Arrow-right Camera
Subscribe now

Wrong choices rewarded

The Spokesman-Review

The Spokesman’s Saturday Business section published the upturn of our Detroit auto industry, thanks to cash for clunkers – 690,114 new sales, costing the American taxpayer $2.88 billion. What are the consequences of this ill-conceived, I-want-your-vote idea?

1. Dumped are those of us sensible enough years ago to spurn the poorly designed American gas eater for a Camry. My 1986 Camry has 350,000 miles and gets 32 mpg on the highway. The federal government has shunned me for my “green” responsible behavior. I get nothing for a new car.

2. Irresponsible, anti-environment big-vehicle egotists are rewarded for polluting the atmosphere. They get money for not giving a historical hoot about the carbon character of their car. To them, as long as they feel big and safe, who cares about the little guy?

3. The monument of inefficiency – Detroit joined by disemboweling government regulations – is given $3 billion as a reward for their poor performance. Democrats are the big business party – that is, unsuccessful big business.

If only this money had been ventured into the primitive market of batteries and better electric cars, we might have solved problems and promoted standards of efficiency and responsibility.

Jerry Malone

Spokane



Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters on local topics of public interest. Your letter must adhere to the following rules:

  • No more than 250 words
  • We reserve the right to reject letters that are not factually correct, racist or are written with malice.
  • We cannot accept more than one letter a month from the same writer.
  • With each letter, include your daytime phone number and street address.
  • The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. (Learn more.)

Submit letters using any of the following:

Our online form
Submit your letter here
Mail
Letters to the Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Fax
(509) 459-3815

Read more about how we crafted our Letters to the Editor policy