'Clunkers' criticism deeply flawed

I have to take issue with Harold Davidson’s recent analysis of the cost of the “cash for clunkers” program printed October 13. Firstly, although signed by Mr. Davidson it was actually purloined from the Internet. It was one of those unsolicitied e-mails with no author that everyone should treat as suspect and check out before passing it on.

I went to Snopes.com and read their analysis of the email. They found that the arithmetic was completely flawed.Here are the relevant corrected calculations:

191.5 millon gallons of gasoline saved by the newer cars on the road because of the program, divided by 19.5 gallons of gas per barrel of oil, equals 9.8 million fewer barrels of oil needed each year.9.8 million at $75 per barrel equals $735 million in gas savings each year, not $224 million as claimed by Mr. Davidson.

The savings are more than twice what Mr. Davidson’s copied e-mail arithmetic concluded. The savings in gas will offset the cost of the “clunkers” program in about four years.Snopes goes on to say that the original analysis does not take into account the financial benefits of the boost of auto sales, reduction of pollution, increase in safety, and the recycling of metal and parts from the old cars.

The larger point here is that we should all check the validity of information. Just because something from the internet agrees with your opinion does not make it factually correct.

SHERRY FULTON

Sagle