Barack Obama,  Cash for Clunkers

Obama Administration Witholding Cash for Clunkers Program Data; Updated: Not Selling American Cars

An old car dropped in an industrial trash bin advertising the Cash for Clunkers program at Battlefield Ford in Culpeper, Virginia, August 1, 2009

Oh the transparency – NOT.

The Obama administration is refusing to release government records on its “cash-for-clunkers” rebate program that would substantiate—or undercut—White House claims of the program’s success, even as the president presses the Senate for a quick vote for $2 billion to boost car sales.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Sunday the government would release electronic records about the program, and President Barack Obama has pledged greater transparency for his administration. But the Transportation Department, which has collected details about 157,000 rebate requests, won’t release sales data that dealers provided showing how much U.S. car manufacturers are benefiting from the $1 billion initially pumped into the program.

But, Obama wants $ 2 Billion MORE.

Standard

Without the information, the GOP should filibuster the bill in the United States Senate.

Update:

Guess there is a reason they don’t want to release the data. They are NOT selling American cars?

LaHood has called the popular rebates to car buyers “the lifeline that will bring back the automobile industry in America.” He and other advocates are citing program data to promote passage of another $2 billion for the incentives — claiming dealers sold cars that are 61 percent more fuel efficient than trade-ins and Ford’s Focus is the top seller.

LaHood also said this week that even if buyers aren’t choosing cars made by U.S. automobile manufacturers, many of the Honda, Toyota and Hyundai cars sold were made in those companies’ American plants.

But there’s no way to verify his claims without access to DOT’s data.


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