It seems nearly every car dealer in the nation is jumping on the “trash your car for cash” bandwagon. Driving by a new car dealer provides a view of old cars hanging out of dumpsters, piled on one another and spray painted with endearing terms like “Junk” and “Trash”.

 

It’s very rare for Congress to get an idea that provides an incentive to encourage growth in the free market. The Cash for Clunkers program is no exception. Although any growth that provides some glimpse of hope for a market that has been stuck in the gutter should be cause for rejoicing, we should first look at the real impact of this artificially simulated growth. So what does it cost us to add a new fuel-efficient car to our neighbors' driveways? I have heard that it’s around $6,000 of our hard-earned cash in the form of tax dollars. If congress was capable of getting a clue they would quickly realize that the increased consumer demand is directly related to the novel idea that if they give people their own money to spend, the net effect is stimulus to our economy. With this newfound wisdom I would expect them to go back to Washington (after they finish up getting a dose of reality from some town hall meetings) and get cracking on some new tax cuts so our hard-earned income can be used to buy some great new stuff, like say some cool consumer electronics for the car.

 

Maybe we should offer up a new program for “CARS”, the Car Audio Rebate Program. We could encourage consumers to bring their electrically inefficient amplifiers that by nature and lack of efficiency must contribute to global warming and trade them in for lighter, more efficient amplifiers that are sure to contribute to better fuel economy. Then bring old tape decks and CD players that create unnecessary waste from tapes and CDs that are clogging our landfills with unnecessary waste. Trade them in for more environmentally friendly MP3 Players. Take up this cause and call your congress person today and suggest that your tax dollars be put to good use by providing the consumer with the necessary simulating incentives to buy more mobile electronics!

 

So if you’re thinking that I am just venting a bit of frustration about how I feel our government is out of control and spending all our money on stuff we don’t want, I will clear it up with one of my favorite quotes from our second American President, John Adams, “In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.”