Trade in your clunker tax break?

[slacker921]

The bobbleheads on CNBC were talking about a bill in Congress that would give incentive for people to trade in their 15+ year old cars for more fuel efficient and lower polluting cars. .. this would create some demand for all the cars currently parked on dealers lots.

Didn't Ron Paul propose a bill like that back in the Summer? .. and what would have happened if it had passed?

[Uriel999]

These bills suck because the people that are driving those 15 year old cars are either:

A) too poor to afford newer cars even with a tax rebate; example here is 3000 bucks from the gubment for you to buy a new car...shit even the cheapest new cars in the US are like 17k.

B) automotive enthusiasts with classic muscle cars or sports cars that end up in the crosshairs of the government. Many of these bills include resolutions that are attempting to get all old cars off the road. Oh and don't forget credits for polluting companies. By taking old cars and giving them to the government they get a delay in making their businesses meet environmental standards. In other words say you own a company that has smokestacks going into the air. New environmental regulations come into place and now you need to spend half a million on new scrubbers to meet those standards but there is a catch to get out of it for a while. Just get hold of a shitload of old crappy cars and turn them in and you get 5 more years until you have to meet the new standards. Oh and nevermind that the cars you turn in collectively still don't cause as much pollution as your businesses do annually.

[slacker921]

yeah.. but I remember seeing a bill like this from Ron Paul back in April or May when everyone was pushing for offshore drilling. It wasn't geared towards pollution, but rather towards getting the old cars that aren't efficient off the road.

[bojo68]

<<<car is 13 yrs old, passes with 11 hydrocarbons, NO CO. 280hp, 27.5 mpg average. Most of the new stuff can't touch it. I will admit that I'd consider trading it for a new zr1 vette though..., can't think of anything else I'd want.