Note to Michigan Dems: Cash-for-Clunkers Still Contradicts New Federal Mileage Standards « The Washington Independent
Jul 31, 20205.3K Shares671.5K Views
Yesterday, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced an amendment ostensibly aimed at getting gas guzzlers off the streets in favor of more fuel efficient vehicles. As Aaron pointed outearlier this week, it really isn’t designed to do that at all, instead offering thousands of dollars to car buyers if they pluck large and otherwise unwanted vehicles off of America’s bursting lots.
Indeed, under the proposal someone who turns in a vehicle getting 18 miles per gallon could be eligible for a $3,500 credit on a car getting 22 mpg. The credit would jump to $4,500 if the newly purchased car gets at least 28 mpg.
Three questions spring immediately to mind: (1) Why is this program encouraging sales of cars so far below even this year’s average efficiency standard of 27.5 mpg? (2) How is this program going to meld with last month’s White House announcementthat, in the name of cutting emissions, new cars must get fleet-wide averages of 39 mpg by 2016? And (3) why are Michigan Democrats still pretendingthis is an environmental effort?
Answer quickly. The Senate could vote on the amendment as early as this evening.
Hajra Shannon
Reviewer
Latest Articles
Popular Articles