Cash-For-Clunkers Math

Was "Cash-for-Clunkers" a success?  Well, think about it this way:  

A clunker that travels 12,000 miles a year at 15 mpg uses 800 gallons of gas a year.  A vehicle that travels 12,000 miles a year at 25 mpg uses 480 gallons a year.  So, the average Cash for Clunkers transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.

They (the U.S. Gov't.) claim 700,000 vehicles, so that's 224 million gallons saved per year.  This equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.   5 million barrels is about 5 hours worth of US consumption.  

More importantly, 5 million barrels of oil at $70 per barrel costs about $350 million dollars.  So, the government paid $3 billion of our tax dollars to save $350 million.  

We spent $8.57 for every dollar we saved.  Wow!

Makes you really confident about the future of health care, doesn't it?

2010: The year of GOP women By: Women members of the House GOP Caucus December 15, 2010 04:42 AM EST

“In politics,” former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher noted, “if you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” That’s exactly what voters did this year. They’ve asked Republican women to represent them in Congress. Across the nation — from Washington state to Tennessee to New York — GOP women prevailed in this historic midterm election. Republicans gained at least 63 House seats — more than in 1994 and the largest GOP midterm gain in more than 70 years. And it wouldn’t have been possible without Republican women. They’ve made 2010 the “Year of the Republican Woman.” Republican female candidates spoke out against the Obama administration’s failed “spend, borrow and bailout” policies. They fought vociferously for the repeal of Obamacare and showed how government-funded health care is likely to hurt women across the country. They offered proposals to cut spending, create jobs and get America’s fiscal house in order. And they’ve shown that they can — and will — open the door to a better future for our children and grandchildren. They campaigned as compassionate women and fiscally responsible Republicans — and won. Here’s how it happened: The story began more than a year ago, when House Republican leaders made a concerted effort to reach out to GOP women and seek their participation. A record 128 GOP women ran for the House, and 17 filed for the Senate. This is twice the number of Republican women who ran for the House during the previous election cycle. After the primaries, 47 GOP women advanced as candidates for the House and six for the Senate. In addition, 14 Republican women ran for governor, and hundreds of others sought statewide positions. These numbers are unprecedented: Never have we witnessed such tremendous momentum for GOP women. Women were instrumental in achieving the largest House Republican majority in more than 60 years. Exit polling data reveal that the GOP overcame the gender gap by winning female voters by 2 percentage points, 51 percent to 49 percent. This was the first time House Republicans carried the female vote since exit poll data were first used in 1982. Moreover, Republicans gained a 12-point advantage with women over age 60 — and made solid strides with younger women as well. The momentum for Republican women has swept through the House, where we will welcome nine new GOP women in January — beating the previous record of seven Republican female newcomers in a single election (1994). But we’ll also greet one new female senator, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire; and three new GOP female governors — two of whom are minorities. In addition, Republican women gained more than 100 seats in state legislatures. But the story is about so much more than numbers. It’s a compelling story — comprising individual stories of women in Montgomery, Ala.; Syracuse, N.Y.; rural Missouri; and western Washington. It’s a story of Sandy Adams, a former deputy sheriff who had joined the U.S. Air Force at age 17. She won her Central Florida seat with nearly 60 percent. It’s a story of Nan Hayworth, an ophthalmologist and small-business owner whose knowledge of medicine can help her lead the fight against Obamacare next year. It’s a story of Diane Black from the Tennessee state Senate. She is a former nurse and educator who talks about fighting the arduous battle against Big Government and working to create jobs for the people of Tennessee. These are the stories that made 2010 the year of the Republican woman. They’re about farmers, attorneys, teachers, nurses, doctors, small-business owners, law enforcement officials, entrepreneurs, wives and mothers. They’re the stories of the dynamic and driven women who will be sworn in as members of the 112th Congress. We joined with Republican National Committee Co-chairwoman Jan Larimer and the National Republican Congressional Committee in September to welcome most of these extraordinary women to Washington. As we sat with them, we were struck by their extreme love of the United States and their desire to make it better. They want to get our country back on track again — to stand against the policies that have taken away our freedoms and fight for the ones that will restore them. As the era of Republican women begins, we know their contributions to the next Congress will be invaluable. Thatcher was right: If anyone can get the job done, it’s the women. And we have no doubt that these are the women who can make it happen. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Judy Biggert of Illinois, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, Candice Miller of Michigan, Sue Myrick of North Carolina, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida are all GOP members of the House.

Thank you to everyone who came to our meeting this past week.  It was truly one of the most energizing and exciting WRC meetings I've ever attended.  2011 is going to be an amazing year for the WRC of SLC.  We have more new members, too.  Please extend a warm welcome to Tanya Lewis, Dana Bentley, Kathie Johnson and Jolynne Alger.  We are thinking of changing our meeting days to the second Wednesday of the month beginning in January.  I will make an official announcement within the next week or so.  Below are some pictures from this week's meeting:

Arlene Nelson and Jennifer Scott

Myranda Holgerson, Marianne Stoddard and Julie Dole

Val Ziegler, Sarah Nitta, Elissa Foutz and Julie Dole

Arlene Nelson and Jennifer Scott

Back Row: Julie Dole, Elissa Foutz, Myranda Holgerson, Arlene Nelson, Jolynne Alger, Kathleen Handy, Val Ziegler and Marianne Stoddard.  Front Row: Jennifer Scott, Sarah Nitta and Dana Bentley