OpenGov - Open Government Brainstorm

There should be something done with the immediate devaluation of any vehicle driven off a car dealership lot too. As soon as you sign papers and drive off, the car is devalued 50%. Seems ridiculous to pay 30 thousand dollars for something that only has market value of 15 thousand dollars.

You mean, make ALL of us -- including people who JUST BOUGHT a new, more efficient car -- pay for someone ELSE to go buy one, too, but at a discount?

No thanks.

If you bought an SUV, you should have known that the price of gas could go up -- I KNEW THAT -- and would put you out a few bucks. Please don't ask that I pay for your decision. And it probably was a good one -- more safety, more space, etc. But it was YOUR decision.

I don't own an SUV. I don't own a car at all, for environmental reasons. I use public transportation. So SUVs are NOT my decision. AND I do believe that there should be incentives to purchase those all to expensive environmentally better vehicles. Let's get the gas guzzing, unsafe to others, SUV off the urban landscape.

How about a tax incentive for those who just purchased? Plus the right to use carpool lanes, as we once had in California (but was recently revoked)?

Sometimes we have to think about the greater good of the ALL and stop being selfish.

Except that your "stop being selfish" means extorting money through government to give to someone else. I'm all for making people pay for the consequences of their actions, not for bailing out people who made bad decisions.

Perhaps we agree on this, but just don't agree on how to go about it.

I'd say let the market decide what's efficient and smart. Supply and demand is a law that Congress might TRY to invalidate, but I don't think they'll find much success.

It is so unfortunate that so many families need a larger vehicle to meet their needs. That is why this program will be such a benefit to all. It will force the auto industry to build a large capacity vehicle that meets the needs of a larger family with the fuel standards that will not break their family budget. It will make every citizen think about what their vehicle needs truely are before their purchase, and will get the vehicles off the road for good that is gas guzzling. I'm all for saving our auto industries, the planet, and getting the gas guzzlers off the road.

I do think that part of the solution is for the people to rethink their priorities. How many of us buy because of how something is marketed to us? Do we really buy because we need, or believe we need, say the SUV?

Working in marketing for the bulk of my many professional years, I've learned that very few people with capability to purchase any thing, do so out of practicality. Most purchase decisions are emotional. Hence my Selfishness remark.

This comes to me via the observations of a consumerist society.

Does the family with many members NEED the SUV or do they need a stationwagon or mini van instead. Does keeping up with the Smiths, Chois, Garcias, etc. mean more, i.e., keeping up appearances, hold more validity than function and service? I tend to say so.

Therefore, it is selfish in most instances for the larger hipper, trendier, more macho, SUV.

I believe that the auto manufactures can produce better vehicles, for less, that are environmentally wise, and are affordable for all.

It can be done. But WE have to change our heads, our thinking about what is really important. To that end, yes, perhaps market does drive this.

Europe also required that the old car be destroyed, so that it did not go back into the system. If such a grant is provided, it should allow anyone (Rich or Poor) you to buy any kind of modern car from any manufacture. Germany did that and it drove sales through the roof. It would probably cost us less in the end then Billions for GM.