People are concerned about pollution. It is a legitimate concern. I was raised in Southern California before it became the People’s Repulik. I can remember what the smog used to be like. We used to drive through the San Fernando Valley and I never realized it had hills on both sides. Things have really improved. I understand that many lakes and rivers are also coming back to a healthy condition. But many of the solutions are more political than environmental. The solutions are not always best for the poor of the nation. All they do is limit our liberty and allow the Control Freaks of the Elites to feel good about themselves.
One “solution” has been to get the old cars off the road. How do they take old cars off the road? A recent attempt has been the Federal program called “Cash for Clunkers.” People were given a check to help them buy a new car. Let’s assume for a moment that this program did remove a lot of old cars from the road. It was “successful,” whether you think that is good or not. The plan was that the cars traded in would go to the wrecking yard as scrap. They would be crushed and shipped to whatever country is now reclaiming metals from scrap. There would be fewer old cars on the road. Yay!
Now let’s look at the economics of a free market. When the government takes your tax money to help wealthy people buy cars they could buy on their own if they really wanted them, they also take the old cars out of the loop. That means there are fewer used cars on the market to be bought by the less affluent. I am one of those. I have never bought a new car. Rarely have I even gone to a car lot to buy my used cars. I usually buy them from people who park their old car in front of their house with a “For Sale” sign in the window. It works for me. Or it used to. Since Cash for Clunkers there are fewer old, cheap cars available to buy. This reduction in supply means an increase in demand. This raises the cost.
So the well meaning Control Freaks of the Elites end up limiting my mobility and thus my freedom while they increase the cost of living. They are rich enough it doesn’t hurt. I am not.
To be continued...
homo unius libri
Haven't bought a new car in forty years. New regulations concerning cars older than ten years are making it extremely difficult to own an old car here.
ReplyDeleteWe just ran into that too. We spent about $1,000 and our old car still would not pass the smog check. It ran fine. We had to dump it. When people end up walking they will probably blame the car companies, not the government.
DeleteWe are sheep, if the sheep will excuse the comparison.
Grace and peace/
You said it right.
ReplyDeleteI used to just fear for my children's future. I am beginning to wonder if things will fall apart soon enough for me to enjoy it, too.
DeleteGrace and peace.