A Modest Proposal: Eco-Friendly Stimulus

For some reason I have a rash of car posts this lazy, hot Sunday. We have another thought-provoking article from Alan S. Blinder, an economics professor. It's an interesting concept to help get out cars off the road and stimulate demand for new ones. From the article:

"A California study estimated that cars 13 years old and older accounted for 25 percent of the miles driven but 75 percent of all pollution from cars. So we can reduce pollution by pulling some of these wrecks off the road. Several pilot programs have found that doing so is a cost-effective way to reduce emissions."

So we can clean the environment and create the demand for newer, cleaner, more efficient automobiles, by paying, "Cash for Clunkers." It's a pin-pointed policy proposal with a direct, measurable result. Plus this smart policy proposal beats just handing out a $600 "stimulus check" that could be used randomly on anything and not create a greater good for an industry and a country. What do you think?