Dealers applaud Cash for Clunkers

Dan Duddridge, sales manager for Cabe Toyota and Scion on Long Beach Boulevard, said he could be a little happier, even though his dealership has sent about 75 gas guzzlers to the graveyard under the Cash for Clunkers program.

[Robert J G Jackson Sr]

Isn't it true that anyone who was intending to purchase a vehicle in the next year certainly would have done it while the taxpayers were donating $4500 to reduce the cost? So who's going to be buying those vehicles now? Where will the buyers come from for the next 6 or 12 months? Surely not from the nearly 14% unemployed in Long Beach. Many of the so called clunkers were gas guzzlers, but they had the benefit of being paid for. Now, many families have been enticed into trading in those paid for vehicles and taking out loans for thousands, normally at least $10,000 and up to $20,000 to purchase a new car with lower gas mileage. The traded in clunker was not made available to someone less fortunate, but rather destroyed. Sorry folks. I don't see that this program was such a big help to anyone. Did you realize that the only manufacturer on the list of the top 5 in sales for this program which is an American company is Ford? One out of five. Swell. Apparently, Honda and Toyota needed the $3 billion of our tax dollars.

[Harry]

Gonna get me a repo license that the next gold mine in the next two months.

[great]

I hear GM has had to hire more workers in Canada to keep up with the demand. Obama has done a great job propping up a faltering Canadian economy.
Thank you, Mr. Clinton. NAFTA has helped to make Canada strong.

[rbonilla]

now what are the dealers going to do, that they sucked up taxpayers $$?

[Concerned American]

Robert J G Jackson Sr wrote:

Isn't it true that anyone who was intending to purchase a vehicle in the next year certainly would have done it while the taxpayers were donating $4500 to reduce the cost? So who's going to be buying those vehicles now? Where will the buyers come from for the next 6 or 12 months? Surely not from the nearly 14% unemployed in Long Beach. Many of the so called clunkers were gas guzzlers, but they had the benefit of being paid for. Now, many families have been enticed into trading in those paid for vehicles and taking out loans for thousands, normally at least $10,000 and up to $20,000 to purchase a new car with lower gas mileage. The traded in clunker was not made available to someone less fortunate, but rather destroyed. Sorry folks. I don't see that this program was such a big help to anyone. Did you realize that the only manufacturer on the list of the top 5 in sales for this program which is an American company is Ford? One out of five. Swell. Apparently, Honda and Toyota needed the $3 billion of our tax dollars.

This bailout was a waste of taxpayer's money if one were hoping that GM and Chrysler might get a big boost domestically, but it was just that for Toyota's U.S. operations. I read that they were going to be pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into expanding their facilities in the South and hiring thousands of new employees. I also have the concern that those purchasing vehicles due to this program might be the same as the home buyers 4 or 5 years ago, in that they are overextending themselves just because of some free money. I will be watching to see if the next great social phenomenon in a few years is the bailing out of car owners that are having their vehicles repossesed because they just didn't realize they were getting themselves in over their heads. If the government had not offered that free money they never would have thought of doing this to themselves. And round and round we go.

[RAE]

The only winner here is the dealer, they sold inventory without discounting the price, wait until next month and the cash for clunkers won't be as much as the discounts the dealers will have to give to move units.

[andre]

I think the repo men will be applauding cash for clunkers in the next 4-6 months...

[It is Me]

Cash for clunkers was a horrible idea. More foriegn cars were sold than domestic. Will Bush be blamed for this latest scheme by demosluts when many of these cars are repossesed? Driving car repair/garages out of business is good how? Obama thinks we're all stupid.

[clyde LB]

clunkers my #%#%

the gardeners come in my neighborhood with crap trucks that
burn as much oil as gas. Get THEM off the road.
Does anyone know what Obama drove?