Entry bubble Your Turn: The Government Does That?!

By: Editor | August 31, 2009 | Category: General

Happy Woman At ComputerOur Monday blogger, Jake, has work duties that will take him away from Gov Gab until September. In his absence, we’re alternating between “Your Turn” weeks, where we’ll ask a question to spotlight your knowledge about government resources, and posts from guest bloggers across the government.

Today's Question:  What impresses you about your government?

Last Monday, the Car Allowance Rebate System (AKA Cash for Clunkers) program ended. My husband and I seriously considered turning in our minivan - it has126,000 miles on it.  We decided against it (hard to find a vehicle that seats 7 and gets more than 20 MPG), but during the research I was again pleasantly surprised at all the great information the government puts together in easy-to-use formats.  For instance, I was able to compare cars side-by-side for fuel economy and safety.  How cool!  What has surprised you about what the government does?

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Entry bubble Cash for Clunkers?

By: Jake | April 27, 2009 | Category: Money

CarIt was a year ago this week that my car wouldn't start. My reliable car had become an unreliable clunker about a year before this and it finally decided to die. As a clunker it wasn't valuable for a trade in, so I waited for its final trip, called a charity company to haul it away and bought a new one.

If you want to get rid of a clunker, especially one that's a gas guzzler, the Accelerated Retirement of Inefficient Vehicles Act (ARIVA), known as the "Cash for Clunkers" bill, may provide you with another solution. It needs to be passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President first, but it would allow you to trade in your older, less fuel efficient car, truck or SUV for a cash voucher that you can use to buy a more energy efficient car. You could also redeem that voucher for transit fares with participating local public transportation agencies.

The last major action on the bill was in January when it was referred to the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, but there was some news about it last week.

What do you think of the "Cash for Clunkers" bill?

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