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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    Candice Miller offers YOU 5 Gs to help kick the foreign oil habit


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 07:25:12 AM EST
    Tags: stimulus, Candice Miller, Congress, spending, foreign oil (all tags)

    "You're so ugly your mom has to tie a steak around your neck to get the dog to play with you!"  Ah, sweet memories of many pre-beating moments on the playground in elementary school.  Children can be so cruel.  Congress, too.  The only difference, I don't thiiiiink DeAngelo Bailey ever robbed the other kids parents to give Slim five grand after the beating.  (Yes, that's a semi-obscure hip-hop reference, but Eminem is from the D so I figure I'm entitled.)

    The Detroit News reports this morning that a new stimulus bill was introduced yesterday in DC by Macomb County's own Candice Miller, this one designed to give every man, woman and 16 year old in America anywhere from $5,000 to $7,500 in free cash if they'll buy a new car and provide a gas-guzzling trade-in.  

    The bill proposes giving consumers vouchers to buy new, more fuel-efficient vehicles in exchange for turning in vehicles at least eight years old. The program is dubbed the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save bill, or CARS Act.

    Quick aside... that right there is a piece of fine acronyming.  CARS.  Get it?  Sorry... back to your regularly scheduled clip...

    ...60 percent of vehicles in the United States are old enough to qualify. The bill would award higher vouchers for vehicles assembled in North America -- up to $5,000 -- versus up to $4,000 vouchers for vehicles assembled outside North America, and would not apply at all to vehicles made outside North America. The proposal was endorsed Tuesday by Detroit's Big Three automakers and the United Auto Workers.

    Ah, winners and losers and the government that picks them.  But that's a minor complaint, or is it?  If you're one of those squishy economics students who believes a little government stimulus can go a long ways this might not be such a bad idea.  If you'd rather the government stay the heck out of the market no matter the conditions then this will have you seeing red (or green, if you want to take advantage of the program when no one's looking).

    If you're Congress and you're spending money like its free then I'll go ahead and say this qualifies as one of your better cash-burning ideas, at least from where I sit here in the state that put the world on wheels.  It's a stimulus that actually lands in consumers pockets (as opposed to the Obama administration's hundreds of millions in bonuses for AIG executives), that helps the Big 3, Michigan companies, but isn't a straight give-away and maybe most importantly, it will directly and could substantially decrease our dependence on terrorist states for fuel.

    Call it the national security stimulus plan.  Or call it another example of an out-of-touch federal government spending like drunken sailors.  But call it something.  What do YOU think?

    < AIG Bonuses Expose Hypocrisy and Incompetence All Around | Wednesday in the Sphere: March 18 >


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    A free market response.... (none / 0) (#1)
    by rdww on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 09:33:48 AM EST
    The day after passage of such legislation, the eyes of the Big Three automaker's CEOs light up as they increase the sticker prices on all "fuel efficient models assembled in the US" by $4,999 dollars.

    Time for a new car (none / 0) (#2)
    by Shell on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 09:47:29 AM EST
    My trusty 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan has served me extremely well.  It's getting high in mileage and has never left me stranded...and it's got a Mitsubishi engine.

    Now the time has come for me to get a vehicle and I'm at a loss.  What the heck do I buy?  If I get anything other than a GM vehcile I feel like a traitor -- my father and both grandfathers are/were GM retirees.  My dad draws a GM pension and health care benefits.  But will GM be around in a year to service the vehicle and provide replacement parts?   Same thing applies to Chrysler and, to a lesser extent, Ford.

    I'm looking at the Ford Edge, the Honda CRV, Saturn VUE and the Nissan Rogue.  I love the Edge but it's expensive and the MPG isn't great.  I'm going to test drive them all before I make a decision, but #1 on my list is comfort and reliability.

    This credit or rebate is interesting but the devil is in the details.  Are they going to put an income restriction on it?  Add MPG demands and screwy rules that exclude all but the tiniest, family-hostile v ehicles?

    Sign me stumped.  And needing a new vehicle.

    Shell,
    The Conservatrarian

    What do I think? (none / 0) (#3)
    by KG One on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 09:57:17 AM EST
    For one, Sen. Brown ripped of Rep. Miller's redistributionist of wealth proposal last week.

    It never ceases to amaze me when politicians can spend my money better that I can.

    Sadly, I'm becoming less amazed when I read about the fact that more Republicans are adopting this philosophy.

    Seriously, what is it about politicians? Is it the rarified atmosphere in Washington and Lansing?

    Someone spike the water supply?

    Were they replaced with life-like replicants in the dead of night?

    Do they have that way cool brain slug from Ceti Alpha 5 wrapped around their brain making them susceptible to suggestion?

    Why are Republicans abandoning their principles so quickly?

    You would think that they learned their lessons from '08?

    Thanks (none / 0) (#5)
    by Shell on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 10:09:35 AM EST
    I was juggling an extended case of burnout, but I WILL be at the Capitol Tea Party on April 15th!

    Shell,
    The Conservatrarian

    First Things First (none / 0) (#6)
    by The Wizard of Laws on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 10:20:26 AM EST
    Before we start deciding what kind of cars Americans should buy, we should first get our manufacturers stabilized.  

    The notion that auto use is responsible for our dependency on foreign oil seems strained at this point, given that (a) mileage standards have been in place and increasing for some time, and (b) our American companies have lost market share to foreign manufacturers of (presumably) more fuel-efficient vehicles.

    So, can we please stop pretending that everything we do must somehow (whether true or not) lessen our dependence on foreign oil?  If we're going to address our dependence on foreign oil, then do that, by drilling and through nuclear and by building more coal-fired plants.  But, if we're going to give vouchers to buy new cars, give vouchers to buy American new cars without any restrictions.  Period.  

    Candice Miller (none / 0) (#7)
    by MichWolverine on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 11:08:25 AM EST
    Candy Miller is apparently just another Republican who is not a true Conservative.

    Perhaps she needs to rethink her plans to run for Governor.


    Let me get this straight (none / 0) (#9)
    by mccarthy on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 02:13:29 PM EST
    So the Congress passes a CAFE bill, that I believe Candice Miller voted against, that put a huge unfunded mandate on the auto industry to sell more fuel efficient vehicles and then Candice Miller supports a proposal that will provide an incentive to help the struggling industry comply and she is the bad guy?

    I just joined this board and I am trying to figure out if you guys are actually from Michigan.

    Intervention (none / 0) (#10)
    by Rougman on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 03:10:47 PM EST
    What we need is more government intervention.  What could possibly go wrong with that?

    Nice stimulus package! (none / 0) (#12)
    by Eric T on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 04:51:34 PM EST
    I think Candice Miller did a pretty good job with this.

    Michigan's unemployment rate is just downright embarrassing, and who can blame her for wanting to help get folks working again.

      Even though she may be compromising on a few fundamentalist conservative principles. Your gonna get alot more bang for the buck with this vs. giving 170 billion to AIG or some bank that is going to take your bail-out tax money, then turn around and charge you tons of interest on credit cards and mortgage interest.

    Candice Millers plan will have a real TRICKLE DOWN effect, that will stimulate the many different industries involved in building cars.
    Steel, Chemical Plants, tires, glass, and hundreds of parts suppliers, railroads, trucking companies, ect... many more people will benefit, from this.

    This is a much better plan than "cap and trade."

    When you think of all your tax money that is sent across the world to be spent on foreign aid, the U.N, and all kinds of programs that don't provide any value to you at all, then compare it with Candice Miller, cutting you a good deal on a new car. Which one would you rather have?

    • Simple by jgillmanjr, 03/19/2009 12:04:08 AM EST (none / 0)
    Miller Time (none / 0) (#14)
    by Hershblogger on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 12:41:31 AM EST
    ... is over.

    I will not vote for any politician who endorses, proposes, arranges for or countenances earmarks or pork.

    That includes Mike Rogers who has sent me an email lately about how he brought home the bacon.

    I had sent him an email urging him to take a No Earmark pledge.  Haven't heard back on that.  

    Disgusting (none / 0) (#18)
    by thejmfc on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 01:33:21 AM EST
    You know, someone really needs to take the "R" next to her name and slap her upside the head with it.  People like her add fuel to the belief that Republicans and Democrats are one and the same.  She's going down in the primary.

    You know, she would probably stand a much better chance running as a Democrat anyway.  I think she'd give Cherry a run for his money.  She doesn't have Granholm's strong record to run on, but I somehow think she could overcome that.

    • Wowowowowowow by Nick, 03/19/2009 06:53:25 AM EST (none / 0)
      • To clarify by thejmfc, 03/20/2009 01:52:57 PM EST (none / 0)
    Hey TheJMFC (none / 0) (#20)
    by mccarthy on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 09:53:56 AM EST
    If you feel so strongly about taking taking her on why don't you move to her district and take her out?  Like to see the reaction of the voters.

    • I'd vote for JMFC. by KG One, 03/19/2009 10:39:54 AM EST (none / 0)
    • Nah. by thejmfc, 03/20/2009 02:04:15 PM EST (none / 0)
    I wouldn't file her in with... (none / 0) (#21)
    by KG One on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 10:21:41 AM EST
    Arlen Specter category just quite yet, but I'm also not willing to give her a free-pass just because she lives in Macomb either.

    Instead of proposing to hand out vouchers, she could've(/should've) stuck to principle and snuck in a tax cut in the Omnibus pork package, kind of like that liar Chris Dodd with the AIG beneficiaries to his campaign.



    KG (none / 0) (#23)
    by mccarthy on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 10:50:45 AM EST
    you could be his campaign manager then.  Should be an interesting campaign.  When do you guys file the paperwork?

    Get on it KG (none / 0) (#25)
    by mccarthy on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 11:29:10 AM EST
    She did get 66% of the vote last in the two elections which were the worst for Republicans in decades so she clearly looks ripe for the picking.  Get your message geared up, raise the money and get the job done.

    Uh, Nick... (none / 0) (#28)
    by KG One on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 12:38:28 PM EST
    ...we're talking the 10th District here.

    Northern Macomb, St. Clair County.

    Not exactly a democratic stronghold...

    No Saturn for Me! (none / 0) (#29)
    by Shell on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 12:59:26 PM EST
    I didn't see this one in either the Ivory Tower or that other paper.  Nor did it appear in the LSJ.  

    It seems Mr. Wagoner decides that a federally set price of $4 a gallon for gas -- achieved through gas taxes -- is a an idea "worthy of consideration."

    If Mr. Wagoner feels that Americans should be punished for wanting reliable, comfortable and functional vehicles, I really don't feel I should be subsidizing his beliefs.  The Saturn Vue is no longer on my list for new vehicles.

    See, Mr. Wagoner?  One consumer has spoken with her pocketbook.  I can't do anything about the idiots in congress throwing money your way, but I can stop a little from "trickling up."

    Shell,
    The Conservatrarian

    Hey HG (none / 0) (#30)
    by mccarthy on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 04:12:55 PM EST
    such a Republican stronghold in that district that in the past three elections we have lost state legislative seats underneath it to Terry Brown (Huron County), John Espinoza (Sanilac and St. Clair County), Sarah Roberts (Macomb County) and Jennifer Haase (Macomb and St. Clair County).  But you seem to be the expert on the politics of that area, more so than the member of Congress who got 66% of the vote in the last two elections, that you guys are certain to knock her off in the primary and retain the seat.  I bet she is shaking in her boots right now.

    Also HG (none / 0) (#31)
    by mccarthy on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 04:51:27 PM EST
    Do you think her 100% voting record with Right to Life or her 100% voting record with NRA will be taken into account by those groups and the primary voters they influence?  Just wondering.  

    A Common Sense Perspective (none / 0) (#35)
    by The Blue Diamond on Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 01:55:25 PM EST
    Looking at this from a common sense perspective, I think that those of us who don't want to buy a new car (for whatever reason) should be able to get a $7,500 check and keep repairing our existing cars with that money. I also don't think legislators should be telling us what kind of cars to buy. I really like the car I have now! So hey, when can I expect my rebate check?

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