My simple-minded question about the auto companies.

[Jane Austin]

Why don't the feds BUY $25 billion worth of cars?

The government must need some, and the rest they could sell with government loans to individuals and businesses who need cars.

Buy them off the lots at dealers.

That way the government gets something real for its money, people who need them get new cars, the inventory gets cleared out, and the car companies get some cash. Oh, and a whole lot of people stay employed and paying taxes instead of using unemployment benefits and food stamps.

This seems obvious to me, but since no one has mentioned it, I must be missing something.

Tell me what I've overlooked.

[Skink]

1. Naw. Hostile takeover. Buy up a controlling stake, replace management.

repeat.

[Jane Austin]

3. My idea would get money flowing immediately.

Your idea would require a realignment of our politics and might take longer. :)

[glowing]

2. I think we ought to either buy the car companies outright.. or buy the cars

and give them to agencies, non-profits, and people who are patching together their current cars and really need a new ride.. like the single mom or a teacher or whatever. Then re-tool to make fuel efficient cars and highspeed rail cars.

[Jane Austin]

4. That's along the lines I was thinking.

Imagine the improvement in air quality if a lot of clunkers were replaced with new cars.

[YvonneCa]

5. This is about getting off foreign oil...

...by leading the way to build fuel-efficient cars. The question is HOW? Do we bust the union and the pension funds through bankruptcy ? Or do we value workers and work with the industry to make the needed changes? Most Democrats seem to prefer the latter. JMHO.

[Jane Austin]

6. Well, they have all that inventory sitting there.

They've got to sell that first.

There are probably plenty of good-mileage cars on the lots.

[Jane Austin]

7. Is this too stupid an idea to comment on?

Just wondering.

It seems like a practical solution to me.

[JVS]

8. 500,000 Caddies and Town Cars at 50K each? Yeah that could work.

But I have a feeling that the car companies would rather just have the cash money.