Clunker program isn’t a solution, it’s an aspirin

When is a fairly new Jeep Liberty with 50,000 miles on it considered a clunker? It’s barely broken in, at least that would be the thought of many Alaskans who know how to change oil, air filters and tires. The thought of that SUV being squished into a cube of waste is disgusting. And for what? Two miles to the gallon more in a new vehicle?

Cars make a little more sense if they have to achieve 10 miles to the gallon more than their clunker. But why destroy them? If they are truly clunkers, they will eventually die along the road and be hauled off to the junkyard where they will be cannibalized for their parts and eventually crushed as part of the evolution of any vehicle.

For the federal government to put the carrot out in front of people looking for a deal is wrong.

If the government wants to ease air pollution, why not encourage us to drive less, not tell us what we drive?

Let’s say you live 10 miles from where you work, times five days, that’s 100 miles a week round trip. We could generously throw in another 100 miles a week for shopping, entertainment, hauling kids around to school and events. That comes to 200 miles each week, or about 10,000 miles a year.

Then, if you can live with that or similar computation, the government would give you a break on your taxes.

Of course, car companies would hate that because you wouldn’t need — emphasize need  — a new car for  several years. That would mean less cars manufactured. Some companies wouldn’t be able to compete and they would go under. Just like what we’ve seen. Propping up the auto industry is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. We need fewer vehicles on the road, not more fuel-efficient cars on the road. Fuel dependency would drop, traffic fatalities would decrease and maintaining the highways and roads would require less resources.

People liken this economic time to the Great Depression. Not even close.

This has become a nation that won’t give up anything for the common good.

Lastly, there’s a reason so many people drive clunkers.

They can’t afford a better model. Now, with a $3,500 or $4,500 deposit, some will think they can.

Six months from now, who’s going to make those payments?

Uncle Sam won’t. That’s how drug dealers work. The first taste is free.