08-07-2009, 06:14 AM
Sam3 wrote:
Don't tell me that it's "saving the environment" or "cutting our dependency on oil" as there are new vehicles rolling off the assembly lines that have the same or worse gas mileage.
Your logic fascinates me.
Without this program, how many of these people would have traded their vehicle in for one with better gas mileage? I think it is a non-zero value.
But let's assume that everyone who got the rebate was going to buy a new car with better gas mileage anyway. How many of these trade-ins would be taken off the road permanently? Probably not too many.
No, this program is not going to "save the environment." It will cut dependency on oil (foreign or otherwise). Not a great amount, but every little bit helps.
No one thing is going to solve all our problems. If you reject anything that can't do it all, then it will never get done.
And if this program is too small to have an impact on oil consumption, how can it have such a large impact on the used car market? These "my friend, the car dealer" anecdotes are great, but that doesn't make their experiences the rule.