Klunker Math

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

A 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 will reduce gasoline
consumption by 320 gallons per year.

The government claims 700,000 clunkers have been replaced so that's
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 $70 per barrel costs
about $350 million dollars.

So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $350 million.

We spent $8.57 for every $1.00 we saved.

I'm pretty sure they will do a better job with our health care, though.

Wally, post this in poli, it deserves a read by all. 8)

Wally, that cash for clunkers idea was formulated by a guy who never really intended for it to be used by any government. I read about the guy last Summer and seems he did it for a class project and he considered it a joke. He was shocked that governments have used it.

Cash for Clunkers -- brought to you by the authors of Social Security and Amtrak and the US Postal Service and Obamacare.

Hey Wally, you didn't mention the horrendous damage done to buyers of low-end used cars! When 700,000 "clunkers," a.k.a. "used cars," were forcibly removed from the market by our benevolent betters in DC, used car prices went through the roof!

Ah, the law of unintended consequences... or where they unintended? Hmmm....

Don't forget that you had to pay income tax on the cash for clunkers deal!
Yea ...Sorry to say I went for it.