Looks like they brought in some big guns to put this video together... Kay's new staffers are definitely talented, because the Sanford and Son music really just ties the whole video together... some of the video effects are definitely beyond what a one of Rick's interns messing around on the computer can do.
It is also a good hit, but I am not sure that many people will see it. I am also very sure it is not fair to compare the federal program right now to the state program earlier this decade.
NAME
TX... Drive a Clean Machine
DC... Cash for Clunkers
PURPOSE
TX... to achieve clean air attainment, to avoid DC penalties for nonattainment of the Clean Air Act in major metropolitan areas. Texas was given an "unfunded mandate" in the form of the Clean Air Act yet was prohibited by the feds against regulating emissions on cars, so this was a solution Texas came up with.
DC... to bail out car manufacturers and dealers.
FUNDING
TX... fully funded by inspection sticker fees in the Dallas, Houston and Austin areas by the legislature.
DC... funded by debt.
HOW IT WORKS
TX... cars must be older than 10 years and fail an emissions test, the Drive a Clean Machine program helps people making under a certain amount who are buying a <$25 thousand car either buy a new car or repair their current car.
DC... you basically just go in and then the dealer has to smash your car and put it into scrap, and the dealer does the paperwork for you.
TARGETED?
TX... geographically targeted, means tested, limited, so it has gradually helped take tens of thousands of failing cars on their emissions tests off the roads.
DC... ran out of money after a few days because it was so broadly applicable.
RESULTS
TX... allegedly taken tens of thousands of failing vehicles off the roadways in urban areas where ozone is a problem, helped Texas avoid punitive regulatory regimes on heavy industry and commerce, helped Texas urban air get cleaner without disrupting the economic base. The Texas program is cited as a success story not necessarily for Rick but for the TCEQ as an innovative way to clean up the air with the least amount of burden. The Drive a Clean Machine program has been going in Texas for several years now and it has never been controversial because most acknowledge it has worked well to achieve its narrowly tailored purpose.
DC... helped people unload their cars and get new cars, possibly helped the economy in some far fetched way, possibly helped the environment in some way. Added a lot of debt and expanded the deficit even further.
MY ANALYSIS
TX... We still have problems because of our growth keeping ozone and other pollutants down in big cities, but I always drive around and see old cars and think that there has to be some way to incentivize those people to get Camrys and Civics and stop pumping out soot all over me.
DC... We may need to just scrap the whole place and start over.
The Texas program in some ways resembles the DC program, but it is not the same thing at all. Burnt Orange and Maroon sometimes look similar on TV, but they could hardly be more different. Salt water and fresh water look the same, but they really are completely different.
The other thing about this video that weakens the message a little is that the federal program dovetails on the end of this whole Obama owns GM thing... in some ways this program seems like an extension of auto bailouts and government ownership... the Texas program was so limited in scope and Texas never bailed out car companies, so if Kay's team was looking for a reason why this did not really catch fire and go viral those might be some of the reasons...
Kay is also playing with fire on this issue, because she did vote in favor of a taxpayer funded auto company bailout a few months ago (link). List of votes follows...
Alphabetical by Senator Name
| Akaka (D-HI), Nay Alexander (R-TN), Nay Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Baucus (D-MT), Nay Bayh (D-IN), Nay Begich (D-AK), Nay Bennet (D-CO), Nay Bennett (R-UT), Nay Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Nay Brown (D-OH), Nay Brownback (R-KS), Nay Bunning (R-KY), Yea Burr (R-NC), Yea Burris (D-IL), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Not Voting Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Cardin (D-MD), Nay Carper (D-DE), Nay Casey (D-PA), Nay Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Coburn (R-OK), Yea Cochran (R-MS), Yea Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Nay Corker (R-TN), Nay Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea DeMint (R-SC), Yea Dodd (D-CT), Nay Dorgan (D-ND), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Nay | Ensign (R-NV), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Yea Feingold (D-WI), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Nay Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Graham (R-SC), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Yea Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagan (D-NC), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Yea Inouye (D-HI), Nay Isakson (R-GA), Yea Johanns (R-NE), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Nay Kaufman (D-DE), Nay Kennedy (D-MA), Not Voting Kerry (D-MA), Nay Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Nay Kyl (R-AZ), Yea Landrieu (D-LA), Nay Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay Leahy (D-VT), Nay Levin (D-MI), Nay Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay Lincoln (D-AR), Nay Lugar (R-IN), Nay Martinez (R-FL), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Nay | McConnell (R-KY), Yea Menendez (D-NJ), Nay Merkley (D-OR), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Nay Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Nay Nelson (D-FL), Nay Nelson (D-NE), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Nay Reed (D-RI), Nay Reid (D-NV), Nay Risch (R-ID), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay Sanders (I-VT), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shaheen (D-NH), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Nay Specter (R-PA), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Tester (D-MT), Nay Thune (R-SD), Yea Udall (D-CO), Nay Udall (D-NM), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Nay Warner (D-VA), Nay Webb (D-VA), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay Wicker (R-MS), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Nay |
A yea vote is anti bailout. A nay vote is pro bailout.
Kay's vote was pro bailout.
I have seen peeps also try to make a big deal out of Kay saying her decision was "terrible" but I think that has to be taken out of context (link). Excerpt follows...
In a brief interview today, she called it a "terrible" decision to have to oppose the program.
"I do sympathize with the dealers and did successfully help the ones that were closed," she said. "It seems like we have got to have a responsible stop to this debt creation that I think is going to hurt the economic recovery."
Without the full quote, we can't speculate what she was talking about.
That doesn't mean that she was calling her decision terrible, she just meant that she wanted to help the dealerships keep their torrid sales pace... the program is definitely popular, definitely stimulative at some level, and definitely a favorite of auto dealerships and a lot of consumers... but not very popular with angry conservative Republicans.
An anonymous tipster who sez "You missed this story-- here are two sides to work from." and also sez "Why don't you ever talk about Debra Medina??" sent in both Kay's video attacking Rick's program and the information about Kay voting for the auto bailout earlier this year... which I had seen already but did not get to look at thoroughly until this afternoon. Thanks to him or her for the tip. If you have a tip send it to rickvskay@gmail.com. I do read every email my readers send in...
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Hey now, campaign characters. Be nice. I know a lot of you on both sides, so I don't want any overly foul language, personal attacks on anyone other than the candidates themselves, or other party fouls. I will moderate the heck out of you if you start breaking the bounds of civility.