Cash for Clunkers - My letter to The Honorable Mike Rogers

I am writing in opposition to the "Cash for Clunkers Bill". As a proud owner of older cars (1985 Cavalier 30 mpg and a 1994 Pontiac Transport 27 mpg) I am frightened by the high and mighty thinking of those in Congress that believe that everyone should drive brand new cars. If this bill passes I will in the very near future be forced to pay much MORE for a used car since now ANY old car is essentially worth $4500 as a trade in. This is more money out of my pocket in wasteful government spending AND more money in purchasing my next used car PLUS I will most likely have to take a loan out for my next one (all previous purchases have been cash in hand "responsible" buying) including all the bank fees PLUS I will then need "Full Coverage" insurance since it is funded by a bank. This is 4+ times more than I have previously spent on cars due to needless government interaction. This defiantly hurts my ability to survive in this recession.

I guess when someone makes $150 thousand a year and gets a raise every year since 2000 http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/97-1011.pdf (I have not had a raise in Michigan since the 90's and not likely too in the future) you can tell everyone to "buy new".

I personally respect cars as historical objects and worthy of preservation. If some of this garbage legislation had happened years ago there would be NO Model A or T Fords, No Auburns/Cords/Dusenbergs, NO 52 Chevy Pickups, NO 1957 Chevys, NO 1965 Mustangs, NO 1969 Chargers, NO 1984 Buick Grand Nationals, NO 1985 Cavaliers, left anywhere, and ABSOLUTELY NO supporting aftermarket industry, NO Custom Industry, NO Classic Car restoration industry, and NO incentive to look back and see older cars as beautiful and historical pieces of AMERICAN art. IF the current "older" cars (past 8 years??? I cannot afford a 2001 right now...) are scrapped, then there will be NO used parts, NO reason to make aftermarket parts, NO reason to continue an industry based on "older" cars.

My running comment to people is when I see a new car I like I say "I am going to have one of those... 10 years from now". With this bill, that will not come true, since it will be over 8 years old.

In closing (and I doubt you actually get to read this) the Cash for Clunker bill is harmful to the supporting aftermarket/parts industry, harmful to taxpayers depending on the used car market for transportation, and harmful to those wishing to collect these future classics. The Cash for Clunkers bill is lopsided thinking that everyone wants and deserves a new car. You only deserve a new car if you want and work for it, not given to you by government. The Cash for Clunkers bill is a clunker in itself and the cash should be given back to the taxpayers instead of eating up funds and killing an industry for the sake of socialism. p.s. Hitler funded VW "The Peoples Car", another classic older historical vehicle.

BTW this clunker bill is redundant as last years high steel prices generated a record amount of older vehicle scrapping for recycled steel. Even fully drivable cars were sacrificed as they were worth more as scrap then for resale. See, the FREE market has a use for everything if left to it's own devises instead of government controlled.

Government is "BY the people and FOR the people", not just for the people that fit the little mold that is established by government.