Cash for Clunkers Comes Crashing Down

The Heritage Foundation ^ | October 2, 2009 | Nick Loris

[2ndDivisionVet]

I was just re-reading the Constitution and didn't see anything in there on government giveaway programs...

[Vince Ferrer]

Cash for clunkers “was a one-time boost of sales followed by a crater,”

Now that we have run a short little experiment, can anyone explain the difference between the cash for clunkers program and results, and the larger stimulus package and its inevitable result? Are we expecting something different?

[edpc]

“What does it tell us about our national character when the most popular government program in years is an economically dubious, environmentally negligible, politically lazy handout from 99% of the population to the other 1%, all aimed at reviving the economy from its vegetative state?”

Take it a step further. What does it tell us about a President that uses the same economically dubious and politically lazy handout from 99% of the population to the other 1%, all in the interest of "spreading the wealth" and "economic justice"...?

[Not A Snowbird]

What on earth did they think was going to happen?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Same with the $8000 bonus for first time home buyers....who the hell is handing them $8000 grand? WE are - why should we be paying anything for anyone? I could back a $0 down program if they qualified with good credit - like what is given to Veterans - that is no money out of my pocket or yours, but $8000 free handout just because someone wants to buy a home???? It infuriates me

[kromike]

What on earth did they think was going to happen?

That's the whole point...they don't think. They feeeeeeeeeeeeeel....

[Nervous Tick]

>> I was just re-reading the Constitution and didn’t see anything in there on government giveaway programs...

Did you check the penumbras? (You may have to pull back the foreskin around the parchment to see them. Or something.)

[doc1019]

Gee, yet another idea by or child/man in charge that was not completely thought out. How many more brilliant ideas must we suffer through before we, as a country, are no more?

Didn’t Mao go though many of these failures when he first got into power? Failures that all but destroyed China.

Immature and inexperienced people suddenly in power tend to cause more damage then good.

[2harddrive]

Very eloquently put!

[MindBender26]

One huge benefit of "Cash For Clunkers:"

It got lots of cars with Obama bumper stickers off the road!

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Awwwwwwww. Don’t tell me ‘Hoopties for Hybrids’ didn’t work. Poor, poor Van Jones. /s

[Nervous Tick]

>> why should we be paying anything for anyone?

Right. And, I hate to say it, ‘cause there’s a lot of folks right here on FR that will disagree, but the SAME THING is true of that sixty-fourth through one-hundred-fifty-second week of UNEMPLOYMENT everyone is salivating over.

Why work? Seriously. Why try? Why retrain? Why move? The Bambi government will take care of you.

[rlmorel]

"...Now that we have run a short little experiment, can anyone explain the difference between the cash for clunkers program and results, and the larger stimulus package and its inevitable result? Are we expecting something different?..."

Vince Ferrer, that was one of the most succinct statements I have seen around here in a while.

[quantim]

Aside from the fact that this subsidy comes from borrowed money from a country that just celebrated an anniversary of communism, in spite of this obvious expected drop in sales, Ford had in increase in market percentage, good for them.

It will in time, prove to be a disaster for Obama Motors.

Saturn deal failed, fair to say no more money for GM in the coming months, it will be the next outrage when GM comes back to the checkbook.

Just won't work in flyover country.

[Lawgvr1955]

Should take some Stimulus money and send all the Congressmen and Prez Zero to an economics class. Obviously they are all seriously lacking in that area.

Maybe it would "stimulate" their minds enough to know government giveaways don't work. I guess they never heard the "give a man a fish....".

[ColdWater]

I could back a $0 down program

One of the things that got us into this mess.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Not necessarily. I said with good credit, not the hand 'em a loan they can't pay crap - Many Veterans have gotten homes on a zero down - we did it once ourselves -

But I do agree that all the crappy loans should be halted - that is what got us into this mess.

[Hardastarboard]

It's in the preamble. The part where it says "promote the general welfare" - that means give out welfare.

Now that you've peeled yourself off the ceiling and can read this paragraph, I will point out that I've actually SEEN that argument on DU, I swear to God.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I think you forgot to look in the penumbras. Go back and look again.

[gibsosa]

bump