[Tarpon]

Every Democrat program hurts the poor.

[mvpel]

Frederic Bastiat, in his famous essay, “What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen,” takes the case of a broken window:

Suppose that it will cost six francs to repair the damage. . . . The glazier will come, do his job, receive six francs, congratulate himself, and bless in his heart the careless child. That is what is seen. . . . It is not seen that, since our citizen has spent six francs for one thing, he will not be able to spend them for another. It is not seen that if he had not had a windowpane to replace, he would have replaced, for example, his worn-out shoes or added another book to his library. . . . The window having been broken, the glass industry gets six francs’ worth of encouragement; that is what is seen. If the window had not been broken, the shoe industry (or some other) would have received six francs’ worth of encouragement; that is what is not seen.

What we have in Cash for Clunkers is a billion dollars’ worth of newly broken windows.

---

Video: Cash for Clunkers: How to destroy an engine

Cash for Clunkers Dealers Must Destroy Engines to Prevent Fraud

One problem with the Cash for Clunkers program is it takes cheap cars off the street for poor folks. The program clunkeressentially makes every car, no matter the condition, worth $4500.00. By doing so those of modest means cannot find an automobile for a better price. Now with the directive to chemically destroy the vehicles, the reasonably priced used car market is destroyed as well. In addition, this program makes engine car parts scarce because the engines are chemically destroyed.

This program is just another example of a poorly thought out program that does not help the poor.

[GOPJ]

If we could stimulate the economy by destroying consumer goods and replacing them with more expensive greenwashed alternatives, then we should all go burn down our houses and have Washington subsidize new ones with solar panels on the roofs and maybe little wind turbines out back.

The editors of National Review are being irresponsible giving nutty liberals more ideas... Shame on them.

[Rummyfan]

The House already has approved $2 billion more for this witless exercise, and Obama’s secretary of transportation, Ray LaHood, is pressing the Senate to bless this buffoonery before the August recess.

UN - EFFING - BELIEVABLE!!!!

[khnyny]

It seems like it’s just more debt. Government debt and consumer debt. Destroying functioning vehicles which could be resold here or abroad makes zero sense (pun intended). Imho, it’s a stupid, stupid program.

[the invisib1e hand]

Janice Joplin once warbled.

Janice Joplin never warbled.

[kellynla]

“cash for clunkers” is like a “sugar-high”...

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP and then DOWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

and the hangover will be higher taxes, higher interest rates and higher inflation...goodbye Hussen in 2012!