Yesterday. My son Mark was interested in the Cash for Clunkers program and went vehicle shopping. They looked at some new vehicles and used as well. They had a 1996 Chevrolet two-door Tahoe, 5.7 litre V8, Type LT trim, leather interior, great looking and running vehicle.

They did trade for a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 4.7 litre V8, Very nice vehicle and, after I checked all the NADA info this morning, they got a very good Deal. This was not under the clunker program because they traded for a used vehicle.

I had asked Mark to find out what happened to the clunker vehicles under the program. For some reason, it made sense to me to take the really good vehicles, which the government had just put $4,500 into and given to the dealer, to send the good ones to some type of lot where those of us who are on Social Security, fixed incomes, or just plain poor could pick up a great vehicle for say $1,000 and the money go back to the government. I don't mean vehicles that smoke, rattle or are a piece of junk, but good older vehicles that could for instance help a 16-year-old get their first car without breaking the bank.

When he returned, with his trade, he told me all vehicles run through the program would have the oil drained out and a mixture of metal shavings, silica and other chemicals put into the engine and ran until it destroyed itself.

This morning I went to You Tube and saw repeatedly some very nice vehicles destroyed on video. The mechanics who did this really got a kick out of blowing the engines.

I am not an environmentalist, but on more than one occasion, the product added to the engine blew all over the ground, clouds of noxious gases were produced. Where is the EPA in all of this? The ground is contaminated. Let you or I spill a quart of used oil on the ground and all hell breaks loose.

I had thought about the program some when introduced. My wife and I have a 1994 Jeep Cherokee, purchased new, that has and continues to be a great vehicle. I had to re-tag it this year and the required emissions tester at the state of Tennessee station could not believe that it had so low emissions. She stated that it was better than some new vehicles she tests.

Our Cherokee has served us well. The paint looks new, really. Most people cannot believe it is a 1994. Our credit is bad, due to the state of Tennessee killing a state-run health care plan called Tenncare, where everyone was insured (sound familiar?). After Tenncare was killed, we were left with no insurance, and before you think I had free health care, I paid premiums every month, ranging from $65 to $358, depending on their whim at the time. You did not dare ask why, because when you asked a question, you had just made an appeal and set in motion another nightmare. You would receive a letter saying that your Tenncare would not be terminated right now, until after the hearing, just for asking a simple question. And now Obama tells me they can do a better job than the Medicare I am on - of course with cuts.

Back to the Cherokee. I have spent the last two hours watching gleeful mechanics applying the death sentence to some really nice vehicles. Like I said, not all are worth keeping, but some SSDI recipients with really bad vehicles would have been very happy to buy some of these on a government financing of say $1,000 and the government would have gotten a little money back, but not Obamaworld. That would be too simple.

I am going to keep my 1994 Cherokee as long as I can. My wife loves it and would break my fingers at the thought of getting rid of her baby. I can do minor repairs. Some very well qualified mechanics have told me that engine should go in excess of 300,000 miles easy. My 1998 Ranger XLT extended cab 4wd is the same way - it looks like new and runs like new. I will keep it until the wheels fall off, and then probably repair it and keep going.

The real reason for the clunker program was to give the card dealers and manufacturers a shot in the arm, not for the environment or to improve mileage. It was a scam to sell vehicles and I guess make the highways more attractive with shiny new vehicles, making us all think under Obama's guidance, we are doing much better. A lot of people are adding vehicle payments they cannot afford. What bailout comes next when they can't make the payments and the lots are full of repos? Sounds familiar there too - just look at the foreclosures.

The American people are thought to be gullible by our leaders. Just jump out there and help America, go more in debt. Like Biden said, "Spend money, pay taxes, it's patriotic."

The tax coffers will increase due to sales taxes. The owners of their more efficient vehicles will drive more, increasing gasoline demand. Gas prices will go up, and so goes the spiral.

When I see all these new owners zipping down the road in the lawn mower with a cab and seats, I am going to wave. I have cold air, a good ride, two great vehicles. Being an old car guy, the destruction on video of some fine vehicles really bothers me. Something else could have been done.

Another solution, if you saw a 70-year-old woman driving her 1968 Buick to the store, she would have been very happy to have a 2001 Crown Victoria given to her with a working air conditioner.

This could have been a great idea, as usual, the government couldn't think it through and take the easy way out - The Crusher.

Mitch Thurmer

Signal Mountain

mthurmer4300@comcast.net

www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_156003.asp