Cash for Clunkers: An exercise in futility

[pete]

So, to recap:

The clunker program (an apropos description if there ever was one) burns through the $1 billion that was supposed to take it to November, is now being scrapped two months short and $2 billion over projected costs.

And this is supposed to be evidence of success??

And these incompetent nincompoops now want to now execute a fascistic takeover of more than 15% of the entire American economy??

yup

 

[MalibuMan]

One big temporary (and expensive ) Bandaid.

 

[Contessa_Sharra]

I am sure those laid off and npw called back to work appreciate the program.

 

[KittenKoder]

One big temporary (and expensive ) Bandaid.

Just another in the pile now.

 

[Vast LWC]

Man, you people really can't be positive about anything, can you?

Sheesh.

 

[KittenKoder]

Man, you people really can't be positive about anything, can you?

Sheesh.

Being positive got us nowhere.

 

[Vast LWC]

So, to recap:

The clunker program (an apropos description if there ever was one) burns through the $1 billion that was supposed to take it to November, is now being scrapped two months short and $2 billion over projected costs.

And this is supposed to be evidence of success??

And these incompetent nincompoops now want to now execute a fascistic takeover of more than 15% of the entire American economy??

Yeah...

Except the fact that all that money was spent means that the program was MORE successful than expected, and the money was given out faster than expected.

Not that it is "being scrapped two months short".

That's like saying winning a war two months earlier than expected is "scrapping the war two months short".

And the $2 Billion dollars was additional funds added to the project because of it's popularity.

Of course, you know all this, you're just spinning away, as usual.

 

[Vast LWC]

Man, you people really can't be positive about anything, can you?

Sheesh.

Being positive got us nowhere.

That's because the last time you were positive was during the Bush administration.

The GOP and friends have been naysaying since day 1.

Present company being a perfect example.

 

[KittenKoder]

Man, you people really can't be positive about anything, can you?

Sheesh.

Being positive got us nowhere.

That's because the last time you were positive was during the Bush administration.

The GOP and friends have been naysaying since day 1.

Present company being a perfect example.

Um ... no ... last time I was positive was the beginning of Clinton's administration.

 

[Vast LWC]

Being positive got us nowhere.

That's because the last time you were positive was during the Bush administration.

The GOP and friends have been naysaying since day 1.

Present company being a perfect example.

Um ... no ... last time I was positive was the beginning of Clinton's administration.

That's even worse!

 

[KittenKoder]

That's because the last time you were positive was during the Bush administration.

The GOP and friends have been naysaying since day 1.

Present company being a perfect example.

Um ... no ... last time I was positive was the beginning of Clinton's administration.

That's even worse!

I liked Clinton, and he did some good, and I voted for him ...

He did a lot of bad to ... but meh ... it was however when I started noticing how bad our government as a whole was getting.

 

[Oldandtired]

So, to recap:

The clunker program (an apropos description if there ever was one) burns through the $1 billion that was supposed to take it to November, is now being scrapped two months short and $2 billion over projected costs.

And this is supposed to be evidence of success??

And these incompetent nincompoops now want to now execute a fascistic takeover of more than 15% of the entire American economy??

Yeah...

Except the fact that all that money was spent means that the program was MORE successful than expected, and the money was given out faster than expected.

Not that it is "being scrapped two months short".

That's like saying winning a war two months earlier than expected is "scrapping the war two months short".

And the $2 Billion dollars was additional funds added to the project because of it's popularity.

Of course, you know all this, you're just spinning away, as usual.

Uh.....no.

The only ones able to buy the new cars were those with cash or credit...so the ones who bought those cars were those that could afford new cars. The ones that could afford new cars usually buy new cars when they need new cars. 4500 or not, they would have bought new cars when ready.....but instead they simply all bought them this month seeing as they were, in a way, getting some of their tax money back.

Funny though...now those that need a USED car have only those rejected by the government to choose from. How ironic...wouldnt you say?

IN a way, this was like tearing down a brand new building to build a new one so you can employ cponstruction workers....sounds good, but normal intellectual application would say....despite the COST......there is no growth!

 

[Oddball]

So, to recap:

The clunker program (an apropos description if there ever was one) burns through the $1 billion that was supposed to take it to November, is now being scrapped two months short and $2 billion over projected costs.

And this is supposed to be evidence of success??

And these incompetent nincompoops now want to now execute a fascistic takeover of more than 15% of the entire American economy??

Yeah...

Except the fact that all that money was spent means that the program was MORE successful than expected, and the money was given out faster than expected.

Not that it is "being scrapped two months short".

That's like saying winning a war two months earlier than expected is "scrapping the war two months short".

And the $2 Billion dollars was additional funds added to the project because of it's popularity.

Of course, you know all this, you're just spinning away, as usual.

Your war analogy falls flatter than your logic.

Giving away enough money to pay for anywhere from 1/5 - 1/3 of the total price of anything is always going to be popular, while "success" is much more elusive, especially when you're setting the criteria after the fact.

Facts, as opposed to the self-congratulatory leftist spin, remain that the program and the money (even with the extra $2 bil) were projected to last until November and didn't make it to the end of the first month.

And this was all cooked up by the same meatheads who're now telling us that they can make medical services less costly by making them free.

Wanna buy a bridge?

 

[Vast LWC]

So, to recap:

The clunker program (an apropos description if there ever was one) burns through the $1 billion that was supposed to take it to November, is now being scrapped two months short and $2 billion over projected costs.

And this is supposed to be evidence of success??

And these incompetent nincompoops now want to now execute a fascistic takeover of more than 15% of the entire American economy??

Yeah...

Except the fact that all that money was spent means that the program was MORE successful than expected, and the money was given out faster than expected.

Not that it is "being scrapped two months short".

That's like saying winning a war two months earlier than expected is "scrapping the war two months short".

And the $2 Billion dollars was additional funds added to the project because of it's popularity.

Of course, you know all this, you're just spinning away, as usual.

Uh.....no.

The only ones able to buy the new cars were those with cash or credit...so the ones who bought those cars were those that could afford new cars. The ones that could afford new cars usually buy new cars when they need new cars. 4500 or not, they would have bought new cars when ready.....but instead they simply all bought them this month seeing as they were, in a way, getting some of their tax money back.

Funny though...now those that need a USED car have only those rejected by the government to choose from. How ironic...wouldnt you say?

IN a way, this was like tearing down a brand new building to build a new one so you can employ cponstruction workers....sounds good, but normal intellectual application would say....despite the COST......there is no growth!

When was Cash for Clunkers billed as a "Help the Poor" project?

It was designed to:

1. Spur production to help with the recession

and

2. Help get rid of greenhouse gases

It was successful with both. And the whole "they would have bought them anyway" idea is a crock. You have no clue if they would have bought new cars.

Seriously, the rationalizations you people use to try to make your political opponents look bad are as pitiful as they are transparent.

 

[KittenKoder]

People are still buying more foreign cars ... juz sayin.

 

[Oldandtired]

Yeah...

Except the fact that all that money was spent means that the program was MORE successful than expected, and the money was given out faster than expected.

Not that it is "being scrapped two months short".

That's like saying winning a war two months earlier than expected is "scrapping the war two months short".

And the $2 Billion dollars was additional funds added to the project because of it's popularity.

Of course, you know all this, you're just spinning away, as usual.

Uh.....no.

The only ones able to buy the new cars were those with cash or credit...so the ones who bought those cars were those that could afford new cars. The ones that could afford new cars usually buy new cars when they need new cars. 4500 or not, they would have bought new cars when ready.....but instead they simply all bought them this month seeing as they were, in a way, getting some of their tax money back.

Funny though...now those that need a USED car have only those rejected by the government to choose from. How ironic...wouldnt you say?

IN a way, this was like tearing down a brand new building to build a new one so you can employ cponstruction workers....sounds good, but normal intellectual application would say....despite the COST......there is no growth!

When was Cash for Clunkers billed as a "Help the Poor" project?

It was designed to:

1. Spur production to help with the recession

and

2. Help get rid of greenhouse gases

It was successful with both. And the whole "they would have bought them anyway" idea is a crock. You have no clue if they would have bought new cars.

Seriously, the rationalizations you people use to try to make your political opponents look bad are as pitiful as they are transparent.

Help the poor? Who said anything about help the poor?

Bottom line...those that were going to buy last quarter 2009 bought in August......I mean....what fool would say...My car is 5 years old....but I want to wait until it is 5 years and 3 months before I trade it is...so I guess I will miss the 4500 discount?

Those that would have bought from July to December.....bought now.

 

[Vast LWC]

So, to recap:

The clunker program (an apropos description if there ever was one) burns through the $1 billion that was supposed to take it to November, is now being scrapped two months short and $2 billion over projected costs.

And this is supposed to be evidence of success??

And these incompetent nincompoops now want to now execute a fascistic takeover of more than 15% of the entire American economy??

Yeah...

Except the fact that all that money was spent means that the program was MORE successful than expected, and the money was given out faster than expected.

Not that it is "being scrapped two months short".

That's like saying winning a war two months earlier than expected is "scrapping the war two months short".

And the $2 Billion dollars was additional funds added to the project because of it's popularity.

Of course, you know all this, you're just spinning away, as usual.

Your war analogy falls flatter than your logic.

Giving away enough money to pay for anywhere from 1/5 - 1/3 of the total price of anything is always going to be popular, while "success" is much more elusive, especially when you're setting the criteria after the fact.

Facts, as opposed to the self-congratulatory leftist spin, remain that the program and the money (even with the extra $2 bil) were projected to last until November and didn't make it to the end of the first month.

And this was all cooked up by the same meatheads who're now telling us that they can make medical services less costly by making them free.

Wanna buy a bridge?

It was designed as a spur to production. It succeeded in doing that.

The money was used for it's intended purpose, and it was so popular that they DECIDED to add more. Not because they owed more, but because they decided to add more because it was successful.

You're the one who's spinning here.

Oh and by the way:

Bernanke: Economy on cusp of recovery
The Fed chairman says the U.S. economy is on the verge of a long-awaited recovery.
Full story

Home sales post biggest increase in 10 years

But now I imagine you'll say that Ben Bernanke is some sort of "partisan hack" who's "in the tank for Obama", right?

 

[Vast LWC]

People are still buying more foreign cars ... juz sayin.

I agree, but those cars are produced here in the US for the most part.

 

[Vast LWC]

Uh.....no.

The only ones able to buy the new cars were those with cash or credit...so the ones who bought those cars were those that could afford new cars. The ones that could afford new cars usually buy new cars when they need new cars. 4500 or not, they would have bought new cars when ready.....but instead they simply all bought them this month seeing as they were, in a way, getting some of their tax money back.

Funny though...now those that need a USED car have only those rejected by the government to choose from. How ironic...wouldnt you say?

IN a way, this was like tearing down a brand new building to build a new one so you can employ cponstruction workers....sounds good, but normal intellectual application would say....despite the COST......there is no growth!

When was Cash for Clunkers billed as a "Help the Poor" project?

It was designed to:

1. Spur production to help with the recession

and

2. Help get rid of greenhouse gases

It was successful with both. And the whole "they would have bought them anyway" idea is a crock. You have no clue if they would have bought new cars.

Seriously, the rationalizations you people use to try to make your political opponents look bad are as pitiful as they are transparent.

Help the poor? Who said anything about help the poor?

Bottom line...those that were going to buy last quarter 2009 bought in August......I mean....what fool would say...My car is 5 years old....but I want to wait until it is 5 years and 3 months before I trade it is...so I guess I will miss the 4500 discount?

Those that would have bought from July to December.....bought now.

Or, those who would not have bought at all, due to the expense, bought now because they could afford it.

Again, you have nothing to back up your claim, at all. Unless you have some numbers about how many cars were sold... 6 months from now?

 

[KittenKoder]

People are still buying more foreign cars ... juz sayin.

I agree, but those cars are produced here in the US for the most part.

Um ... just a few parts are, and there is no increase in sales that would create or even protect those few jobs.