Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 00:39:56 -0400
Reply-To: Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Akiba <syncrolist@BOSTIG.COM>
Subject: Re: Idiots for Clunkers
In-Reply-To: <E62278783A614A358012D1F20BFD7E28@hundt8d78adec8>
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The net cost to governments tends to be very little which is one of
the reasons clunker programs are popular around the world. Germany
started last Jan, did the same thing as we just did(ran out of money
quickly, then replenished), and Japan has been doing it since May. At
least a dozen or so other european countries have programs. Even
Canada did as well(but was only giving like $300 for pre 96 cars).
Individual states too, California did it, as did Texas. The big
problem that I'm worried about is the artificial inflation of sales
now, with a big vaccum of sales in the coming months/year. The whole
point of this is to stimulate car sales... which it will, but then
it'll stop. Further... the cars that are being bought(as someone
pointed out already) are small fuel efficient cars, the Ford Focus
being the top seller in the US CFC program so far. For the automakers
this is bad news since the small econoboxes also have the lowest
margins... but screw the automakers honestly, at least there is a
buffering trickle down for suppliers... until it again stops. Imagine
if instead of CFC we could somehow get subsidized for our conversion
sales(vanagon content)... we couldn't bump the mpgs over the gap they
need now, but there would be enough money to develop the entire
replacement vehicle for the vanagon which certainly could... while
building/investing in the real future of the US auto industry which is
growing in progressive operations all over the country as we speak. I
feel the focus on where to invest/stimulate growth in this economy is
entirely wrong, but it's easier to understand, less risky, and more
predictable than changing how anyone thinks about it so that's the way
it'll happen.
Jim Akiba
On Mon, Aug 3, 2009 at 11:50 PM, Don Hundt<dhundt@bendbroadband.com> wrote:
> Jake De Villiers wrote:
>>
>> Sometimes its good to be Canadian - that's the dumbest thing I've ever
>> seen...
>
> Unless you are a Canadian Ford, Dodge, or G.M. employee, then it looks like
> manna from heaven!
>
> I don't really have a problem with the program, if you don't want your car
> crushed don't trade it in. It seems to me that a whole lot of old $800 vans
> are now worth about $4500. Any decent van may become a rarer collectible,
> maybe some day we can all charge GoWesty prices.
>
> I'm not interested in a political debate, so I'll leave that part alone.
> However, it would be nice to see Japan, Germany, Sweden, Korea kick in a
> little something for this program, it seems their economies are seeing some
> stimulus off of this as well.
> Don
>
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