SEMA AlERT!

People need to act on this if we are to continue our hobby. Thank you.


Dear Fellow Enthusiast,

As a SEMA Member Company, we have received an Urgent Legislative Action Alert from the association. You may be interested in this legislative alert and the possible impact it will have on your hobby.

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is a non-profit trade association composed of more than 6,800 member companies involved in all aspects of the automotive industry, from manufacturers to car clubs and race teams.

The SEMA Action Network (SAN) protects your hobby from unfair or unnecessary legislation on national and local levels. Through distribution of information and the collective voice of automotive enthusiasts and businesses, the SEMA Action Network has successfully impacted legislation concerning scrappage laws, equipment standards, registration classifications, emissions regulations, and more.

The following information is directly from SEMA. If you would like to contact the lawmaker, follow the instructions in the alert.


Thank you for your time,
Your Friends at Summit Racing Equipment


Oppose Federal

Washington lawmakers are drafting a large economic stimulus package to help create jobs and rebuild infrastructure. They want to include a nationwide scrappage program which would give U.S. tax dollars to consumers who turn-in older cars to have them crushed, as a misguided attempt to spur new car sales. The lawmakers need to scrap this idea.

The stimulus package is being drafted right now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wants to introduce the bill on January 6 and have it approved by Congress by January 20, so that President Obama can sign it into law after he is inaugurated.

Contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi IMMEDIATELY To Oppose Cash for Clunkers!
Call: 202-225-0100
Click here to send an electronic message: http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

Talking Points
Feel free to use any of the statements below as a starting point for your message to Speaker Pelosi.

* I am [calling/writing] to urge lawmakers not to include a “Cash for Clunkers” provision in the economic stimulus bill. Owners who turn in vehicles for crushing would receive a "minimal" payment to purchase a new car. This is a misguided attempt to spur car sales and claim that the country’s air quality or fleet fuel mileage is being improved.

* I work for [company name] located in [city and state]. My company is part of the specialty automotive industry, an industry which enables consumers to enhance their vehicle’s appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and safety. “Cash for Clunkers” programs deny our small businesses the availability of older cars necessary to develop and market their products and services. The programs will hurt my company and our customers.

* “Cash for Clunkers” programs threaten enthusiasts nationwide with the loss of valuable parts and parts-cars for repair, restoration, and customization projects. The programs also risk destroying classic, historic and special-interest vehicles, our American heritage.

* Cars turned in for scrappage often barely run, or are rarely-driven second or third vehicles that have a minimal impact on overall fuel economy or emissions.

* “Cash for Clunkers” programs will reduce the availability of affordable transportation and repair parts used by low-income drivers. It will also compete with the Salvation Army, the Purple Heart and other charities that rely on vehicle donations to raise money.

* “Cash for Clunkers” ignores better policy options. If Congress wants to act, support for repair and upgrade is a better choice and a win-win for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and repair shops. Significant emissions and fuel economy improvements can be achieved in older vehicles through relatively simple and inexpensive means: repaired/replaced exhaust systems, tune-ups, etc.

* We hope we can count on you to reject “Cash for Clunkers.” Thank you for your consideration on this very important matter.

If you choose to send a message to Speaker Pelosi, please send a copy of your message to SEMA also:
E-mail: briand@sema.org
Fax: 202/783-6024

This picture seems fitting in a way.

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Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish

I kinda like with this Cash for Clunkers idea; though I don't think it should be government mandated. Seems like the people who are whining about it are people who want to restore old cars. Here's an idea: get together with people who have the same vehicle and make your own parts.

I think the area I lived in down in Florida could have benefitted from trading in their clunkers to get newer vehicles.

As you have stated it I don't really see a problem. They aren't forcing anyone to do anything, are they?

Putting up with 6 old cars rusting away in the yard next door because some enthusiast may need a marker light 10 years from now is a bit much anyway.

Meh. I actually sent an email to Pelosi about this. As I see it, they're looking to give people a reason to get out there and buy a new car. Makes sense to some extent, but they're not talking about sending these cars to the salvage yards, rather to the recyclers for instant shredding. Who needs spares... for anything... ever.

Basically, I'm against it because it encourages people to just throw away something which they've already paid off and buy another lackluster product from GM. The way I see it, we've bailed out the banks and they're still not lending. We've bailed out GM too and we've got nothing to show for it but a weaker dollar. Now, despite the banks and auto manufacturers getting our money despite our protests and congress actually listening, they want to encourage us to go out and borrow from the super-stingy lenders so that we can buy another car? (Give them all more of our money?)

I think that's ridiculous. Personally, I think they should set it up where you can cash in cars made by GM and Chrysler, then get 50% off a new car or truck from them. It would get a lot of their crap off the roads and make such a sweet deal for people who'd been screwed on Detroit junkers that they could look past their pain. Maybe more people on the roads actually pleased with their products could do them well.

If not that, then I hope the people who cash in these cars use that cash to buy bicycles and it all backfires.

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Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

The people who would trade in a car for a government check are exactly the people who will NOT be able to afford to pay for a new car.

It looks like an attempt to take cars away from the poor, because they're poor so fuck 'em.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.