'Clunkers' proved feds won't do well on reform

| October 12, 2009 9:00 PM

A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year.

A vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons of gas a year.

So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce U.S. gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.

They claim 700,000 clunkers so that’s 224 million gallons saved per year, and equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil. (About 5 hours worth of US consumption.)

Five million barrels of oil at $70. Per barrel costs about $350 million.

So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars on the clunker program to save $350 million. We spent $8.57 for every dollar saved. What a great deal.

They’ll probably do a great job with health care though.

HAROLD DAVIDSON II

Sandpoint