Gas for clunkers a.k.a. “cash for clunkers” would tease owners of lower gas mileage vehicles into upgrading their gas mileage by offering up to $4,500 in the form of a voucher to buy a more fuel efficient vehicle.

First of all, I’m not a fan of any of this government spending, involvement, stimulas, or whatever you want to call it. The fact is that government is vastly wasteful and inefficient in anything they run or oversee… infinetly more wasteful with money and resources than a car that gets a bit lower gas mileage.

Just like anything it seems these days… someone comes up with a touchy-feely environmentally friendly high level idea and the next thing you know it becomes law based on a very little holistic view of the what the details should be.

But political thinking aside, this “gas for clunkers” voucher program is not something that most consumers should or I believe will take advantage of (at least to the point of stimulating the auto industry).

This voucher for potentially $4,500 gas for clunkers thing is not going to help most consumers out of their current “gas guzzler”. In fact, for the vast majority of those who take the plunge, they will, in reality, only be increasing their car payments and adding more debt to their lives.

At $1 billion dollars the gas for clunkers tax payer price tag is down from earlier versions that touted a tag of $4 billion.

Regardless, the cash for clunkers / gas for clunkers program at best will be a very mild stimulas to the auto industry at a cost to the taxpayers and potential buyers that is hardly equitable.