This clunker program will not help many of our low income working people or retirees who do not have the extra income to pay the monthly payments to purchase a new automobile, even though these are the same folks who now have the "TRUE" guzzlers. They cannot participate in the program because the Federal Government has not addressed their lack of personal income.
I therefore suggest that our Federal Government should therefore expand this clunker program to low income people. This could be accomplished by offering these Citizens $4,500, or perhaps just $2,500, to turn in their old automobile to any junk or salvage yard within their community, instead of paying $4,500 to a National car dealer, who is capable of paying his own expenses. In respect to this, we should also permit the poor clunker owners in this Nation to spend their rebate money any way they may choose - just as a car dealer is permitted to, after they receive their $4,500 rebate.
Why should there be any preferential treatment in regard to this public rebate program in the first place? This program should be open and made available to anyone who may now own some type of a clunker or gas guzzler.
This clunker program is also a sham, because the trade-in clunkers are only eligible from 1984, though many of our Citizens are driving older automobiles - especially those manufactured prior to 1975 - that are the "true" gas guzzlers. These cars are owned largely by the Nation's working poor or low income retirees, who cannot afford to purchase a new automobile. In essence, if the Federal Government intends to eliminate "all" the gas guzzlers, it is crucial and essential that low income people should be included in this plan.
What the American People need right now is an additional monthly income of 20% or more, so that they can participate in this economy by purchasing more products.
It is also ironic that our American People are now being told that the cost of their health care in this Nation has increased by 400%. If this is true, the Government should provide confirm that present working or retirement incomes have also increased 400%, to compensate them for this additional health expense. In fact, if the American People had sufficient income, this Nation would not even need a new health care plan, because people would have sufficient income to deal with this present health crises themselves.
