Is the Canadian Government trying to bride citizens with their own money to stimulate a weakening economy? In reading the article below titled : Feds to spend $90M on scrapping clunker cars posted Tue. Apr. 1 2008 5:23 PM ET by The Canadian Press it seems to me that this has nothing to do with emissions and everything to do with increasing new car sales.
OTTAWA -- The federal government has quietly given the green light to a national program offering drivers incentives get older, polluting vehicles off the roads. Environment Canada's annual planning report, released this week, earmarks $90 million over the next three years for a so-called vehicle "scrappage'' program.
The department has mulled the prospect of starting a national program since last year's budget set aside federal money for two years' worth of scrapping initiatives. But aside from yearly spending estimates, the planning report yields few details about the new program. It's not known, for instance, how the national program will work with the patchwork of regional scrapping groups that now receive federal funding.
Seven groups across the country get money from Ottawa to offer incentives -- ranging from rebates on new vehicles to free transit passes and charitable receipts -- in exchange for older vehicles. The groups then turn the rusty clunkers over to scrap yards, which crush and recycle them according to provincial guidelines. At least three of these groups say Environment Canada hasn't told them how -- or if -- they figure into the government's plans. "We're just waiting for the announcement,'' said Margaret Bernhardt-Lowdon, director of health initiatives for the Manitoba Lung Association, which runs a Winnipeg-based scrapping program called Bye Bye Beaters. "I'm kind of in the dark ... I'm certainly looking forward to hearing what they have to say, though.''Bye Bye Beaters, Halifax-based Steer Clean and the national Car Heaven program say they were unaware the department had set aside money for the federal scrapping program. "That sounds great, but to whom, and where, and why, and what?'' said Car Heaven's program manager, Fatima Dharsee, referring to the new program.
The department passed queries to Environment Minister John Baird's office, which offered no details about the national program. "We remain committed to implementing an effective vehicle scrappage program. When we have something to announce, we will announce it,'' Baird spokesman Eric Richer wrote in an e-mail. Environment Canada consulted with environmental groups, regional scrapping organizations and other stakeholders last year to explore the possibility of starting a national program. "All I know is they want to have one program available to all Canadians. Something very big and accessible,'' Dharsee said. The department e-mailed the regional outfits in January letting them know Baird was poised to announce the program. "We anticipate that minister Baird will make an announcement about the new program within the next few weeks,'' said the Jan. 21, 2008 e-mail, obtained by The Canadian Press. But more than two months later the department has yet to make that announcement.
The government estimates five million vehicles from 1995 or earlier -- predating today's tougher emissions standards -- were on the roads last year.These older vehicles make up just a fraction of the estimated 18 million vehicles in Canada, but they account for up to two-thirds of the pollution that causes smog.
Yes I agree; emissions should be reduced regardless of whether the global warming issue is valid or not. But why does it always come at a cost to the citizens not the industrial business sector and why does it always fall in the laps of the consumers? If the Canadian government was a responsible governing body then they should have developed a plan for this when air quality started to fall. Would it have been too much to ask that the entire country implemented carbon emissions for all vehicles at that point? Perhaps then, we would not be facing this issue now. Instead of bribing Canadians to junk their cars wouldn't it have been a good idea to have used the money earned from emission testing as grants to car manufacturers for the advancement of technology to develop affordable parts and methods to keep older cars running clean. People could then update older vehicles and keep them running in an environmentally friendly way.
The plan devised by the Canadian Government may sound wonderful but once it is implemented they'll change the rules just as they do with everything else and before you know it they will make it MANDATORY to scrap all older vehicles. This is what most people do not realize - so for those that think it is a great plan and want to help the environment here are some things to think about before you support this plan.
People who can afford a new car sometimes forget about how decisions like this impact those that can't. As stated in the article 5 million cars are older vehicles - that means 5 million families may be without a vehicle because you did nothing to stop it. I am sure you know someone who drives an older car and is not able to afford new car payments - are you willing to drive them to work, their kids to school, to soccer, church and to the grocery store? If not, seriously consider not supporting this plan because it will become mandatory shortly after. Why - because the Canadian economy much like the US economy is in financial trouble.
Take the bus you say? Why should they have to take public transit when they worked hard to make their car payments and high interest rates to pay off their vehicle. Isn't that the idea to own a car outright? If not, maybe everyone should just rent cars! A car is suppose to be an asset but how can it be an asset if you keep flipping it every few years only to enter into a never ending payment? You don't own it then, the banks do and you never will . The continuous process of trading in to buy new only enslaves you to the masters who are getting rich. So while pseudo governments and capitalists profit from your decisions you struggle to get ahead.
The mainstream media is busy keeping everyone in a state of confusion about a recession. One day it states that we are facing a recession and the next it spells a tale that everything will be okay as long as you keep spending. Fact of the matter is... Canada is far from being safe. We are already starting to feel the impact of a recession that will most likely end in a depression. What many Canadian fail to notice or understand is how the NAFTA deal is affecting Canadians. Bottom line is we are the USA now - Canada as you know is no longer. Whatever economic difficulties the United States has - we have. I won't get into that too much - if you would like to research it for yourselves please visit Global Research who is dedicated to exposing the truth: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=region®ionId=2
Bribing you with your own money to get into something more expensive and beyond your means is a dirty tactic. By dumping your car that is already paid for and hopping into a new car you will most likely need to buy on credit. Hmmm... so by helping the so called emissions you are adding to the credit bubble and aiding in the downfall of the economy. But doesn't spending stimulate the economy? No, not if it is on credit. By purchasing on credit you are stimulating the pockets of capitalists who prey on you. It does nothing for the economy but bring it further down. They get rich while driving you and your country into the poorhouse. The more you spend on credit; the more money the Federal Reserve has to issue which weakens the dollar and just keeps adding to the credit bubble. If people keep buying on credit the problem can and never will be corrected. It is time to start living within our means and start owning our assets. Don't work your butt off for someone else because if we do hit hard economic times assets that have been financed are not yours to keep if you can no longer make the payments.
Failure to implement a Canada wide emissions program instead of junking good cars is cause for concern. My cars are all older and they all pass emissions with flying colors as do many of our clients. So what is the Government of Canada really saying with a plan like this - emissions testing is a fraud - it doesn't cut down emissions? If that is the case; what have Ontario citizens been paying for? It makes me wonder because it was only a year ago that the Ontario government was talking about cancelling emissions testing all together. If the Ontario Government believes global warming is valid why would they even consider stopping a program like emission's testing. Where has the profits earned by the government from emissions testing ? Certainly it didn't go to cleaning the air! This is a real concern as some provinces are considering charging all drivers a carbon tax - what is your money being used for? Is it really correcting the so called global warming problem if so how? Or is this another Y2K money making scheme conjured up by the elite. Yes there is an environmental issue just look around but is it caused by the things they would have you believe? Maybe they should stop spraying toxic chemicals of unknown origins in the air otherwise known as chem trails. Perhaps they industrial revolution needs to slow down and maybe we as citizens need to stop aiding it.
Stereotyping older cars as rust buckets or cars that are in poor mechanical condition is crap. Again all my cars are in supreme mechanical condition and the bodies are mint as are my clients with older cars. In fact as a automobile detailing centre we see the condition of cars both on the interior and exterior and have noticed that the majority of people with older cars maintain their cars better than those with new vehicles. We have seen more rust, broken parts and, mechanical problems on new cars than we have old. Go figure... older cars are made better, are easier to fix and cheaper to fix than new cars. Yes there are some cars like this on the road but in provinces that have vehicle safety laws you should see this problem. So again, why not implement a vehicle safety law across Canada. In my opinion stereotyping vehicles in this manner is just another way to make people feel they are not maintaining an image or status. By making a person feel as though they are being irresponsible for driving an older vehicle and have others look at them in this way it forces them to upgrade. This status thing is so out of whack and that is why we are in such an economic trouble today.
So if you are still thinking about buying a new car; here is one final point to consider - nanotechnology! New car parts are being made with nanotechnology, complete interiors, exteriors, glass and engine parts. Diamond Detailing Guelph's Finest Automotive Detailing Technician does not use any chemical or product that contains nanotechnology for the safety of our customers and our own protection. We feel the dangers associated with nanotechnology are so great that we now protect ourselves with the appropriate gear when working on any new car made with this technology. If you are unaware of the health dangers of nanotechnology please read my other posts: http://guelphautodetailing.blogspot.com/2007/05/nanotechnology-dangers-in-automobile.html
and if your really curious as to what other daily household, cosmetic, stationary products and cars you may be using that have nanotechnology visit: http://www.nanotechproject.org/inventories/consumer/browse/products/
I'm fully in favor of stimulating new car sales as the car industry does represent a major portion of the economy but perhaps the Canadian Car manufacturers need to tend to their pricing problem rather than the Government bribing and enslaving citizens to buy new and put themselves into further debt . Cars manufactured here and shipped to the United States are sold to the dealers at a remarkably lower price than the same vehicle being sold here. Today we are seeing rebates and so called Canadian pricing incentives but they still do not match prices of the cars being sent to the USA. Why is that? Perhaps if car dealers and consumers stop buying cars across the border we could stimulate our own economy but instead Canadian tax payers keep paying to bail corporations out of trouble? As we bail out one to stimulate the economy we end up picking up the tab in another area like the Ontario Health Care tax. When does it end? It doesn't - at least until you stop allowing your government to take away your hard earned money, your rights and your freedom ? It is time to start researching issues before you support them. Find out the real agenda's behind them, question authority, demand answers and see to it that you order the change. Don't take the word of your government because they haven't done a very good job up till now of telling you the truth. Instead they change laws under your nose and don't tell you till it's too late. Give the dog an inch he'll take a mile. What's next - maybe you should scrap your old house too so you can buy new? Just some food for thought.
