Friday, August 7, 2009

Clunkers

I only know of one person that has taken advantage of the "Cash for Clunkers" stimulus program. That would be my Dad, he was driving a pickup truck that was 17 years old. I always gave him a bad time and told him that he needed a new truck, a four wheel drive.. he always said "Can't afford a new truck, do you have any idea how much they cost?" I don't pay attention to vehicle prices, I stopped keeping up with that info when vehicle prices went beyond what we paid for our first house. I do feel a bit slighted, I drove the same vehicle for 20 some years..and there were no hand outs when I bought a new to me used vehicle a few years ago. I am happy for my Dad, and others who were able to improve their vehicles MPG, Dad says his is supposed to get 24 MPG... and if he drives this vehicle for seventeen years like his last truck he will be 100 years old. When I was oohing and ahhing over his new vehicle he told me to take it for a spin.. one look over the top of the massive hood..it was way too large for me to drive..I did sit in the drivers seat a really long time to enjoy the new truck smell! It still isn't a four wheel drive, I guess he will just stay at home when the weather is bad.

Who is paying for all this stimulus? When will the Washington Money Machine go broke? Another 2 Billion dollars went into the cash for clunkers program this morning.. apparently they print what money they need or borrow it from China. Payback is a real bitch..and it is not our generation that will pay..but our children and their children. I detest the thought that everyone is so careless, and believes that every problem can be solved by throwing money at it. When did we become a nation so involved in the Auto Industry? I suppose that happened after the demise of the Family Farm..it takes awhile for the government to become involved and totally ruin something. I believe that Health Care will be next, and since it is the only sector that has been increasing it's employees instead of laying them off..it must seem ripe for the picking for our leaders in Washington. I can name a few Clunkers in Washington that I would like to stimulate, a few old clunkers that have worn out their welcome, I hope their constituents feel the same way:)

12 comments:

Emma Rose said...

Amen! It's "we, the taxpayers" that are footing the bill for all this nonsense, and we don't even get a say in it. That's all I can say, Far Side or I will not be able to stop! I get so angry . . . well, let's just leave it at that. Whew! Deep breath. . .
Emma sends kisses for Chance!

The Duchess

Mary said...

I am concerned, too. I don't buy things that I can't pay for. I was thinking the other day, that in my small town a local grocery or cafe can't make a go, but we have 6 banks all in very nice (many new) buildings. I don't understand, but I think I'm gonna get me a bank.

Rae said...

I agree 100%. Pretty soon we will be the United States of China. They practically own us.

Jewel said...

ditto

Karen Anne said...

I'd a lot rather the government was spending $3 billion that gets polluting clunkers off the road and helps people working in auto manufacturing keep their jobs (the most bought replacement car in the program is the Ford Focus, made by the one sensible US car company), than the $500 billion a year President Bush spent on the Iraq war for six years.

I didn't notice anyone complaining about that 1000 times the amount of money and thousands of U.S. service people's lives lost attacking a country that had zero to do with 9/11 except a few of us, and now suddenly a program that does good and helps people at 1/1000 the cost is a problem?

L. D. said...

I didn't see any more buildings falling down nor did I see George Bush ever show disrespect to any member of this United States. Obama has spent more money in six months than the last four or five entire president's budgets combined.
I will be paying the next four years for my car like most of us and if the Fannie May and Freddie Mac mess would have been regulated we would never had been put into this mess. Clinton started it and threatened institutions to loan without merit or be audited. Sounds like our President today who is more worried about image more than than the people he is suppose to represent. His Chicago mob boss connections and ideas have just begun and as the real estate people say, this ain't over. I can't imagine what will happen next.
Sorry...
I am happy your dad bought a red truck, my favorite color.

kbear said...

I'm knot happy with all this debt we are in either. too much of a mess we're in. something's got to stop before we fall flat on our faces.

Jeanne Estridge said...

The highest the debt has ever been was 120% of the GDP, in 1942, under Truman. The lowest it's been since then is ~35%, under Carter. In February (the newest stats I could find, it hit ~80%.

Carter was all about biting the bullet and letting the economy take its course. Obama, on the other hand, believes in trying things to correct it.

Which do you figure is worse?

The Pink Geranium or Jan's Place said...

Oh.. I totally agree with you, and the others who commented. I am furious over the finger pointing from the current administration, as the hole we are in was just dug with their giant shovel, and it is just getting to be a much bigger hole!

Girl Tornado said...

I'm glad your dad was able to benefit from the program - we don't know anyone who has utilized it. He has a beautiful new truck! I love driving my hubby's big Ford V8 diesel truck, I feel so "country", lol. But I hate putting diesel in it -- ouch!!

As for the gov't, it's all scary. And you are right, they are going to mess up our healthcare even more than it is already messed up!!

June said...

Beautiful truck!

As to the political discussion, I'd better stay out of it, except to say: There's no way for the president to win with people who don't see that the problem was there before he took office. He was just the lucky one who gets to try to fix it.

DayPhoto said...

The government is a very scary buch of people anymore. I wonder and worry what really is going to happen to us and our children and our grandchildren. This debt thing is bad, bad, bad.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com