Readers
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
Bill to get old cars off roads is a clunker, too
The Cash for Clunkers bill (HR 1550), which is touted as having long-term environmental benefits, could actually do much more harm than good to the environment if the bill is passed.
Proponents say the bill will benefit the environment because it will take older cars off the road, replacing them with new, more fuel-efficient vehicles.
However, there is an inherent problem associated with this theory. What will become of all these old cars? The answer you don’t hear from the backers of Cash for Clunkers is that these scrapped vehicles will more than likely be sent to landfills, creating more pollution, not less.
Congress and states have considered Cash for Clunkers proposals in the past and, in many cases, have decided against them because they have come to realize such plans are not a cost-effective use of government money.
In fact, the Cash for Clunkers amendment to the U.S.. Senate stimulus was withdrawn prior to passage of the package.
Providing incentives for motorists to have their current vehicles maintained for fuel efficiency would be a better use of federal money that also would benefit the environment.
Cash for Clunkers might look good on paper, but in reality it has many unintended, irreversible consequences and should be rejected by Congress.
Interested parties can send an e-mail in opposition to the Cash for Clunkers program to the Speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader and congressional representatives by visiting www.fightcashforclunkers.org and clicking on “Take Action.”
Aaron Lowe
vice president, government affairs
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
Bethesda, Md.
Pursuit of happiness a right gov’t shouldn’t impede
According to a Rasmussen poll, about one-third of Americans believe that compensation for athletes and entertainers should be limited by law.
Also, as part of our empty suit of a president’s war on prosperity, Barack Obama is looking into how to limit the pay of financial executives.
All of these folks should read our country’s Declaration of Independence – especially the part that says that every individual has the moral right to pursue his or her own happiness – and learn that their efforts are immoral, because they seek to violate this unalienable right.
Mark Kalinowski
New York, N.Y.