Junk yard is San Francisco
As you may have heard, the Cash for Clunkers bill (formally the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program) is intended to boost auto sales while trying to reduce emissions from older cars that achieve a lower mile per gallon rating than those of new cars. This is the first national program of its kind, but it isn’t the first program to be introduced to automotive consumers. In Colorado, I reported on the Green Tie Charity Preview event, which supported the Clear the Air Foundation. The Clear the Air Foundation’s goal is to “enable income tax deductions for those who donate high-emitting vehicles in order to re-cycle the shell and other parts in order to lead a new approach toward cleaner air and a healthier environment.” This organization has yet to publicly make available details of the program, but is supported by the Colorado Auto Dealers Association (CADA) and the Metro Denver Automobile Dealers Association (MDADA).
So as you can see this is a thought process that has been percolating in the wings. You can read yesterday’s post where I outline why some car collectors have fears about these types of programs. I would also like to make another point. There are many cars from past decades that from a mpg perspective get similar mileage to new vehicles of today. The difference is that there’s more technology in cars today that try to control emissions, among other things. However, there will always be older cars on the road, so why are we destroying cars that have good parts that could be used to maintain these vehicles? There is a whole industry in the U.S. that is built on used parts that come from salvage or “junk” cars. So how will this effect the future of those industries and people’s ability to collect cars from the decades that initiatives like Cash for Clunkers affects?
Bottom line—It is my opinion that more research and information should be provided to the consumer public before this type of bill should be allowed to pass. Also, we should keep in mind that once you destroy something it is lost, so we should be sure this is what is best for the economy, environment and future generations. No matter what your position, you should make your voice heard to your House and Senate Representatives.
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