Congress Wants To Spend Millions To Buy, Crush and Destroy Cars... No, Seriously They Do

Change You Can Crush!

Accelerated Retirement of Inefficient Vehicles Act basically will spend your tax money for the government to buy "fuel inefficient" cars and well, crush and shred them.

Millions of dollars to crush and shred cars. Can't make this stuff up, folks.

Read the full text of HR 520 and S 247 here.

From SEMA.org:

Our efforts to prevent Congress from including a nationwide “Cash for Clunkers” program in the economic stimulus package have been successful – so far. Thousands of SEMA members and SEMA Action Network (SAN) enthusiasts contacted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in opposition to the plan. The Speaker’s Office informed us that your emails, calls and faxes were received and, thanks to your work, Cash for Clunkers was not included in the economic stimulus package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Unfortunately, new legislation (S 247 and HR 520) has been introduced in Congress to create a national vehicle scrappage program which will give U.S. tax dollars to consumers who turn-in their “gas guzzlers” to have them crushed. Lawmakers need to scrap this idea!

Contact Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) Immediately to Oppose S. 247 and H.R. 520

The so-called “Accelerated Retirement of Inefficient Vehicles Act” is Cash for Clunkers with a twist. Instead of focusing exclusively on older cars, this program would target vehicles with low fuel economy ratings of any model year. Vehicles targeted for the scrap pile will likely include Chevy Blazers, Chevy Silverados, Chevy S-10s, Chevy Tahoes, Dodge Dakotas, Dodge Rams, Ford Explorers, Ford F-Series, Jeep Cherokees, Jeep Wranglers and any other SUV or truck that obtains less than 18 miles per gallon. Participants would receive cash vouchers ranging from $2,500 to $4,500 based on the model year and whether the replacement vehicle was a more fuel-efficient new car or used car (MY 2004 or later). Fuel-efficient is defined as getting at least 25 percent better mileage for the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) target for its class. It will be illegal to resell the scrapped vehicles. Bill sponsors want to destroy four million pickups and SUVs over the next four years.

Talking Points From SEMA

• • I am writing to urge lawmakers not to approve an “accelerated vehicle retirement” program. This is a misguided attempt to spur car sales and claim that the country’s fleet fuel mileage is being improved.
  


• • An accelerated vehicle retirement program is flawed because it does not factor-in how many miles-a-year the collected vehicles are currently being driven. U.S. taxpayers will be buying rarely-driven second and third vehicles that have minimal impact on overall fuel economy and air pollution.
  


• • The program will reduce the number of vehicles available for low-income individuals and drive up the cost of the remaining vehicles and repair parts.
  


• • The program fails to acknowledge driver needs, such as the ability to transport a family, tow a trailer or rely upon the performance, safety and utility characteristics associated with the larger vehicles.
  

• • Any vehicle scrappage program threatens enthusiasts nationwide with the loss of valuable parts and parts-cars for repair, restoration, and customization projects. An accelerated retirement program will reduce the availability of affordable transportation and repair parts used by low-income drivers. It will also compete with the Salvation Army, the Purple Heart and other charities that rely on vehicle donations to raise money.

(Hat Tip: Gateway Pundit)