Congress Pays Cash For Crushing?
07. Jan, 2009 
6 Comments
Here’s a good one that our great leaders are working on down in DC. As part of the large economic stimulus package Congress is planning to help stimulate new jobs is a provision classic and vintage vehicle owners and enthusiasts should rally against. This idea is a national scrappage program that pays people to junk their old vehicles for scrap with the idea of them then spending that money on a new vehicle. Sadly if this part of the program goes through there will be less classic and vintage vehicles to restore plus valuable original parts will be lost that could be used to restore them.
Of course this comes from the same people who gave the financial institutions all that cash with new rules on how they were to use it. So some of those fat cats are still getting bonuses but it came out of bailout money. Also it wasn’t stated how much money you’d get for your old vehicle. You can bet it won’t be market value and it probably won’t cover the total cost of a new vehicle.
But if the Gov will give me 50-60 Gs (tax free with no strings) for my 21 year old bike and 12 year old pick-up truck, well … it ain’t gonna happen. If you want voice your opposition to this provision call or write your congressional representative and senator. Like they say on that one car show on the Speed Channel “Don’t crush ‘em, restore ‘em”.
resource: SEMA
First let me apologize because I realize that this is not a political forum.
How about the current first lady paying close to a half mill on china for the White house, (for the white house? yeah, right) and they’ll be gone in under two weeks? I’m fed up with ALL these politicians. Where’s the public outcry???????
I could go on, but I’m on my way to work and don’t want to get myself all torqued up for the day.
You all ride easy, and be safe,
Nuff said,
Trib
No need to apologize for making a political comment, Trib. All politics is local after all, and this sort of proposed legislation deserves our attention because it could impact bike builders and restorers in the future. Yes, it only applies to cars – for now. But these things tend to creep into other realms (like emissions laws). All someone has to do is add “and motorcycles” somewhere in
the language and we’re all at risk.
There’s a group of motorcyclists working right now to form an action committee under the SEMA umbrella, in an effort to use SEMA’s clout as protection against
emissions, noise and other potential restrictions. I think it’s better to work together in a bigger group for the benefit of all and I support the group’s efforts.
As to what’s valuable and what’s not, consider today’s collectors of 60′s-era Hondas, for example. Over-produced junk to some, gold to others. Who knows what will be considered “valuable” 40 years from now. Look at all the military bikes dumped overseas after WWII!
This is just the kind of thing you would expect from D.C., and if we can’t talk politics here than where can we? No apology necessary Samuel. I only wish more people would voice their opionion. Maybe a few more rocks would be overturned and people would start seeing the truth.
There’s a lyric in an old song that goes “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
As long as the writers keep it clean we can talk about anything. Certain foul language is the only thing that we’ll edit in the comments.
So what can I not say Sam? lol
That would be a short list of four letter words. We’re not prudes, but we’re not an adults only site either.