The federal government is giving away $35.2 million to Californians who are buying energy-efficient appliances, but consumers will have to act fast to get the mail-in rebates provided by the latest federal stimulus program.
Rebates will be distributed through the "cash for appliances" program beginning Thursday — Earth Day — to boost the economy and cut energy use in the nation's most populous state.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to buy energy-efficient appliances, recycle their old ones and take advantage of the program's three rebates: $200 for refrigerators, $100 for clothes washers and $50 for room air conditioners.
The federal program was created last year, but each state is distributing the money according to its own rules. In California, the Energy Commission is administering the rebates.
Here we go again. They are transferring wealth from one group of taxpayers to another group--One group doesn't need to buy anything but they still have to chip in for the group that was going to buy anyway. Absurd. Well, at least appliance makers and suppliers make a killing, right? Of course, our government doesn't have the cash to fund this program so it has to do some borrowing by selling government bonds, and therefore pay interest to bondholders, to "give away" these rebates. Ladies and gents, your tax dollars at work.
Even I must admit this is ridiculous. One good effort now spreads into the absurd and takes on an entirely different look. If I did need a new dishwasher, it probably would not fall within the allotted time span. I do believe there are better ways to spend our tax dollars.
ReplyDeleteThere is an Ani Di Franco song with these lyrics:
ReplyDelete"what a waste of thumbs that are opposable
to make machines that are disposable
and sell them to seagulls flying in circles
around one big right wing
yes, the left wing was broken long ago
by the slingshot of cointelpro
and now it's so hard to have faith in
anything
especially your next bold move
or the next thing you're gonna need to prove
to yourself
you want to track each trickle
back to its source
and then scream up the faucet
'til your face is hoarse
cuz you're surrounded by a world's worth
of things you just can't excuse
"
Is there any legal way to impeach the entire Federal Government?
ReplyDeleteNot knowing whether to laugh or cry - thankfully only 12k have taken advantage of it. 29.3m still remains in the fund.
ReplyDeleteHere
Judging from tax revenue - the economy seems much weaker than they were predicting.