If you're a little like me and you find it incredibly interesting how we taxpayers are ripped off, you'll appreciate this humerus video about government meddling with the cash for clunkers program and Chevy Volt subsidies:
http://dailycaller.com/2012/06/13/milton-wolf-the-chevy-volt-is-a-shoc king-story/
...you'll appreciate this humerus video
The "humorous" video simply repeats all the ridiculously incorrect Volt talking points that have been swirling the drain of the internet. Here's a few of them:
Repeatedly calls Volt the "Obama-mobile". Volt was developed from 2006-08 by GM executive Bob Lutz. Where was Obama then? He wasn't president yet. Obama didn't enact Volt's tax subsidies, either - GW Bush did that in 2008. What, exactly, is Obama supposed to have done to to create the Volt?
Repeatedly attributes GM's bailout to Obama. GW Bush bailed out GM in 2008. Obama added to it in 2009. Both presidents are equally responsible.
Says Ford is outperforming GM. Not true. The two rivals are very close, but GM is edging Ford out. See link:
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/gm-vs-ford-winning-190623714.h tml
Repeats the widely discredited "$250,000 per Volt" subsidy number. A reminder that Volt was developed during the Bush administration. So when exactly did this supposed money show up? The original study also got its figure by dividing a very large number by 8,000 Volts sold. Today, closer to 30,000 Volts and Amperas have rolled out the door, so the revised figure would be more like $66,000 (if it even made sense in the first place.)
Says Volts get a $10,000 tax credit. The correct number is $7,500, and Bush, not Obama, enacted it. See link:
http://www.dailytech.com/Chevrolet+Volt+to+Receive+7500+Tax+Credit/art icle13125.htm
Also, this tax credit is not Volt specific. Why spend so much time on American EVs when we could be attacking foreign electric cars like the Leaf, MiEV, and Prius Plug-in?
Calls Volt "hot", shows cars exploding, compares to Pinto. Volt had exactly ONE fire, which smoldered for three weeks after a crash test before igniting. The Pinto actually killed people. Gas cars on average burn or explode at a 1 out of 1000 rate annually in the real world, while NO electric car battery fires AT ALL have yet occurred in consumers' hands.
No Volt has ignited out here on the real road, and it's unlikely one ever will. The NHTSA investigation concluded with no safety issue found. Volt in fact earns top 5-star safety ratings from every testing agency on earth. The insurance industry voted Volt a "Top Safety Pick". It's one of the very safest cars available.
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Yeah, I don't argue that Republicans are just as interventionist in the economy as Democrats. That's why both parties are sometimes collectively called Republocrats. Doesn't matter who is in the White house, the same crap happens. This whole voting thing is just a sham really to make people feel like there is an actual choice going on.
But I think this guy is right to mock whoever is in power for supporting crap like this with taxpayer money.
...But I think this guy is right to mock whoever is in power for supporting crap like this with taxpayer money.
You may be surprised to hear that I often agree with these sentiments, and agree that the two political parties are essentially the same.
However, anybody who tries to perform a "service" like this by filling a video with lies and half-truths does not help his cause. People eventually figure out when they are being lied to. I hang on lots of message boards where I see Volt's opinion tide turning as these untruths have been gradually exposed. Why anyone thinks untruths really help their cause puzzles me.
And, if government waste is really the issue, why the focus on electric cars? It's such a tiny part of the problem.
I often find (present company not necessarily included) that people screaming about Volt subsidies are not against government subsidies on anything else they personally use, including on other cars they drive (most foreign car plants in the US are heavily subsidized, for example.)
And even if electric car subsidies are the problem, why the laser focus on Volt? Electric cars from foreign automakers get the same tax subsidies. Often they have even taken US loans. Nissan got a $1.5 billion US loan to develop the Leaf, for example. Why the special focus on hobbling sales of US electric cars, and giving foreigners a pass?
A great example is the new Toyota plug-in hybrid. It's basically like the Volt. It has an all-electric range, then it switches to gasoline. It sells for about the same as Volt, after subsidies (yes, it qualifies for subsidies.)
But here's the kicker - its electric range is just 10 miles, compared to Volt's 38. And it can't even do full freeway speed on battery (Volt can.) Despite this shortcoming, it outsells Volt, because Volt has been painted in the press as somehow evil and dangerous.
I'll leave you with this link to Toyota's billion dollars in tax credits from the American people:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Motor_Engineering_&_Manufactur ing_North_America#Subsidies
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Yeah if you're going to cry about subsidies you should cry about the government subsidizing the manufacture of AK47s to sell to Saudi Arabia, or every other military subsidy that puts weapons in the hands of people like Juharto in Indonesia to help kill over 200k people. Or Israel's targeted assassinations with our helicopters taking out half a street of people. Not to mention the entire Israeli army is supplied through our subsidies.
It's estimated by amnesty international that worldwide government weapon sales to 3rd world countries contribute to the deaths of 500k people a year. 100% of govt arm sales are a subsidy of the arms industry/military industrial complex. Isn't it curious that people are up in arms over thousands spent on cars that could help the environment when the reality is we're currently subsidizing murder by the millions of dollars?
Oh I do cry about those subsidies too. All these subsidies are wrong.
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