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Title: Have you driven a Chevy Volt...lately?
Source:
American Thinker
URL Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog ... you_driven_a_chevy_voltla.html
Published: Aug 8, 2010
Author: Isaac Martin
Post Date: 2010-08-10 05:26:28 by reaganisright
Keywords: None
Views: 35006
Comments: 65
Have you driven a Chevy Volt The headline is a play an early ‘80s Ford car ad campaign. Have you driven a Ford. . .lately? was the tag line and it's instructive when considering Chevrolet's new Volt, the car that'll make GM a "leader" in green vehicle technology and create green blue collar jobs. The answer to Have you driven a Chevy Volt . . .lately? is most likely to be no. I really love cars, and it pains me to criticize a vehicle, since my premise is all cars are good, some are better than others. Plus I know people at GM who love cars and worked diligently on this car, even if they thought it an answer to a question no one asked. While the Volt looks like smart product planning and business management to the Obama regime - people who don't know or care about cars - unfortunately, it fails on several levels. Start with a $41,000 list price and with the $7500 Federal tax credit it drops to $33,500. I would even speculate that California, with a $20 billion deficit, could even be willing to spend money it doesn't have by kicking in a state hybrid vehicle credit to shave the price slightly. Regardless, tax credits mean more of what we don't need: government spending. The President, and anointed government czars think the Volt is a good idea that consumers will clamor for, at least 10,000 of them. During his Michigan GM factory visit, the President looked so - what's the word - manly as he hopped behind the wheel to drive a Volt all of two car lengths off the prototype assembly line. I sure wouldn't buy a car he endorsed, because he wouldn't know a good vehicle even if it goosed him. Consider the collision insurance unknown. I haven't seen any ratings, but a car with a big battery that might be damaged in a collision, will be expensive to replace or repair. That means potentially high premiums, unless the Federal government enacts a Volt insurance premium cap. Another problem lies in the current automotive market. There's huge supply of new and used compact, fuel efficient vehicles for sale. So it's not like the Volt is only one of a few high-mileage brands available. Volt has to compete against Honda, Toyota, Suzuki, Ford Escort, Chevrolet Aveo, not to mention Hyundai and Kia. Performance is also an important vehicle characteristic. I am not concerned about 0-60 times, but rather the car's battery, with a claimed 40 mile range before the gasoline engine takes over to drive the generator for electric propulsion. This claim to green power nirvana means if you have a 40 or fewer mile commute, you can escape Big Oil's clutches because, you won't need gas. Just don't forget to charge it every night. The critical issue is under what driving conditions that 40 mile range claim is made. Is it a 20 or 30 mph average speed? Is that on flat highways, or does it include hills? Would it cover that distance at a steady 65 mph cruise? Environment influences vehicle performance. How far would a Volt go on battery power alone, after sitting outside all night in minus 20 degree temperature. Then, the driver hops in at 5:30 am, when it's still dark out, and drives off, with the lights on, heater and defroster working and listening to radio. And, because there's no traffic, he merges onto the freeway and speeds up to 65 mph. Driving reality further diminishes the Volt's value compared to my humble 2001 Ford Focus station wagon. It seats five, and with the rear seat folded down, can carry a lot of stuff. On a bad stop and go city traffic day, mileage is 23 mpg. But on the highway, during a recent solo cross country trip, cruising at 80 mph, with the A/C on, my Focus averaged only 32.9 mpg. Consider too, with its $4500 purchase price, the car is paid for. Money not spent by not buying or leasing a Volt would buy a lot of gasoline, pay down credit card debt or go into savings. So my answer to Have you driven a Chevy Volt. . .lately? is firmly not in my lifetime. And I suspect, that you'll never see the First Family driving one on a vacation trip to Chicago. And if I may borrow Greg Gutfeld's Big Hollywood blog signature close, if you disagree with me you are no doubt a racist, homophobic, child porn loving Global Warming believer or one of their useful idiots.
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#15. To: NMC_EXP (#13)
Well pull your head out of your ass, you idiot!
Every time I watch Pan-Z-Boy and Boof talk football it reminds me of the scene in The Birdcage in which Robin Williams tried to teach Nathan Lane how to be a man: Armand: Al, you old son of a bitch! How ya doin'? How do you feel about that call today? I mean the Dolphins! Fourth-and-three play on their 30 yard line with only 34 seconds to go! Albert: How do you think I feel? Betrayed, bewildered... BTW, boy is heading up to T/O camp with Soo in 2 weeks. He's working his ass off.
Ya, they are a little too desperate to make sure everyone sees them talk football. Hope he enjoys himself. btw, my daughters friend is new in the army. Those kids are in great shape. Does half marathons for exercise. Not sure how often, though. But, still, that's a lot of running.
Were you ever in the music or song writing business? ... e_type_jagoff to Mudboy lol
Chyea.. Your army is absolutely fanatical about the physical condition of its soldiers. I was in Savannah, Georgia about 10 years ago and a sub was docked there. I went for an AM run around sunrise and those bastards were just FINISHING up their AM PT...
So you must be for school vouchers, then?
______________________________________________________________________________ As long as they go only to property owners and are not used in sectarian schools, sure.
As long as they go only to property owners and are not used in sectarian schools, sure. Wow - impressive. Have you told the DNC and the teachers' unions (sorry, redundant) about this?
______________________________________________________________________________ I've actually had several personal discussions about vouchers with my Representative. Vouchers have zipola to do with improving schools...as you've underscored above...
I disagree. Public schools are essentially a monopoly - so at least in theory if they had to compete for funding, they might improve.
______________________________________________________________________________ I've put three through private and one went through public. In other words, I disagree.
Must be nice to send your kids to whatever school you choose, and not have to pay extra. Unfortunately for me, where I live, only the public schools get state and federal funding.
______________________________________________________________________________ I did pay extra to put them thru private school. Unfortunately for me, where I live, only the public schools get state and federal funding. I find that difficult to believe. Buty why do you believe that someone who does not pay school taxes should get the benefit of a targeted tax benefit? Even tho I didn't buy a new car, should I have gotten a cash for clunkers credit?
______________________________________________________________________________ Any who does not pay property taxes isn't paying school taxes.
Non answer. Should I get a rig depriciation allowance if I don't drill oil?
Any who does not pay property taxes isn't paying school taxes. The landlord is writing the check to the local school district. And he's passing the cost onto his renter(s).
______________________________________________________________________________ And I'm buying gasoline...
Non answer. Pay now, or pay later.
______________________________________________________________________________ Right. And the price you pay per gallon includes all the costs incurred by the oil company to produce said gallon.
______________________________________________________________________________ Really? The Commerce Clause doesn't exist? They have no taxing authority? Yowzah...I had no idea... If oil exploration companies have to pay more to produce oil, then **surprise** you'll have to pay more at the pump. And if you eliminate ALL of the tax code I'll have more money to pay for it. Odd that you believe a tax break targeted at one form of economic activity is more valid than one targeted at another...
So my question stands...if someone indirectly paying property tax can get a school voucher why can't I get an oil depriciation allowance?
A prerequisite to getting a school voucher is to have a school age child. I assume a prerequisite to getting an oil depreciation allowance is to be actively engaged in oil exploration?
______________________________________________________________________________ I assume a prerequisite to getting an oil depreciation allowance is to be actively engaged in oil exploration? Actually...oil picks up credits all along the supply chain...and each and every credit is money that I, as a taxpayer, have to make up somewhere some how. Now, you want to take my tax dollars and redistribute them to a renter to go tpo a school that is tax abated because it's parochial. Sweet deal...except for me because my choice of school now has less money because you've redistributed income away from it. Again, I have no issue...limit it to those who pay property taxes and to non sectarian schools.
Welcome to the real world. Here's a clue: taxpayers (and consumers) pay for everything. ______________________________________________________________________________ The public schools are a bunch of hidebound monopolies. Like all monopolies, they are resistant to change. That's the problem.
So YES it has less money? I say tax religious property anyway, btw. Cut to the chase...health and education should be priority one in this nation. Yet, the debate is one of the most moronic in the history of modern western society. Pursuit of happiness, to Jefferson, meant the self/lie sustainable intangibles such as arts and letters. Life certainly has to have a certain minimal quality associated to it or why bother? Do you know why we ended up with compulsory attendence laws? Because in a generation and a half we devolved from the Founding Fathers in to a nation of idiots. Do you know why we ended up with the NDEA and then ESEA? Because we ended up even dumber...
The population of the nation . . . perhaps. The government of the nation. . . no way.
______________________________________________________________________________ We are the government of the nation.
Now we've gone from a nation of illiterate idiots to a nation of literate ones.
______________________________________________________________________________ Well that's a whole 'nother discussion. I submit that we have no more control in our gov't as US citizens than the citizens of the old USSR had in theirs.
______________________________________________________________________________ You've just illustrated the major problem I have with the left: You confuse the goal (producing educated kids) with reflexive support of a specific program, department, or institution (in this case, the public schools). Oh, the goal is not being met??? The answer is always the same -- throw more money at the failed institution. America spends more money per student than almost any other country. The goal (educated kids) is not being met. Instead, the government monopoly schools are pumping out functional illiterates, who can't read, write, or perform simple arithmetic. Half of all kids that are evaluated by the public schools as being retarded actually have genius level IQs. The schools are set up for mediocrity. One size fits all. Teachers with physical education degrees trying to teach math and science. Social promotion from one grade to another. It doesn't work and never will. The public schools were set up at the beginning of the industrial era. Their original mission was to was to pump out kids who could work in factories. This is no longer relevant, yet nothing has changed. The kids know that its no longer relevant and many of them get bored and drop out. Why doesn't anything change? Because the NEA is a major investor in the Democrat Party, so Democrat politicians who control most large cities refuse to take them on.
Look at how much we spend versus output...it's strabismal.
The teacdher's union has ziplola to do with why a school might be failing. What has to do with why a school may be failing has more to do with the quality of student than of teacher.
We spend 5.7% of GDP on education, which is more than: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Long, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Phillipines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Solvakia, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, on and on... Who spends more than us per GDP? Economic powerhouses like: Cuba, Guyana, Kenya, Lesotho, Yemem, Mongolia, Namibia, Swaziland, and yes Denmark, Israel, Sweden, and Norway too. Eduction spending is not the problem. The rotten system is the problem.
"Industry" opposed public schools.
You crack me up. About 20 years ago I remember reading an article in the Detroit Free Press where some NEA official was blaming fall out from nuclear tests for why students in America are doing so poorly. I learned something a long time ago. Successful people take responsibility while unsuccessful people blame others, or circumstances beyond their control for their failures. The government monopoly schools are a failure. The NEA has had near monopoly control of those schools. The blame rests squarely on the NEA and their political stooges in the Democrat Party.
So...one person in Detroit stated that and they spoke for everyone? Talk about cracking someone up... Every profession has the good and the bad. In NY, getting a bad teacher out of a classroom isn't all that hard. And even if you just might have a difficult time firing them, you can keep them away from the chalkboard. I've never met a teacher who wasn't dedicated to their profession. Ever.
Our trainer started out as a school teacher and decided he didn't like it. I'll have to ask him about it sometime.
"Lets [sic] rent a room." ~ Jethro Tull to Rotara
My sister in law is principal of one of the few K-12 schools in NYC. She moves teachers all of the time. NY is an UFT union tho...not NEA...maybe they're different.
I just figured it out! Horses can't talk back.
"Lets [sic] rent a room." ~ Jethro Tull to Rotara
Ha...
Comments (56 - 65) not displayed.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latestanal fixation.
#16. To: Abu el Banat (#14)
(Edited)
#17. To: war (#16)
BTW, boy is heading up to T/O camp with Soo in 2 weeks. He's working his ass off.
#18. To: Abu el Banat (#17)
Ya, they are a little too desperate to make sure everyone sees them talk football.
#19. To: war (#1)
Why do you folks hate tax credits targeted @ the consumer?
Zero diddled while America burned
#20. To: Ignore Amos (#19)
So you must be for school vouchers, then?
#21. To: war (#20)
(Edited)
So you must be for school vouchers, then?
Zero diddled while America burned
#22. To: Ignore Amos (#21)
#23. To: war (#22)
Vouchers have zipola to do with improving schools...as you've underscored above...
Zero diddled while America burned
#24. To: Ignore Amos (#23)
Public schools are essentially a monopoly
#25. To: war (#24)
I've put three through private and one went through public.
Zero diddled while America burned
#26. To: Ignore Amos (#25)
Must be nice to send your kids to whatever school you choose, and not have to pay extra.
#27. To: war (#26)
Buty why do you believe that someone who does not pay school taxes should get the benefit of a targeted tax benefit?
Unless one is living under a bridge, he/she pays school taxes. Even tho I didn't buy a new car, should I have gotten a cash for clunkers credit?
Nope. No one should have gotten it. It should not have existed.
Zero diddled while America burned
#28. To: Ignore Amos (#27)
Unless one is living under a bridge, he/she pays school taxes.
#29. To: Ignore Amos (#27)
(Edited)
Nope. No one should have gotten it. It should not have existed.
#30. To: war (#28)
Unless one is living under a bridge, he/she pays school taxes.
Zero diddled while America burned
#31. To: Ignore Amos (#30)
The landlord is writing the check to the local school district.
#32. To: war (#29)
Nope. No one should have gotten it. It should not have existed.
No, your question was bogus. The fedgov had no Constitutional authority to create a "cash for clunkers" program. They fabricated it at a whim - out of whole cloth. It follows then that whatever rules they come up with as to who benefits from it is irrelevant. It's built on sand. Should I get a rig depriciation allowance if I don't drill oil?
If oil exploration companies have to pay more to produce oil, then **surprise** you'll have to pay more at the pump.
Zero diddled while America burned
#33. To: war (#31)
And I'm buying gasoline...
Zero diddled while America burned
#34. To: Ignore Amos (#32)
(Edited)
The fedgov had no Constitutional authority to create a "cash for clunkers" program.
#35. To: Ignore Amos (#33)
And the price you pay per gallon includes all the costs incurred by the oil company to produce said gallon.
#36. To: war (#35)
So my question stands...if someone indirectly paying property tax can get a school voucher why can't I get an oil depriciation allowance?
Zero diddled while America burned
#37. To: Ignore Amos (#36)
(Edited)
A prerequisite to getting a school voucher is to have a school age child.
#38. To: war (#37)
and each and every credit is money that I, as a taxpayer, have to make up somewhere some how.
Now, you want to take my tax dollars and redistribute them to a renter . . .
The renter pays taxes just as you do. The fact that his funds "pass through" a landlord is irrelevant. to go to a school that is tax abated because it's parochial.
If you wish to make a case that parochial schools should not receive vouchers, I might agree. Sweet deal...except for me because my choice of school now has less money because you've redistributed income away from it.
No, it has to compete for money. The more students it can attract, the more money it will have.
Zero diddled while America burned
#39. To: war (#22)
Vouchers have zipola to do with improving schools.
#40. To: Ignore Amos (#38)
(Edited)
No, it has to compete for money.
#41. To: war (#40)
Cut to the chase...health and education should be priority one in this nation.
Zero diddled while America burned
#42. To: Ignore Amos (#41)
#43. To: war (#40)
Because in a genration and a half we devolved from the Founding Fathers to a nation of idiots.
Zero diddled while America burned
#44. To: war (#42)
We are the government of the nation.
Zero diddled while America burned
#45. To: war (#40)
(Edited)
health and education should be priority one in this nation
#46. To: jwpegler (#45)
(Edited)
America spends more money per student than almost any other country.
#47. To: jwpegler (#45)
(Edited)
Why doesn't anything change? Because the NEA is a major investor in the Democrat Party,
#48. To: war (#46)
Look at how much we spend versus output...it's strabismal.
#49. To: jwpegler (#45)
(Edited)
The public schools were set up at the beginning of the industrial era. Their original mission was to was to pump out kids who could work in factories.
#50. To: war (#47)
(Edited)
The teacdher's union has ziplola to do with why a school might be failing. What has to do with why a school may be failing has more to do with the quality of student than of teacher.
#51. To: jwpegler (#50)
#52. To: war (#51)
I've never met a teacher who wasn't dedicated to their profession.
#53. To: Fred Mertz (#52)
#54. To: war (#53)
Our trainer started out as a school teacher and decided he didn't like it.
#55. To: Fred Mertz (#54)
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