Klunker of a program

I know, yesterday I ate my words. The cash for Klunkers program turned out to be such a success, congress had to authorize another 2 Billion dollars to keep the program going.

Folks do like free money. And it makes perfect sense to me for the government to borrow more money adding to the deficit, and then giving it to folks so that they can go deeper into debt buying new cars, while over half a million new folks apply for unemployment every month, and companies are folding left and right. Government fiscal planning at its finest.

But as in any government program, those involved are probably wishing they weren't.

Here is a couple of many similar quotes:

We spent a couple of days earlier this week following the whole complex program, from dealer to scrap heap, and found twists and turns in it that are making it a nightmare now for everyone involved.

The government Web site where dealers are supposed to register their deals has been crashing, and the dealers haven’t been able to plug in their information.

My my.

One dealer is owed more than $80,000, and he wondered if he would ever see it. And that is only 5 days into this mess.

There was supposed to be a ten day turnaround for the dealers to be reimbursed. Now, the dealers are not so sure they will ever see their money from the government.

The really wonderful part of this plan, is to get reimbursed, the dealers have to destroy the trade in vehicle's engine. Which also makes the trade in worthless, if the government never gets around to paying. Leaving the dealers stuck and out of their own money.

What do they care? They government just prints more when that happens to them. Maybe they think we can print our own money too? Maybe some one should tell them we can't, I just don't think they know.

And as only the government can, it has taken a simple, bad idea, and turned it into a catastrophe for everyone involved.. Congress however, as they decided to blow another 2 Billion on this madness, touted this as the most successful thing they have come up with for the economic recovery of the country.

Only congress can spin a debacle into a great success story.

The real insanity is the dealers are mandated to destroy the engines. Used and rebuilt engines are big money. But, the government isn't concerned about that. Nor are they concerned with the parts industry. When a used car just won't sell for whatever reason, dealers will part out the car, to recoup at least some of their investment. Sometimes parting it out makes more money then selling it whole.

So now, another unforeseen consequence of this idiotic plan, is the parts dealers now have no incoming inventory.

Too bad if you need a used engine for your ride. Too bad if you can't afford a new car. In the eye's of the all knowing and all seeing government, you don't matter. If you can't buy a new car, you should probably be riding a bicycle anyway.

Then again, once the Senate passes the Cap and Trade tax on everything, we will probably all be riding bicycles.

Unless you are in congress.

Hey wait, congress is also exempt from the wonderful Government Option Health Care Plan. You know, the one that isn't going to socialize our system and destroy private Insurance Companies. Unless you listen to Barny Frank, who said the only way to socialize the system is to do it incrementally, because they they know coming right out and doing it would not be popular. Don't worry, in 5 years it will happen the way their plan is designed. Barney says so. And so does everyone else pushing this monster.

Hey, why the is Auto workers union exempt too? Is the Service International Workers Union also exempt? Must be, since they helped write the thing. They probably wrote more of it than anyone in congress did.

Good thing they want to pass that card check rule. Looks like the only way to stay out of the government plan is to become a union member.

I am still trying to figure out when Health Care became such a horrible crises. I am pretty sure it was during the Presidential election campaign.

Right now 85% of Americans are covered by private insurance. Out of those, 89% like their plan. Sure sounds like a disaster to me.

47 Million, according to the all knowing and always honest government, are not covered. Never mid that the number has been disputed. Nancy Pelosi said it is so.

30 Million of those are illegal aliens, and should not be covered, but will be under the new plan. I know, they say 12 Million. They have been saying 12 Million since at least 2000. Funny how that number never grows, although the little Mexico sections in every town have. And if you go to any Wal-Mart, and don't have a working knowledge of Spanish, good luck to you.

17 million.................one third of those choose not to have a plan, and if I am not mistaken, this is a free county, and you can decide for yourself what you do and do not want. Oh wait, that was last year.

So now we have 11 million, out of 330 Million. Take out 2 million homeless folks that simply won't play along. 9 Million left, I bet they could all qualify for Medicare, the way the system works now.

The fact that Medicare is the main reason that costs are out of control has nothing to do with why we should all be on it, I mean have a Government option, no, I mean we will all be on it.

And that pesky tort reform, while it would lower the cost substantially, never mind it either. Even O said that was not on the table. Lawyers have a big lobbying group. We the people are supposed to have one. They are called Congress.

I guess we need to start paying them off like everyone else does. Maybe then they will do something for the good of the country, and the folks.

This is why I seem to always want to stick pencils in my eye.