I can't stand what Obama does (traded in a clunker, got an energy saving appliance, etc.)

[Omaha Steve]

I wonder how many conservatives and independents need to be reminded they traded in a clunker and got $3,500 to $4,500 for an old gas guzzler?

Marta and I traded in TWO (only one was on the clunker program, the other was 8 years old) cars to get my 09 Cobalt. Great on gas and has vastly reduced green house gasses.

How many got new energy saving appliances with help from the Obama administration? We bought a dishwasher.

OS

[MelungeonWoman]

1. Congratulations on your purchases.

I certainly expect that anyone would vote for a candidate who represents their personal interests.

[Omaha Steve]

6. You mean middle class pro choice, pro labor, pro consumer, pro GLBT, environment, pro...

Don't most people vote their interests? I forgot . Many idiots vote for the rich because they listen to 24 hour propaganda and can't think for themselves.

You missed the entire point. Look at the number of voters that need to be reminded of what President Obama & co. has done for them. Many R's and Independents need to be reminded of so many things. It seems YOU do too!

[MelungeonWoman]

10. Well, keep going.

Because you haven't reminded me what Obama & co. has done for me yet.

[Cirque du So-What]

7. You vote AGAINST your own interests?

How's that workin' out for ya?

[Omaha Steve]

8. Why didn't I think to say that?

:shrug:

[MelungeonWoman]

9. I certainly did in 2008.

It's a mistake that won't be repeated.

[hedgehog]

2. True story: a couple here on a green card bought a house using

the program Obama put into place to boost housing sales. The deal was, you keep the house at least 3 years. Well, now they want to transfer from one plant to the other; right now he is commuting 50 miles a day. They are complaining that Obama won't let them sell the house, and all the Republicans are shaking their heads and saying "That bad Obama!".

Meanwhile, I'm losing blood here from biting my tongue to keep from asking; "If you really want to move, why don't you give the money back?"

[LWolf]

3. I'm glad some people were able to purchase new cars and appliances.

The rest of us, who couldn't afford the purchase price even with such assistance, didn't.

[ileus]

4. I bought a new vehicle and appliances, and home in 2007....my boat sailed too soon.

good news was I bought all energy star appliances. :)

[catgirl]

5. We insulated our whole house

and got 30% back. Our heating bills are way down now! Plus we bought an energy star fridge.

[RadiationTherapy]

11. It takes money to save money. These programs were meaningless to me and my friends and family.

None of us had several thousand dollars or room for a new monthly payment with which to take advantage.

[JoePhilly]

12. I beg to differ. For example ... I had my heating system die so I was going to have

to replace it.

One of these programs allowed me to write off $1500 of the total cost. And, my energy company was running a program that provided a $300 credit for moving to an energy efficient heater.

So these kinds of program saved me $1800. That's $1800 that I would not have had otherwise. Its money that I could then use in my local economy. Maybe at stores where you, your friends, or your family work.

In addition, 3 guys from a local appliance company had to come out to my house to actually install that system.

They got paid to do it. So they got some of the money I spent on that system.

And I'm going to bet they spent it in the local economy. Again, maybe they spent the money in a manner in which it reached you, your friends or your family.

The point is that such programs have both direct and indirect impact.

The same is true for unemployment insurance. When a person receives an unemployment check, that is a direct benefit to that person. That person is likely to spend that money in their local community, and so there is an additional indirect benefit.

Or would you argue that unemployment checks are "meaningless" unless you are receiving one?

[RadiationTherapy]

13. Of course not. An emergency like yours meshing with a program like this is two bullets colliding.

It is rare and not the intent of the program. If something like that had happened and my family had to go (further) into debt in order to replace it, then, yes, it would have been a fortuitous coincidence.

[JoePhilly]

14. Do you think everyone who used it waited for thier dying appliance to die?

Lots of folks, who knew they were going to need to replace appliance X at some point in the near future took advantage of these programs. Mine had actually died, others might have been a few weeks from death, and for some, that appliance might have lasted just a little beyond the end of the program.

So, such programs brought future economic activity into the present. Which is what you need in a difficult economy. And that was the intent.

If you had an old beat up car and you knew you would need to replace it soon ... one of these programs may have put you "over the top" in terms of accelerating that activity. And it saved you money that you could use in your local economy.

That put money into the economy, it saved the person involved money, which would remain available for other purposes.

The position you are taking appears to be ... if I don't benefit by a program directly, then that program is meaningless.