WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis has issued the following news release:

Personal income growth slowed in 2008 in most of the nation’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Personal income growth slowed in 322 MSAs, increased in 42, and remained unchanged in 2 MSAs. On average, MSA personal income grew 3.3 percent in 2008, down from 6.0 percent in 2007.

Personal income fell in five MSAs in 2008. In four of these areas (Dalton, Georgia; Monroe, Michigan; Elkhart, Indiana; and Kokomo, Indiana), manufacturing compensation was the major contributor to the decline.

Personal income also fell in Gulfport, Mississippi. The decline in Gulfport is accounted for by a tapering off in federal payments to rebuild residences destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Katrina. (The initiation of those federal payments made Gulfport the fastest growing MSA in 2007.)

Four of the five slowest-growing large MSAs – those with populations of at least one million – were in the Sunbelt: San Jose, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Tampa, Florida. Detroit, Michigan completes the group of five.

Although these MSAs sustained large declines in compensation in 2008, total personal income in each area was able to increase because of growth in other components of personal income, namely transfer receipts and property income.

Like the slowest growing of the small MSAs, manufacturing accounted for the weakness in San Jose and Detroit. In contrast, construction accounted for the weakness in Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Tampa.

The fastest growing MSAs in 2008 benefited from the high oil prices of the first half of the year (Midland, Texas; Odessa, Texas; and Grand Junction, Colorado) or from the military’s Grow the Force initiative (Jacksonville, North Carolina; Manhattan, Kansas; and Hinesville, Georgia).

Personal income grew 9 percent or more in these MSAs. All are relatively small, with populations less than 200 thousand.

Five of the six fastest-growing large MSAs were in Texas and Oklahoma.

Oil and gas extraction (mining) or construction, made important contributions to growth in four of these metropolitan areas: Oklahoma City, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. Austin, state capital of Texas, had relatively strong growth in the state and local government and professional services industries without the declines in retailing and construction that are hurting many other MSAs.

St. Louis, which ranked third among the fastest growing large MSAs, owed its strong performance to severance pay and other types of compensation associated with a recent business acquisition.

Per capita personal income. Per capita personal income growth rates ranged from 12.0 percent in Hinesville, Georgia to -3.7 percent in Gulfport, Mississippi. Per capita personal income growth is a measure which highlights differences in economic conditions across MSAs by removing the effect of differential population growth rates.

The labor market conditions already described account for many of the MSAs at either end of the growth rate range. In addition, the two Alaskan MSAs, Fairbanks and Anchorage, had relatively high per capita income growth because of the 98 percent increase in the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend to $3,269 per person. (A portion of oil lease rents and royalties received by the state are deposited in this fund).

Furthermore, since the income tax rebates authorized by the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 were targeted toward lower income families, the contribution of these rebates to per capita personal income growth varied inversely with MSAs’ per capita incomes.

For example, the rebate contributed 1.7 percentage points to personal income growth in McAllen Texas in 2008 (the MSA with the lowest per capita income in the nation) but only 0.1 percentage point to growth in Bridgeport, Connecticut (with the nation’s highest per capita income).

Definitions

Personal income is the income received by all persons from all sources. Personal income is the sum of net earnings by place of residence, rental income of persons, personal dividend income, personal interest income, and personal current transfer receipts.

Net earnings is earnings by place of work (the sum of wage and salary disbursements, supplements to wages and salaries, and proprietors’ income) less contributions for government social insurance, plus an adjustment to convert earnings by place of work to a place-of-residence basis.

Personal income is measured before the deduction of personal income taxes and other personal taxes and is reported in current dollars (no adjustment is made for price changes).

Per capita personal income is calculated as the personal income of the residents of a given area divided by the resident population of the area. In computing per capita personal income, BEA uses the Census Bureau’s annual midyear population estimates.

The metropolitan area definitions used by BEA for its entire series of personal income estimates are the county-based definitions developed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for federal statistical purposes and last updated in November 2008.

OMB’s general concept of a metropolitan area is that of a geographic area consisting of a large population nucleus together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with the nucleus. Personal income and per capita personal income estimates for the 366 metropolitan areas are shown in Table 1.

Tables omitted. (The complete tables can be viewed at: http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/mpi/2009/mpi0809.htm)

 

WASHINGTON – The Alliance to Keep U.S. Jobs is endorsing a letter sent to President Obama by a bipartisan group of former U.S. Cabinet members and U.S. Ambassadors to Mexico that urged him to resolve the cross-border trucking dispute.

Alliance Executive Director Steve Mulder said: "Every day this issue goes unresolved, more and more good paying American jobs are put in jeopardy.

The administration has talked about finding solutions but now it’s time to put their words into action. We hope the President will take advantage of his upcoming meetings in Mexico and urge a swift resolution." The letter sent to Obama, co-signed by former U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills, former Ambassadors to Mexico James Jones, Jeffrey Davidow and Tony Garza,and former Commerce Secretaries Norman Mineta and Carlos Gutierrez, said that "without prompt resolution of this 14-year-old dispute our nation will needlessly suffer.
U.S. companies, farmers and workers will continue to be hit by Mexico’s $2.4 billion of retaliatory tariffs on manufactured and agriculture goods – the last thing the United States needs as our unemployment rate approaches 10%."

The Alliance to Keep U.S. Jobs, which represents more than 150 U.S. companies and associations, said it was "concerned about the adverse impact to the U.S. economy stemming from a failure to resolve the longstanding trucking dispute."

To illustrate its case, the alliance examined how one participant, Appleton Papers, of Appleton, Wis., was affected. Appleton Paper is the biggest supplier of carbonless paper to Mexico.

Kent Willetts, vice president of marketing and strategy for Appleton Papers said the 10 percent tariffs on U.S. carbonless paper sold into Mexico has put Appleton at a significant competitive disadvantage because carbonless products from Asia and Europe are not subject to such a duty, the news release stated.

"Given the state of the U.S. economy, these tariffs come at the worst possible time for our company and thousands of our employees," Willetts said. "Appleton is a 100 percent employee-owned company that has a very dedicated, hardworking workforce. Together, we are doing everything we can to remain competitive in these challenging economic times. But these tariffs are causing us to reduce work hours, and wages and jobs for our employees. Over the long term the impact of the tariffs will erode the value of our company stock in which most of our employees have invested for their retirement."

—

The membership includes these associations: American Apparel & Footwear Association, American Association of Exporters & Importers, American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, American Chemistry Council, American Cotton Shippers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Feed Industry Association, American Frozen Food Institute, American Home Appliance Manufacturers Association, American Institute for International Steel;

American Meat Institute, American Nursery & Landscape Association, American Peanut Council, American Peanut Product Manufacturers, American Peanuts Shellers Association, American Seed Trade Association, American Soybean Association, American Trucking Associations, Apricot Producers of California, Association of Equipment Manufacturers;

California Cherry Export Association, California Agriculture Issues Forum, California Farm Bureau Federation, California Fig Advisory Board, California Grape and Tree Fruit League, California League of Food Processors, California Pear Advisory Board, California Strawberry Commission, California Table Grape Commission, California Tomato Growers Association;

Consumer Electronics Association, Corn Refiners Association, Distilled Spirits Council, Emergency Committee for American Trade, Fashion Accessories Shippers Association, Fertilizer Institute, Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Grocery Manufacturers Association, Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties;

International Dairy Foods Association, National Association of Manufacturers, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Grower’s Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Christmas Tree Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives…

National Electrical Manufacturers Association; National Foreign Trade Council, National Grain and Feed Association, National Grange, National Milk Producers Federation, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Pork Producers Council, National Potato Council, National Renderers Association, National Sorghum Producers; National Turkey Federation, Nisei Farmers League, North American Equipment Dealers Association, North American Millers’ Association, North American Export Grain Association, Northwest Horticultural Council, Ohio Alliance for International Trade, Oregon Association of Nurseries, Personal Care Products Council, Pet Food Institute;

Popcorn Institute, Produce Marketing Association, Retail Industry Leaders Association, Texas Vegetable Association, United Egg Association, United Egg Producers, United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel, United States Council for International Business, United States Dry Bean Council, U.S. Apple Association; U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Grains Council, U.S. Meat Export Federation, U.S. Premium Beef, U.S. Rice Federation, U.S. Rice Producers Association,

U.S. Wheat Associates, USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, USA Rice Federation, Ventura County Agricultural Association; Washington State Council for International Trade, Western Growers Association, Western United Dairymen, Wine Institute.

Company membership includes: Altria, ALTICOR, Appleton Paper, Archer Daniels Midland, Blue Diamond Growers, Bunge, Business Roundtable, Campbell Soup Co., Cargill Inc., Caterpillar, Chiquita Brands, Commodity Markets Council, ConAgra Foods, Continental Express, Cornerstone Government Affairs, CropLife America, DHL Express USA, Fierce, Isakowitz and Blalock, Free Trade Alliance, General Electric, General Mills, Glanbia Foods, Herbalife International of America, Hershey, Hormel Foods, Jefferson Waterman International, Jochum Shore & Trossevin, JR Simplot Co., Kraft Foods, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, Magination

Consulting International, Manatt Phillips, Mars, Mary Kay, McAllister & Quinn, National Beef Packing Co., Ocean Spray Cranberries, P&G, Panasonic Corporation of North America, PepsiCo, Plastic Express, Schering-Plough, Seaboard Foods, Smithfield Foods, STR, TBM Carriers, TechAmerica, Truss World, Tyson Foods, U.S. Dairy Export Council, Unilever, Viagen, Wal-Mart Stores, and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.

NEW YORK, July 31 — The American Civil Liberties Union issued the following news release:

In a welcome move today, legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives to repeal the discredited Real ID Act of 2005.

The REAL ID Repeal and Identification Security Enhancement Act of 2009, introduced by Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN), would repeal Real ID and replace it with the original negotiated rulemaking process passed by Congress as part of the 9/11 Commission recommendations.

Twenty-five states have already rejected Real ID, citing its high cost, invasiveness and the bureaucratic hassles it creates for citizens.
"Real ID is essentially dead. It’s time for it to be formally repealed and replaced with a process that works, one that protects civil liberties and license security," said Michael Macleod-Ball, Acting Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "Rep. Cohen took a big step forward by moving to eliminate this failed law and providing much-needed safeguards for our civil liberties."

The Real ID Act of 2005 directs states to issue a federally-approved driver’s license or other form of ID that would be necessary for airline travel and become part of a national database. Like state governments from coast to coast, the American Civil Liberties Union has long opposed the Act as too invasive, too much red tape and too expensive.

Fifteen states have passed binding legislation prohibiting participation in the Real ID program: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Oregon, and Missouri.

Ten other states have enacted resolutions in opposition to Real ID: Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Tennessee.

Similar to the Akaka-Sununu Senate bill of 2007 and the Allen House bill of 2007, Rep. Cohen’s bill would eliminate most of the requirements that laid the foundation for a National ID card, such as the obligation that all data and systems be standardized.

The proposal also requires a collaborative approach, called negotiated rulemaking, which would advise the Department of Homeland Security on how to maximize driver’s license security while minimizing the administrative burden on the states.

This approach was initially adopted by the law which implemented the 9/11 Commission recommendations and subsequently repealed by Real ID.

Significant privacy protections in the proposal include prohibiting the use of license data by third parties, encryption of the data and adherence to state privacy laws that may provide greater protection.

Additionally, Rep. Cohen’s bill would also provide for the establishment of a negotiated rulemaking committee, which would present its recommendations to the Department of Homeland Security.

"States and ordinary Americans have all rejected a National ID card," said Christopher Calabrese, Counsel for the ACLU Technology and Liberty Project. "Now it’s time for Congress to follow their lead and finally get rid of the Real ID Act by passing Rep. Cohen’s bill."

To learn more about the Real ID Act or read about its history, visit www.realnightmare.org

 

WASHINGTON, July 31 — Here’s a look at how area members of Congress voted over the previous week.

House Vote 1: NEEDLE DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS:

The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mark Souder, R-Ind., to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3293), that would have barred funding for programs to distribute needles for injecting drugs.

Proponents said the funds could instead be used for drug treatment and said needle distribution would erase accountability for dangerous behavior by allowing easier access to drug-related paraphernalia. Opponents said "there’s overwhelming evidence that we can help stop the spread of AIDS by allowing needle exchange programs."
The vote, on July 24, was 211 yeas to 218 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

2: PLANNED PARENTHOOD PROGRAMS: The House rejected an amendment sponsored by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3293) that would have barred funding for Planned Parenthood under the bill.

Proponents said "it’s morally wrong to use the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans to fund abortion providers" and that providing the funding would allow the group to free up resources to engage in abortion practices against the will of the people.

Opponents said the amendment would have no impact on abortions and would limit important health care access for low-income and uninsured patients. The vote, on July 24, was 183 yeas to 247 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

House Vote 3: LABOR, HEALTH, AND EDUCATION FUNDING: The House approved the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3293), sponsored by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis.

Proponents said the bill was a fiscally responsible effort to improve various health and education programs that would accurately represent the values of the country. Opponents criticized what they called ‘excessive spending’ in the bill and said it set "the foundation for the implementation of health care reform [which could result in] the rationing of health care."

The vote, on July 24, was 264 yeas to 153 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd) NAYS: Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

House Vote 4: WACO MAMMOTH NATIONAL MONUMENT: The House approved the Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act (H.R. 1376), sponsored by Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas. Proponents said the site was a national treasure that preserved the remains of mammoths and other species and offered "a unique find of national and international importance" for scientists and the general public. Opponents said the bill lacked "language protecting the property rights on lands adjacent to the monument."

The vote, on July 27, was 308 yeas to 74 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd) NAYS: Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

House Vote 5: SOUTHERN SEA OTTER POPULATION: The House approved the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act (H.R. 556), sponsored by Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., to have the Fish and Wildlife Service study faltering population growth in the southern sea otter species, which is found off the coast of central California, and to adopt measures to increase its population.

Proponents said the "keystone species" was necessary to sustain the world’s ecological system and the coastal and near-shore environment that affects the well-being of all people.

Opponents said the bill "will take a threatened species and place its management needs above others, even if those species are in danger of becoming extinct."

The vote, on July 28, was 316 yeas to 107 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd) NAYS: Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

House Vote 6: PROTECTING MARINE TURTLES: The House approved the Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act (H.R. 509), sponsored by Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C., to extend an existing program to sustain the health of various marine sea turtle species.

Proponents said that "the status of these turtle species remains tenuous" because of a variety of threats that would justify the need to reauthorize funding. The vote, on July 28, was 354 yeas to 72 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd) NAYS: Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

House Vote 7: DOD APPROPRIATIONS: The House passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act (H.R. 3326) sponsored by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., that set $636 billion in appropriations for the Defense Department for fiscal 2010 to provide funding for military aircraft acquisition, support to U.S. troops in war zones and provide medical care for troops and their families.

Proponents said "this Defense bill is all about taking care of the troops, making sure they have what they need." Opponents said: "We should be using this money to fund universal health care for, or to reform our educational system and train and prepare the next generation to run the green economy of the future, or to reorder our foreign policy around a smart security strategy that emphasizes development and diplomacy." The vote, on July 30, was 400 yeas to 30 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

House Vote 8: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FUNDING: The House passed the William Orton Library Improvement and Modernization Act (H.R. 2728) sponsored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., to provide financial support for the operation of the law library of the Library of Congress and to authorize $3.5 million for maintaining and administering the operations of the Law Library, including the cataloging of the collections and for the creation of the William Orton Program to provide expanded services and programs at the library.

Proponents said "This bill will help ensure that the Law Library will have the resources needed to maintain and expand its collections while at the same time modernizing its systems." The vote, on July 30, was 383 yeas to 44 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd), Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st) House Vote 9: FOOD SAFETY ENHANCEMENT: The House passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 2749) sponsored by Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., that will amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to improve global food safety efforts.

Proponents said the legislation would install a responsible program for control by requiring the registration of producers and manufacturers so the FDA can track food manufacturing processes for food produced outside and inside the U.S. Opponents called the legislation "woefully inadequate" and said it failed to achieve a truly improved food safety system because it would expand the reach and authority of the FDA but would not require further accountability or spending any additional funds on the inspection of food.

The vote, on July 30, was 283 yeas to 142 nays. YEAS: Rep. Dan Boren D-OK (2nd) NAYS: Rep. Tom Cole R-OK (4th), Rep. Mary Fallin R-OK (5th), Rep. Frank D. Lucas R-OK (3rd), Rep. John Sullivan R-OK (1st)

SENATE VOTES: Senate Vote 1: NO-BID CONTRACTS AT ENERGY, WATER

AGENCIES: The Senate rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to the Energy and Water Appropriations Act (H.R. 3183) that would have barred no bid contracts being awarded under the bill.

Proponents said the amendment would prevent billions of dollars of contracts from being "placed directly to businesses in this country at higher rates than they would have been otherwise had we had competitive bidding and open contracting."

Opponents said many of the contracts involved "very high-tech, exotic research we are doing in a wide range of energy fields" and were too specialized to be put out for competitive bidding. The vote, on July 29, was 26 yeas to 71 nays. YEAS: Sen. Tom Coburn R-OK, Sen. James M. Inhofe R-OK

Senate Vote 2: ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS:

The Senate approved the Energy and Water Appropriations Act (H.R. 3183), sponsored by Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., to fund energy and water agencies in fiscal 2010.

Proponents said "this bill provides funding to address critical issues that affect our Nation’s security and prosperity [and] represents the fair and balanced treatment of competing priorities," preserving funds for high-priority programs and cutting funds for low-priority programs.

Opponents objected to the authorization of no-bid earmarked projects and said it denied the "transparency the American people are aching for in this area of earmarking."

The vote, on July 29, was 85 yeas to 9 nays. NAYS: Sen. Tom Coburn R-OK, Sen. James M. Inhofe R-OK

Senate Vote 3: HIGHWAY TRUST FUND: The Senate passed the Highway Trust Fund Act (H.R. 3357) sponsored by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., that will provide $7 billion in funding to the Highway Trust Fund.

Proponents said the bipartisan bill "will provide the necessary funds to keep important transportation projects operating in states around the country."

Concerns were raised that the legislation would only be a short-term solution to an immediate crisis that should to be solved through long-term reforms so that third bailout of the Highway Trust Fund doesn’t become necessary.

The vote, on July 30, was 79 yeas to 17 nays. NAYS: Sen. Tom Coburn R-OK NOT VOTING: Sen. James M. Inhofe R-OK

 

The Cash for Clunkers legislation is currently in operation.  For those interested in learning more, the government provided a website highlighting all the details over what is expected to be a short-lived program, as funding is likely to run out soon enough.  

As posted on the official government site, The CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS) is a $1 billion government program that helps consumers buy or lease a more environmentally-friendly vehicle from a participating dealer when they trade in a less fuel-efficient car or truck. The program is designed to energize the economy; boost auto sales and put safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the nation’s roadways.

Consumers will be able to take advantage of this program and receive a $3,500 or $4,500 discount from the car dealer when they trade in their old vehicle and purchase or lease a new one.   Consumers do not need to register anywhere or at anytime for this program. 

Requirements

Click the following link to find out what is NHTSA doing to guard against fraud.  Allegations of fraud may be reported by calling our toll-free 24-hour hotline at 1-800-424-9071.  

QUALIFICATIONS 
Qualified consumers may participate in the CARS Program between July 1, 2009 and November 1, 2009 or when authorized funds are no longer available. Qualified consumers will receive a credit of $3,500 or $4,500 for an eligible trade-in toward the purchase of lease of an approved vehicle under CARS Program. Qualified consumers will receive the $3,500 or $4,500 credit at the time the purchase their new vehicle.

Dealers must provide consumers with any other advertised rebates or discounts in addition to the credit they receive through the CARS Program. Consumers should expect to conduct their deals at their dealership of choice, not on the Internet. Consumers should expect the dealers to provide their best estimate of the scrap value for their eligible trade-in vehicle. Dealers are allowed to deduct $50 from this value for their administrative costs.

Consumers should expect that all information collected through the CARS Program will be kept confidential. Social Security numbers are not required for a CARS transaction. Or visit this website for more information: http://www.cars.gov/   

GM has also posted additional information regarding the program on their website.  It reads,  For a limited time only, the Car Allowance Rebate System (or CARS — commonly referred to as Cash for Clunkers or Customer Assistance to Recycle and Save) is available to customers at registered, participating dealers.   

GM is proud to offer a wide variety of eligible, gas-friendly vehicles to meet your needs. "There  never been a better time than now to purchase a new GM vehicle that  a sound investment for both your bottom line and the environment."  If it sounds like something you are interested in, they offer a handy tool to calculate an estimated CARS voucher value.

Visit this website here.