One small part of my perfect world (actually my perfect country, but hey, we Americans think of this country as being the world) would be to make an automobile an entitlement to all citizens "in good standing". This free car would be available to people starting at age 18. The government would pay for this via a slight increase in taxes, which if the cars were contracted for 5 grand the increase would be 100 smackers per month... a very reasonable sum. Uncle Sam should make a deal with only American based companies to manufacture these cars.
These cars would be replaced every 5 years, again for free. The Gov. could and should place certain requirements on the automakers which should include but not be limited to: total cost $5,000 big buckaroonies. Cars must get 50 MPG. Cars must seat 4 adults, or 2 adults and X amount of cargo (i.e. groceries). Cars must meet strict safety and pollution standards. Cars must have a minimum top speed of 75 MPH. Cars would have a security system to prevent theft. Cars would be turned in every 5 years for a new one etc, etc.
Automakers could still make more expensive cars available and I'm sure people would still buy them. Those qualified but deciding not to buy the Eco car would not have their taxes increased. These cars could not be sold by their owners, but would have to be turned in to the dealer for recycling when the five years are up. They would also receive free factory repairs for any mechanical problems (does not include accidents or abuse). There should also be a stipulation that any manufacturer's car that has too many problems (perhaps more than 1%) could not participate in the program.
This would create a lot of jobs and make NEW cars available to a great many people who couldn't otherwise afford it.
Lastly, these cars could be designed to be part of a future mass personal transit system. More on that another time. Do it for the PEOPLE!!!!
2 comments:
I think that government regulated policies and programs do have a place in the world and certainly could be LOTS better. But I'm concerned that too many Americans feel that they are entitled to things for free. What ever happened to earning your own way? I think you raise some good points, I just get concerned when I think about involving the government more than we need to. Sometimes I think that people spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to get as much as they can for as little as possible. This may be a blog for another time, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this so-called victim mentality that seems to be taking over the country is a near epidemic.
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