Extra Extra

damn it! i only got $1500 for the trade-in of my 1993 car today. had i waited another few months....GRR!!

to those complaining about "low income," the article says it is for families UP TO $61K...the median individual incoome in austin is like $33K, so that times two equals $66K, so 61 is below average. but it also means people who make $12K can get it. what's the problem. Some people could buy like a new chevy cavalier or ford focus for 9K, after a $3000 handout, with no other money down, they could probably get a monthly payment of like $150. sounds good to me.

I mean, I know I do pollute just by existing but if the government has so much money to spend on people, they need to raise the minimum wage.

I know the world isn't fair but when someone making $40,000 more than me a year is going to get $3,000 because they own a car when I get jack shit for not owning a car and not poluting at all, I just get an itch to go out and hurt someone.

How about giving them $3500 to help them move near a bus stop?

Glad to see that ASF has a new director.

Yeah, that plan seems sketchy. I don't see how someone making $61,000 a year qualifies as low income. If they do, then I need a buttload of handouts. I think that plan was just launched to help out some rep's mistress who had a car from the mid 90s.

the DMN has a few more details: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-salvage_09bus.ART0.State.Edition2.42d4519.html. it does appear that you could just buy a really crappy pre-1996 vehicle for 500 bucks and end up getting a $3500 credit for your troubles.

however, i wonder if this program isn't just going to get people in debt. someone making $50k/year would probably be fine, but i don't know that truly low-income families really need to be taking out tons of $20k auto loans. still, somehow i suspect that might end up happening.

also, god forbid we use part of this project's budget for public transport or anything. sort of suggests the whole thing has more to do with increasing business for auto dealers than reducing pollution. sigh.

here's the bill text (not sure how current): http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/SB00012F.htm.

How about people that make way less than $61,000 and can't afford a car in the first place? Can we get vouchers too?