pres to buy 17,600 cars

[GRAMPS SS]

got this from Yahoo so i let EVERYONE know where i got the facts from...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama, saying he was committed to a strong U.S. auto industry, announced on Thursday the government would buy 17,600 new fuel-efficient vehicles from ailing American automakers by June 1.

Obama said the vehicles, part of the U.S. government fleet, would be purchased from General Motors, Chrysler and Ford, all of which had an existing contract with the federal government's General Services Administration.

The president said the GSA would spend about $285 million in funds from the $787 billion dollar Recovery Act approved by Congress earlier this year to buy the 17,600 commercially available fuel-efficient vehicles.

"As a part of our commitment to the American auto industry, I charged my administration with using Recovery Act funds to purchase a new fleet of fuel-efficient government vehicles to increase demand for our American auto companies and stimulate the economy," Obama said in a statement announcing the decision.

"This is only a first step, but I will continue to ensure that we are working to support the American auto industry during this difficult period of restructuring," he said.

The president on March 30 directed the administration to speed up planned purchases of vehicles for the U.S. government's fleet of cars.

The announcement on Thursday includes the purchase of 2,500 hybrid sedans that will be ordered by April 15, the largest one-time purchase of hybrid vehicles for the government fleet in history, the White House said.

Swapping older federal cars for hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles will reduce gasoline consumption by 1.3 million gallons per year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 26 million pounds, the White House said.

The GSA also will spend $15 million to buy advanced technology vehicles for the government fleet, including compressed natural gas and hybrid buses as well as electric vehicles.

(Editing by Jackie Frank)

[Voodoo Chick]

Will this actually help??? It would be cool if it did, but, maybe too little to late?

[Rocket Power]

It would help my tax bill more if they just kept the cars they had longer.


LMAO at citing your source:rolf

[lordairgtar]

Fuel efficient vehicles? I think I'd laugh my ass off if the FBI rolled up in a HHR.

[Sprayaway Fox]

Then we can give them to people on welfare with 6 kids and no baby daddys....God Bless America:rolleyes:

[Rocket Power]

I'll take one of their gas guzzling Crown Vics when they buy some new Aveos, see I can do my part :headbang

[GTSLOW]

Hmm this sounds like a good idea. I just turned in my 2005 Stratus with 40k for a 2009 G6 (GSA Fleet). This would probably be one of the few first things I'd say was a smart decision on his behalf. :wooo :stare

[GTSLOW]

Then we can give them to people on welfare with 6 kids and no baby daddys....God Bless America:rolleyes:

I have no idea what the hell you are talking about. GSA fleet is for government employees i.e. recruiters, government agencies, military units that require a civilian vehicle.

[Sprayaway Fox]

I have no idea what the hell you are talking about. GSA fleet is for government employees i.e. recruiters, government agencies, military units that require a civilian vehicle.

I wonder where the cars they are going to replace are going to go?....So now where buying cars for a company that cant build a decent one?...If all the people that thought Chevys were good would still be buying them there would be no point in this, even with the workers high pay wage. If the govt. wants new vehicles they better be all stripper Cobalts.:wow....Yeah I said it.:headbang

[srt4eh]

old vehicles go to government auction sites, etc. But I thought only gay people drove Cobalts? lol

[TheRX7Project]

The Cobalts are going to the new Gay military branch.

They're also going to be recieving a bunch of bi-planes and ferry boats.

[Exitspeed]

Fuel efficient vehicles?

Like the Ford Fusion Hybrid. It's a mid-size vehicle and is gets better MPG (41)then the current gen Prius.

The Cobalt XFE gets 37mpg which is better then both the Corolla and Civic.

Yes, GM and Ford have fuel efficient cars.

There's nothing negative about this. They were going to buy new vehicles anyway why not make them all American cars and help out the domestics? There is no reason.

[Rocket Power]

How many non-american cars are they buying now?
Run the cars to a 150K miles get the moneys worth out of them.

[lordairgtar]

Like the Ford Fusion Hybrid. It's a mid-size vehicle and is gets better MPG (41)then the current gen Prius.

The Cobalt XFE gets 37mpg which is better then both the Corolla and Civic.

Yes, GM and Ford have fuel efficient cars.

There's nothing negative about this. They were going to buy new vehicles anyway why not make them all American cars and help out the domestics? There is no reason.
I know that they have fuel efficient cars, I own one. I was just thinking what the FBI would do without their big SUVs.

[Karps TA]

great time to buy with 0% financing for 60-72 months. I just hope the banks will give the govt the money. Their debt to earnings ratio is not good.

[Plum Crazy]

The Cobalts are going to the new Gay military branch.

They're also going to be recieving a bunch of bi-planes and ferry boats.


ROFLMAO!!! I hope Car Ramrod and cobaltss_tuner sees this!!!


ill take an FBI or Secret service Tahoe.

[Exitspeed]

I know that they have fuel efficient cars, I own one. I was just thinking what the FBI would do without their big SUVs.

It's about time they start driving smarter cars.

[Al]

I'll take one of their gas guzzling Crown Vics when they buy some new Aveos, see I can do my part :headbang

We could be like France and drive Peugeots instead.

[Plum Crazy]

We could be like France and drive Peugeots instead.


with chrysler merging with Fiat, we will have little shitboxes on the road in no time.

The pres is buying 17,600 cars?! cant wait to see that Cribs episode, thats 70,400 -22 inch rims, that will turn the economy around!!!

[Russ Jerome]

Will this actually help??? It would be cool if it did, but, maybe too little to late?

The economic guys can chime in on this but I'll take a
lamens stab at it:

Maybe a very short term and isolated boost for a few but
keep in mind the United States is BROKE, we dont realy
have any money (none/0 dollars) we are just printing
rubber money. One of two things will have to happen
down the road, your kids will have to pay back all this
debt we are building (and all we owe China) or the whole
infastructure has to colapse and its ever man/woman for
themselves like in the movies were everything folds and
we start over like a tornado leveled everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt

Hell if you gave me a priting machine I would buy LOTS
of cars, I'll help out plenty :)

[Prince Valiant]

Will this actually help??? It would be cool if it did, but, maybe too little to late?The economic guys can chime in on this but I'll take a
lamens stab at it:

Maybe a very short term and isolated boost for a few but
keep in mind the United States is BROKE, we dont realy
have any money (none/0 dollars) we are just printing
rubber money. One of two things will have to happen
down the road, your kids will have to pay back all this
debt we are building (and all we owe China) or the whole
infastructure has to colapse and its ever man/woman for
themselves like in the movies were everything folds and
we start over like a tornado leveled everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt

Hell if you gave me a priting machine I would buy LOTS
of cars, I'll help out plenty :)With regards to the question: "Will this actually help?", let's give you an idea of what this actually represents:

The "big 3" automotive industry routinely builds ~ 8 million cars per year. A total like 17,600 represents ~ 0.22% increase in what they otherwise sell. OMG!!! THE BIG THREE IS SAVED!!!!!

...forgive that last bit of sarcasm.

What's worse is that by demanding that it goes to the "fuel efficient" vehicles, it more or less damn's the big 3 to really receiving little, if any benefit from this purchase. Like it or not, little cars really aren't profitable, whereas the typical purchase of an SUV would result in a net cash gain for the maker.

This moves amounts to a hole digging project...just paying people to randomly dig holes. The amount of savings it might represent to the gov't is nill in terms of fuel/maint. cost (especially if they are just net increasing the number of cars they otherwise would have purchased). The amount of gain to the automakers is perhaps a loss. The only people who really "profit" and benefits are those getting paid to dig the holes.

Whether the cost comes back to us in increased taxes, or decreased value of the dollar, we'll have to pay for what is essentially nothing.


Like the Ford Fusion Hybrid. It's a mid-size vehicle and is gets better MPG (41)then the current gen Prius. :confused Since when is roughly 38mpg combined (41/36) for the fusion better than the prius's roughly 46combined (48/45)?!?

[Voodoo Chick]

I didn't really think it would help. It seems way too little of an amount to have any real effect.

[Plum Crazy]

With regards to the question: "Will this actually help?", let's give you an idea of what this actually represents:

The "big 3" automotive industry routinely builds ~ 8 million cars per year. A total like 17,600 represents ~ 0.22% increase in what they otherwise sell. OMG!!! THE BIG THREE IS SAVED!!!!!

...forgive that last bit of sarcasm.

What's worse is that by demanding that it goes to the "fuel efficient" vehicles, it more or less damn's the big 3 to really receiving little, if any benefit from this purchase. Like it or not, little cars really aren't profitable, whereas the typical purchase of an SUV would result in a net cash gain for the maker.

This moves amounts to a hole digging project...just paying people to randomly dig holes. The amount of savings it might represent to the gov't is nill in terms of fuel/maint. cost (especially if they are just net increasing the number of cars they otherwise would have purchased). The amount of gain to the automakers is perhaps a loss. The only people who really "profit" and benefits are those getting paid to dig the holes.

Whether the cost comes back to us in increased taxes, or decreased value of the dollar, we'll have to pay for what is essentially nothing.

:confused Since when is roughly 38mpg combined (41/36) for the fusion better than the prius's roughly 46combined (48/45)?!?


but it help because thats 17k cars that otherwise would still be sitting on dealer lots.

2005 was the largest year of vehicle production, 14 million cars were purchased from the big 3

[Prince Valiant]

but it help because thats 17k cars that otherwise would still be sitting on dealer lots

so why stop there? Why not buy 10 million cars? 100 million? If it's so helpful, think of the good we could do to purchase 1 billion cars. :)

[Russ Jerome]

0.22% increase in what they otherwise sell. OMG!!! THE BIG THREE IS SAVED!!!!!



Well put Sir!

Thats exactly what my first thought was when I read they
would purchase 17k vehicles, then I figured it was our
leaders doing the buying so maybe there gonna pay $10
millionfor each car....still wont save them at that markup!

[Rocket Power]

If the Gov't is going to buy cars have NHTSA buy them for testing so I can get some benefit from it.:rolf