Clunker Program In Need Of A Bailout
No, not more money. Just releasing the money already owed to dealers. About half of the dealers in metro New York City have abruptly withdrawn from the Cash for Clunkers program – because the government hasn’t paid them for the deals they have already made.
The Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, which represents dealerships in the New York metro area, said about half its 425 members have left the program because they cannot afford to offer more rebates. They’re also worried about getting repaid…
…Schienberg said the group’s dealers have been repaid for only about 2 percent of the clunkers deals they’ve made so far.
I have already posted about the problems dealers have had getting paid. Those dealers, from Wisconsin, said that this was a nationwide problem. The news from New York confirms that.
Once again, this is a relatively paltry $3 billion program (sure, I’d love to have that kind of “paltry” money). Yet the Feds cannot even move that cash effectively – whereas the private dealers were nimble enough to start doing deals right away.
That should tell you all you need to know about government efficiency.
Obama issued an urgent call for more funding for the C4C program. The original authorization is not even yet spent.
That should tell you all you need to know about current Washington honesty.
Now do a little thought experiment and figure how slow the government would process your claims or authorize your needed procedure if they were in charge of health care. Think hard, the clock is ticking. Your appendix just burst and you need care now. The Department of ObamaCare is processing your request at full bureaucratic speed…..
Tick, tock……
Which is the real clunker here?
Appalling, Obamantics | Gaius August 19, 2009
By martian, August 20, 2009 @ 11:44 am
Why is this a surprise? Anyone who has ever dealt with the federal government knows that they are ALWAYS late paying their bills. It can take up to 90 days to get money from ANY government program including Medicaid and Medicare if you’re a health care professional. Most vendors know this and know not to depend on federal governemnt payments for any immediate cash needs – something the car sales industry is just finding out I guess.
By Bob, August 21, 2009 @ 12:16 pm
I just had to return a new E250 van after having it for 2 weeks — told it didn’t qualify it weighed more than my old E250 of the same size. Guess the government doesn’t gain weight either over 13 yrs. Catagory 3 trucks were a FRAUD. Program sucks as far as I am concerned. So I am back in my gas hog with holes in the floor, leaking fuel tank & radiator but nothing a little boiler solder won’t fix — Thanks Obama & your CARS program. Oh and BTW don’t bother signing me up for your health care, I’ll take my health into my own hands. I read your new world order comandments on the Georgia Guide Stones and I prefer God’s Ten Comandments. UY