Saturday, August 01, 2009

Government Program

It is a familiar cliche. One asks what the government does well and the response is inevitably that there are no efficient government programs. The worst news you can hear when you wish to do something is that it requires a license, a permit or a government inspection and approval. That means you will be delayed, inconvenienced and thwarted without remorse or concern by a government bureaucrat who can't read the unplain English of a convoluted meaningless regulation.

That makes it all the more unbelievable as we watch the national meltdown of the US into a welfare-dependent nanny state. People clamor for more government programs. We want Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi in charge of our lives apparently. These are folks I wouldn't want over for dinner or a beer in the back yard.

The "Cash For Clunkers" program is filling the news. It's on and it's off, it's good and it's broke, it's nonsense or it's logical. Bottom line is that it is a government program, so we should know how it works out.

From no less a lib-source than the NYT blog site:

Money Give-Away Confounds and Destroys

What amazes me is how they managed to generate a 130 page government regulation on this program in the short time since it was unveiled.

What amazes me is how they determined the fuel economy numbers that qualify or fail.

What amazes me is how they know so much about how to destroy an engine.

What amazes me is why they can't salvage parts to allow poor people to repair otherwise functional vehicles thereby keeping transportation to work and allowing them to save and build their lives.

What amazes me is why the crushed cars are supposedly being sold to China rather than being recycled in US products.

I'm amazed.

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