Cash for Clunkers Petition to improve vehicle fuel efficiency and reduce pollution

[Tetren]

To view and sign the petition on "We the People" please visit:
http://wh.gov/n0f

Thank you for your support!

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Reinstate Cash for Clunkers!

Revive the cash incentive for consumers to trade in low fuel efficiency and high pollution "clunkers" for high fuel efficiency and low pollution vehicles.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that global greenhouse emissions would increase by 50 percent by the year 2050 unless we decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.

Cash for Clunkers will decrease oil consumption and greenhouse emissions, benefiting the climate, environment, plant and animal populations, and human health!

High fuel efficiency vehicles also save people money at the pump. This is significant, as gas prices remain volatile and often high.

By increasing new car sales, Cash for Clunkers would also act as a stimulus for the economy and create much needed jobs.

http://wh.gov/n0f

[Jay2TheRescue]

So you're saying we should borrow more money from China to subsidize people buying new cars?

[Tetren]

Cash for Clunkers is about helping people to trade in cars that have low mpg for cars that have high mpg.

With high gas prices today, many more people would trade in their low fuel efficiency cars for high fuel efficiency cars if given the cash subsidy offered by Cash for Clunkers.

Equally important is reducing pollution from vehicles, a major source of greenhouse emissions and a danger to the climate, environment, plant and animal populations, and human health.

BTW, Americans own a great deal of American debt, and China is only one of several foreign nations that do.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

(deleted rant)

[Jay2TheRescue]

I'm just not for the gov't borrowing money it doesn't have to subsidize new car sales. All C4C really did was remove many decent, affordable used cars from the market, and the working poor that need affordable used vehicles to get to and from work were left with nothing to buy. All it effectively did was make all used cars worth at least $5,000, and drove us deeper into debt. C4C did not reduce our fuel consumption, as it was shown that many of the recipients of a new car with that program actually ended up using more fuel than they did before, because they started driving a lot more.

[Sludgy]

Good grief. Cash for clunkers is such a dreadful idea.

If the country really wants to reduce gas consumption, the answer is obvious. Tax the hell out of it! A Republican congress could use the revenue to reduce income taxes, or to pay off the national debt. A Democratic congress could use it to fund healthcare.

The only thing needed to make this palatable to all (including me) is phasing it in. Increasing the Federal tax by 50 cents per year for the next five years would allow all of us to wear out our cars and trucks (like my F150) and then buy more fuel-efficient ones. Nobody would get hurt except perhaps, oil companies.

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I'm just not for the gov't borrowing money it doesn't have to subsidize new car sales. All C4C really did was remove many decent, affordable used cars from the market, and the working poor that need affordable used vehicles to get to and from work were left with nothing to buy. All it effectively did was make all used cars worth at least $5,000, and drove us deeper into debt. C4C did not reduce our fuel consumption, as it was shown that many of the recipients of a new car with that program actually ended up using more fuel than they did before, because they started driving a lot more.

I couldn't agree more.
The availability of used cars and used parts has been hurt. Those of us that drive cheap used cars and cannot afford new ones got screwed.

Not to mention that several older vehicles can get excellent mileage. If you want better mileage and cannot afford a new car, buy one of them. There is no reason for the government to subsidize new car sales. DId it help the economy? It helped one industry, but hurt others. Not to mention that we will be paying for it for years to come.

[Tetren]

In response to Fetch:
The old traded in cars would also be recycled, with reusable parts first being removed and reused. This is how the original Cash for Clunkers worked. Please see: "Newsflash: Turned in Cash for Clunkers cars will get recycled" http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/13...-get-recycled/

Furthermore, automotive journalist and car reviewer Keith Griffin debunked the myth that Cash for Clunkers raised the price of used cars. Please see:
http://usedcars.about.com/b/2011/04/...-used-cars.htm

In response to Sludgy:
Yes. Raising taxes on gas would help to reduce reduce gas consumption. Possibly ending tax subsidies for oil companies would as well, if it forced oil companies to raise the price of gasoline to make up for the loss.

To everyone:
Thank you for taking the time to read my petition post and to make comments. I appreciate it. If anyone has any ideas they would like to create their own petition for, the website is https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions

[bowtieguy]

indeed!

if they want to help, govt would pass legislation like the fair tax. that dictates tax free used goods, cars included btw!

[Jay2TheRescue]

Of course the cars were recycled. They weren't going to dump them in a landfill, or in the ocean. Yes, the recyclers could have stripped the cars of body panels, but the truth is they were getting so many, so fast that most just got crushed immediately. The most recyclable part of the car, the engine, had to be destroyed beyond repair before leaving the dealer's lot. I had family members in the auto industry at the time, and they saw many cars and trucks that they would have loved to have, in excellent condition go straight to the crusher.