Vote now, vote often, the bastards are at it again

The damned politicians are sticking their noses in our E36 M3 again.

This pisses me off royally, try managing the damned businesses instead of taking away out favorites.

I received this email from Summit Racing today.

Steve

Add news@summitracing.com to your Safe Sender list to ensure delivery of Summit Racing email. Unsubscribe here if you no longer wish to receive email from us.

Important News from SEMA

Dear Fellow Enthusiast,

As a SEMA Member Company, we have received an Urgent Legislative Action Alert from the association. You may be interested in this legislative alert and the possible impact it will have on your hobby.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is a non-profit trade association composed of more than 6,800 member companies involved in all aspects of the automotive industry, from manufacturers to car clubs and race teams.

The SEMA Action Network (SAN) protects your hobby from unfair or unnecessary legislation on national and local levels. Through distribution of information and the collective voice of automotive enthusiasts and businesses, the SEMA Action Network has successfully impacted legislation concerning scrappage laws, equipment standards, registration classifications, emissions regulations, and more.

The following information is directly from SEMA. If you would like to contact the lawmaker, follow the instructions in the alert.

Thank you for your time, Your Friends at Summit Racing Equipment

Oppose Federal

Washington lawmakers are drafting a large economic stimulus package to help create jobs and rebuild infrastructure. They want to include a nationwide scrappage program which would give U.S. tax dollars to consumers who turn-in older cars to have them crushed, as a misguided attempt to spur new car sales. The lawmakers need to scrap this idea.

The stimulus package is being drafted right now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wants to introduce the bill on January 6 and have it approved by Congress by January 20, so that President Obama can sign it into law after he is inaugurated.

Contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi IMMEDIATELY To Oppose Cash for Clunkers! Call: 202-225-0100 Click here to send an electronic message: http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

Talking Points Feel free to use any of the statements below as a starting point for your message to Speaker Pelosi.

• I am [calling/writing] to urge lawmakers not to include a “Cash for Clunkers” provision in the economic stimulus bill. Owners who turn in vehicles for crushing would receive a "minimal" payment to purchase a new car. This is a misguided attempt to spur car sales and claim that the country’s air quality or fleet fuel mileage is being improved.

• I work for [company name] located in [city and state]. My company is part of the specialty automotive industry, an industry which enables consumers to enhance their vehicle’s appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and safety. “Cash for Clunkers” programs deny our small businesses the availability of older cars necessary to develop and market their products and services. The programs will hurt my company and our customers.

• “Cash for Clunkers” programs threaten enthusiasts nationwide with the loss of valuable parts and parts-cars for repair, restoration, and customization projects. The programs also risk destroying classic, historic and special-interest vehicles, our American heritage.

• Cars turned in for scrappage often barely run, or are rarely-driven second or third vehicles that have a minimal impact on overall fuel economy or emissions.

• “Cash for Clunkers” programs will reduce the availability of affordable transportation and repair parts used by low-income drivers. It will also compete with the Salvation Army, the Purple Heart and other charities that rely on vehicle donations to raise money.

• “Cash for Clunkers” ignores better policy options. If Congress wants to act, support for repair and upgrade is a better choice and a win-win for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and repair shops. Significant emissions and fuel economy improvements can be achieved in older vehicles through relatively simple and inexpensive means: repaired/replaced exhaust systems, tune-ups, etc.

• We hope we can count on you to reject “Cash for Clunkers.” Thank you for your consideration on this very important matter.

If you choose to send a message to Speaker Pelosi, please send a copy of your message to SEMA also: E-mail: briand@sema.org Fax: 202/783-6024

Wow, our old pal Nancy Pelosi is at it again. She is the one that slapped the big 3s wrists for flying to Washington on private jets when she herself has a private jet (paid for by the American tax payers) to fly back and forth from Washington to California. So getting a few hundred dollars (just a guess/estimate) for an old clunker will be a big incentive for people to go out and buy a brand new $25K car?

funny, I am on SEMA's email list and I don't recall seeing an email of that sort at all.

internetautomart wrote: funny, I am on SEMA's email list and I don't recall seeing an email of that sort at all.

I got it in our car club's e-mail account yesterday. Are you on the the SAN (SEMA Action Network) mailing list?

-Rob

There are some vehicles out there that shouldn't be "saved" I can think of a 1/2 dozen that deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth, and no-one would miss them...

canzus wrote: There are some vehicles out there that shouldn't be "saved" I can think of a 1/2 dozen that deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth, and no-one would miss them...

That's true, I'd buy up 100 dollar junkers and start turning a profit (nothing rare or cool of course)

I don't mind people selling their old cars to a junkyard, but i do feel offended that I'm having to pay for them.

Plus, I need more BABE cars

I just got this e-mail as well. Mods may delete my other post...

My comment: I don't see how this would possibly be a benefit except as a car-removal program for the anti-working class D-ouchebags who want to regulate our lives.

The man wants my car here in Californina. They offered me $650 for it. Then to keep it they make you smog the thing which is a real pain. I dislike Pelosi very much.

In San Diego they had roving smog patrols which would test older model cars for smog compliance.

My pops tells me they want to turn my car into german beer drinking mugs.

You can't buy a new car for $650. You can't even buy a car that's in as good a condition as your current one for $650. However, if you sell your car, you will lose your personal mobility, which is the prime way for lower-class people get get jobs and better their lives.

They cannot control you if you're independent. They hate the fact that you are free to roam wherever, whenever. That cannot be regulated and certain types live to regulate. (A lot of them are in California - so move out!)

I say - look how well public transportation worked in New Orleans... all the people that relied on it were SCREWED.

Maybe we can find a technology that runs on bullE36 M3, and Ms. Pelosi can fuel America personally

Writing/calling Pelosi is a waste of time. She's a socialist/communist and doesn't give a crap what We The People think.

Instead, write to your congressperson. That is your only avenue of attack. Convince them that this is not a good start to the New World Power gaining our support, by punishing the poor people who can't afford to get a better car, because the people they are targeting drive clunkers because they can't afford a better car, even with a govt check.

Politicians are idiots. If you don't vote out incumbents every election, you're just contributing to the problem.

The State of Texas started a similar program last year. You car has to fail an emissions inspection and you have to make less than 30K a year to qualify for at $3,000 subsidy on a down payment on a new or nearly new car from a dealer. Another government program to encourage poor people to take on more debt than they can afford for the benefit of car dealers and the finance industry. It wasn't a popular program. The prospect of a $500 a month car payment for people who are afraid of losing their jobs is a huge deterrent.

It's just like all of the proposals to attempt to prop up housing prices. They are trying to keep supporting the old system of excessive debt and consumption instead of allowing prices to drop in relation to income and encouraging people to live within their means,

I agree.

With people being laid off by the thousands, what sensible person wants to go out and get into $25K of debt for a depreciating asset. It simply doesn't make sense unless you an afford one, in which case you most likely don't drive a car that qualifies.

just building up my post count.....ooops

The country of Italy did this several years back, in an attempt to get people to buy new cars and get the economy rolling a little. Many historical and collector cars were destroyed in the process, so a few new cars could be sold. If the whole point of this program is to stimulate the economy by buying new cars, then just give the break right there, directly.

wherethefmi2000 wrote:

canzus wrote: There are some vehicles out there that shouldn't be "saved" I can think of a 1/2 dozen that deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth, and no-one would miss them...

That's true, I'd buy up 100 dollar junkers and start turning a profit (nothing rare or cool of course)

Methinks, however, that they have to be registered and running/inspected...

If I'm not mistaken, Sweden does something like this with a scrap fee built into the new car purchase price...?

aussiesmg wrote: I agree. With people being laid off by the thousands, what sensible person wants to go out and get into $25K of debt for a depreciating asset. It simply doesn't make sense unless you an afford one, in which case you most likely don't drive a car that qualifies.

That's the reason why car sales are down to begin with. People are starting to save now for unemployment or retirement instead of buying a new car every three years. It may be bad for Detroit. It may be bad for Car Dealers. It may be bad for banks and finance companies, but in the long run it will be good for the country. What is wrong with that?

Less debt = Less stress

Like Bush said...

Spend! Spend! Spend!

The plan will never work. You guys are right in that poor folks, those with any sense, will not sell a car they own outright to go into debt for a car they may not be able to make the payments on and subsequently risk losing. It shows, again, how out of touch the rich people are who run our government. To them, $1k is a shopping spree. To anyone else working for a living is a significant chunk of change.

I'm with the saving guys. Money in the bank is better than depreciating objects in the driveway.

But our current gov't is all for benefiting the corporations and banks. As proven by their advice to consumers as well as the Welfare meted out to their pet corporate and banking industries. Why not distribute 750,000,000,000 dollars to the citizenry? We would've spent it most likely! Giving it to the banks has proven to be a boondoogle as the banks are still not loaning that cash.

So yeah, go sell older cars to put more money in the bank's account so they can invest it overseas or just sit on the profits while you struggle to make ends meet.

bad plan, again...

Think about the huge chunk of money that state & local gov'ts would make, taxing $25k cars instead of clunkers! Here in GA we have sales tax (6-9%) PLUS an annual "luxury tax" on cars.

And the insurance companies make way more too, insuring a $25k car with liability, comp and collision as opposed to a policy for liability only on a clunker!

I'm sure Pelosi gets nice kickbacks from insurance companies..........

Rob_Mopar wrote:

internetautomart wrote: funny, I am on SEMA's email list and I don't recall seeing an email of that sort at all.

I got it in our car club's e-mail account yesterday. Are you on the the SAN (SEMA Action Network) mailing list? -Rob

dunno, I just get the email from them once a month or so.

What a bitch! I signed!

This really pisses me off the people in charge are real douchebags; I vote none of the above.

And you all just voted in a "president" that will rubber stamp all this leftist, liberal, socialist, communist crap to be dredged up by Pelosi, Reed, Frank and Soros. Welcome COMRADES to your "change", just like the change that came to Cuba in 1959.