It is amazing what the politicians have done - they've got us "fighting"
amongst ourselves about the value of these bills, and have cleverly
disguised the REAL motivation behind them. It's not about cleaning up
the air, it's not about getting rid of old cars, it's not about industrial
pollution. Give up? It's about getting RE-ELECTED! A politician's
primary motivation is to get re-elected the next term. They've got a sweet
deal which they want to continue. Think about it - how many of us have jobs
where we can vote ourselves pay raises & better benefits, or where we can
create rules (ie. laws) which primarily benefit ourselves?
Politicians get re-elected by doing visible things, like proposing & passing
bills such as the clunker laws. Everyone knows newer cars pollute far less
than older cars, right? And those old junkers with bald tires, broken shocks,
and smoke billowing out the tailpipe are what most people envision when the
these laws come up. Those cars are a menace on the road, right? - who
wouldn't want to get rid of them? Amazingly enough, even some people on this
list see things this way. And the politicians look like heroes in the process.
In the meantime, studies show that industry produces far more pollution than
cars. I read that an auto plant produces more pollution in creating
a new car than the car will produce during it's lifetime.
Allowing industry to continue to pollute by earning credits from crushing old
cars is like saying you've fixed your engine leaks by replacing a slightly-
seeping valve-cover gasket, while oil continues to drip out the rear main seal.
Politicians won't get any visibility by forcing industry to clean up their
act - the general public won't see it and can't quantify it. But cars are a
part of our everyday life, and hence are highly visible. So that's the target,
even though the net result is minimal, if anything.
Jim Baxter of the National Motorists Assn wrote an excellent article on this
subject a year or 2 ago. He cited issues like this as one of the reasons why
he typically votes anti-incumbent. Food for thought.
Regards,
Patrick
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