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I have been driving around to car dealerships a couple times a week since this clunker or a program got started. There are multitudes of things that bother me with this program. I am a mechanic, and also a car enthusiast. I have also spoken to a few car salesmen and sales managers about the vehicles they are taking in.

1. The majority of vehicles given up as clunkers appear to be in very decent shape, serviceable, and somewhat well taken care of.

2. Many vehicles I have observed could be sold on the private market for more than the 3500-4500 government allowance.

3. The cars should not be crushed. There are many charities including Goodwill that auction older vehicles for proceeds to help the sick, needy, and recovering.

4. It would make sense to sell these cars for parts to the general public. That is what the typical salvage yard does in day to day business. The government could then re-coup a large portion of the rebate cost.

5. Don't sell the scrap metal to Chinese companies. Thats where the majority of our scrap goes in this country, and they turn around and sell it back to us as new steel.

6. If you aren't trading in and getting a clunker allowance, your still paying for Joe Blow's new car with your tax money. Look at your paycheck deductions and tell me that doesn't piss you off.

7. Buy an American car. I know the Honda sounds delightful, I own one. (Bought it used) But if you are buying new, help your fellow American out. That, besides the cut throat unions, and government meddling in industry and free market, is how we arrived with the current state of affairs.

8. Don't join a union. Here is a clue. The old union pay scale provides wages much higher than what all the non union foreign owned automakers pay their American employees, and therein lies the problem. It costs the automaker too much to build a car. If cost was lower they would have had a vehicle to compete with the ol Toyotas and Hondas. Kia's and Hyundai's are cheap because they are building them in Korea....the employees don't make 25 dollars an hour to attach screws to the dashboards. The UAW, while noble in theory, along with government over regulation have strangled the research and development teams of the now subsidized American auto industry. Its unfortunate, but the Labor Union mentioned above has devolved into a left leaning profit gobbling leverage machine. Its not about getting a fair wage for the laborer. It is simply maximizing the wages to draw an ever larger percentage of membership dues. If you have ever run a business you know that wages and cost can not continue to go up forever without causing a failure in the purse strings of the Corp.

9. I am forcasting a large increase in auto repo's. Think housing boom and bust with 4 wheels attached to it. If Freddy needed and extra $4500 to make that loan go thru, where is he going to be at sales tax and property tax time?

10. Can you say...BANK BAILOUT? What happens when the government entices hundreds of thousands (or more) of people to get out of their paid off car and jump into a 60 or 72 month loan? Increased revenues to all the large banks that handle auto finance. The same banks that were bailed out with our tax dollars and are now partially owned by Uncle Sam. Almost sounds like a money making scheme.....Uncle Sam owns chunks of the banks, and pushes for a large auto loan rush...Who smells the dead fish in the room, and why is no one talking about it????

11. When I was 16 I purchased my own first car. When I asked my Mom to help me get a car, she told me "Buy it yourself, you'll respect it more."
I found that to be true. I found an old 1970 Dodge Dart. It was pink. I bought her for $400, and drove her home. Over that summer I taught myself and a close friend how to rebuild that old wreck and by the start of my senior year the ol Dart was taking us to school everyday. Since then, I have owned 54 cars. I've never wreck one and never lost money on one, other than normal wear and tear. I recently got an old 1989 Ford F150 with a dent in the door, because I needed a pickup to haul crap around. It needed brakes, a clutch, a steering box, and tires. I did it all myself for under $700 bucks. Its not a new truck, but it sure drives like one.
Now imagine the kick in the face when I counted 12 Ford F150's on the lot tonight with clunker tags on them. They had shiny paint, and the nice wheels mine lacks, newer tires, and an un-dented doors, that mine could really use. I busted my butt to get my old truck in working order, so does my little brother..he has a 68 Chevy C10. We bought ours, we work hard, we make money....decent money...and yet I see all these taxes coming out of my check. The Government is taking my money from my labor away from me, so that Joe Blow can dump a serviceable vehicle, take our money and get himself a new ride. It brings back the talk of Obama's redistribution style of government.

These are just the thoughts of a educated guy that works 60 hours a week, and is happy for the work. I refuse to take a handout when I can do for myself. Thats what made this country strong in its infancy.

Did you know that once upon a time...in the 1950's over 90% of what we bought or consumed in the US was grown or made here. Now it is under 25% No country will survive when it takes in more than it produces. That would be like Wal-Mart buying 150 boxes of widgets every month while it only sells 3 widgets a month. Its not a perfect ratio, but you get my drift.

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You are right "Webster" and might I add further insult to injury that with what we ve already shelled out to the auto industry the prices should have already been 3500-4500 lower on the domestic brands,,so effectivly we just bailed out the imports too, and as far as whats going to the scrap yards did you know the engines on these clunker trade ins had to be destroyed so these cars couldnt be resold or the engines used to keep somebody elses older car running that didnt qualify because was either too old (or paid for) to qualify for this scam
All I can say is we should keep in mind what has happened when we vote in 2010&2012 ,,is a fact that if those who dont normally vote were to vote 3rd party we could have a chance to really see a change back to the the foundations of what made our country great in the 1st place

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Barton, Valerie E. age 68, on July 13, 2009. Beloved daughter of the late Clifford and Aune Barton; dear sister of Shirley (Barton) Herbst of Chicago and the late James and Peggy Barton; dear sister-in-law, aunt, great-aunt, cousin and friend to so many. Val was a respected member of the dental industry for four decades and an avid sports enthusiast her whole life. She had a great sense of humor, and her home was always open to family and friends. Services: Visitation will be at KRIEGSHAUSER WEST MORTUARY, 9450 Olive Blvd. on Thurs., July 16, from 3-8:00 p.m. A service at Kriegshauser West Chapel on Friday, July 17 at 11:30 a.m. will be followed by an informal celebration of Val's life at her home. All are welcome.

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