BOTH PROGRAMS EVEN RELY ON DESTROYING THE OLD ONES

Health-care reform’s just another clunker (Michael Barone, August 4, 2009, Boston Herald)

The teachable moment came when the government decided to suspend the less-than-four-weeks-old Cash for Clunkers program. Many more car owners than predicted walked into dealers to qualify for the $3,500 or $4,500 rebates for trading in their old cars for new ones with slightly (4 mpg) better gas mileage.

Mind you, the government hasn’t yet shelled out the $1 billion authorized for Cash for Clunkers. Dealers reduce the buyers’ prices and have to apply to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the rebates and NHTSA - surprise, surprise - has only managed to process 23,000 of 250,000 applications. Oh yes, the dealers must destroy the clunkers, which will reduce the supply of spare parts for those low-income folks who can’t afford to trade their clunkers in even with a $4,500 subsidy. So much for helping the poor.