mile on it, and still gets 23 MPG,, we'll probably keep it for a while..
Our car before that was a 1991? 4runner, between us and the kids, it had 146,000 miles when sold..
My F250 pick-up had 70K miles when I purchased it for 3100 USD and 150K miles when it died in Hurricane Georges,, a good truck..
So,, Yes,, we drive clunkers...