Congress is considering a proposal called “cash for clunkers”. This proposal will pay people to get rid of their old fuel in-efficient cars and buy vehicles that get better gas mileage or use vouchers to ride public transportation. Senator Dianne Feinstein said the bill “would be an important part of helping get America’s struggling automobile industry back on its feet, and help consumers who are concerned about covering the cost of buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle.”

The program could run for 4 years, and it is hoped that it will retire a million older cars per year! This could save between 40,000 and 80,000 barrels of motor fuel a day by the end of the last year.

The program makes good sense to me, and I see benefit all around. What a boost for the automobile industry – to encourage people to buy cars in this struggling economy! This will help save the industry, and thus jobs for countless people.

In addition, by encouraging people to trade in their older cars for models that get better gas mileage, people will not only benefit from the initial rebate but also will benefit from the savings on gas mileage over the years. Finally, we’ll all benefit from a cleaner environment using less motor fuel.

What’s the downside to this proposal? I, for one, can’t think of any…..

Josh, high school senior