Cash For Clunkers a Good Idea?

DO YOU REMEMBER THE CASH FOR CLUNKERS BIT?

The person who calculated this bit of information is now, and has been a professor at the University of West Virginia in Morgantown for the last forty some years.

He says that:

A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year.  A new vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons of gas a year.

So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction reduced gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.

The government claims 700,000 clunkers were replaced so that is 224 million gallons saved per year.  That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil. 5 million barrels is about 5 hours’ worth of US consumption.  More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $90 per barrel costs about $450 million dollars.

So, the Government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $450 million.  They spent $6.67 for every $1.00 they saved.

We've been assured, though, that they will do a much better job with our health care.

Scenario: California v. Texas

Governors of California and Texas are jogging with their dogs along a nature trail.  A coyote jumps out and attacks dog.

California:
1. Governor starts to intervene, reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop; the coyote is only doing what is natural.

2. He calls animal control.  Animal control captures coyote and spends $200 testing it for diseases and $500 upon relocating it.

3. He calls veterinarian.  Vet collects dead dog and spends $200 testing it for diseases.

4. Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting bite wound bandaged.

5. Running trail gets shut down for 6 months while Wildlife Service’s conduct a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is clear of dangerous animals.

6. Governor spends $50,000 of state funds implementing a "coyote awareness" program for residents of the area.

7. State legislature spends $2 million investigating how to better handle rabies and how to possibly eradicate the disease.

8. Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack and for letting the Governor intervene.

9. Cost: $75,000 to train new security agent.

10. PETA protests the coyote relocation and files suit against the state.

*******

Texas:
1. Governor shoots coyote and keeps jogging.  Governor has spent fifty cents on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge.  Buzzards eat dead coyote.

ANY WONDER WHY CALIFORNIA IS BROKE?