About American Cars

A recent article from the St. Petersburg (FL) Times newspaper asked readers for their ideas on “How Would You Fix the Economy?” Here is one response.

“Dear Mr. President,

“Patriotic Retirement: There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million dollars each Severance Pay with these stipulations:

“1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.

“2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.

“3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.”

Sometimes the common folk cut through all of red tape, regulations, control freaks and simply give a clear, concise answer to a situation others want to make complicated so they can expand their own power base, influence and micro-managed control over the people they supposedly represent.

Having said that, the cost of this proposal would be $40 trillion. Even President Obama might think twice about that level of handout money at the taxpayers’ expense. However, the basic idea has merit.

If the buyout was cut to $250,000, I bet there would be takers because they could open their own small business after quitting their job. In essence, many retirees with $250,000 could quit their job, buy a new car, pay off their mortgage or buy a new house. Everyone does not live in a million dollar home, or has an underlying principal balance in excess of $150,000.

At $250,000, the cost would drop to $10 trillion, about what will be spent to fix the economy Obama style. The chief difference would be that the recipients of the legislative-approved money would not have it to line their own pockets at our expense.

If you think the money President Obama is asking for is outrageous, just wait a few years until the evidence comes out about how much of the money was mis-appropriated illegally for ill-gotten gains by politicians and government officials operating under the guise of taxpayer interests. Greed and materialism drive our economy. Billions, not millions, of this handout money will come up unaccounted for and mis-appropriated. You read it here first. Remember what I said because it will happen.

Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley

Do you ever wish that you could bring your home television into your car? Well, Chrysler is already finding out a solution for the couch potatoes. They’re planning to make a minivan with a television inside.

No, it’s not just the ordinary television you’re thinking, wherein you could plug in your favorite DVDs and the like. This one’s satellite television. Yes, the kids’ favorite Disney Channel can be viewed inside the car. So, if you’re getting tired of calling your kids 5 to 6 times for them to get inside the car (going to Grandma’s place!), then the Chrysler minivan is the solution for you.

Photo taken from http://www.coolest-gadgets.com

There are fewer cars that get a heart beating faster, perhaps, than the classic muscle car models from the 1960′s and 1970′s. These American-made two door mid-sized sedans were popular for drag racing and were high performance yet still affordable. Today, muscle cars are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts not only because they’re great cars: but also because they represent a nostalgic look at the past. Here’s a little bit of info about some of the top muscle cars of all time.

– 1965 Ford Mustang

Arguably considered as the “Granddaddy of Muscle Cars,” the Mustang took the world by storm when it was first introduced at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City. It was looked upon as sexy by women but men liked it to, making its design a model for all that followed thereafter. The addition of a V-8 engine in the 1965 model made it a real muscle car, and over a million of them were sold, exceeding all sales expectations.

– 1969 Chevrolet Camaro

The Z28 was definitely the must-have for the street racing enthusiast, and this car had s-e-x-y written all over its design, to boot. The engine designs for some Camaro models had so much torque that they had a tendency to buckle the rear suspension!

– 1969 Dodge Charger

The Dukes of Hazzard television show, along with the rise to popularity and stardom of NASCAR racing and Richard Petty in particular, made the Dodge Charger brand a part of muscle car history. The 1970 model of this amazing automobile broke a major speed record at Talladega Speedway when Buddy Baker became the first driver to go over 200 mph on a closed course for one full lap.

The Dukes of Hazzard’s influence on popular culture was tremendous, in large part due to the emphasis on and performance of its Charger.

Muscle cars both old and new are as American as apple pie, and as long as our romance with these automobiles continues, the demand for them will be high.