Sorry about the lack of a post last night. One of the downsides of posting in the evening is that sometimes, by the time I get to the end of the day, my brain doesn't have anything left. Yesterday didn't present me with any particular challenge or stress, but the gray matter had shut down by the time I sat down to write.
I did the front brakes on Pam's xB this morning. I should have done them a couple of weeks ago; they certainly made enough noise back then. But first there was the surgery and then this nasty cold. The OE pads were paper thin, and one was worn completely through on one corner. Oops.
I spent longer getting the car jacked up and on the stands than it took to replace the pads. But Scion has a funky mounting system that makes it very easy to change the pads and difficult to pull the rotors.
Analysts reported today that when final numbers are in they will show sales of new cars in America will have dropped 3 million units compared to 2007. December sales are projected to be 35% - 40% lower than December of '07.
Despite that drop in sales (supply) I haven't heard of anyone who doesn't have a vehicle to drive (demand). Of course that's because most people don't get a new vehicle because they need one, but because they want a new one. Years ago people complained that manufacturers could make cars that lasted longer but engaged in planned obsolescence to keep buyers coming back. Now they make cars good for 150,000 + miles. No worries; Americans are sufficiently materialistic that using something like a car through its functional life is almost unpatriotic. The get a new car because they want a new car even if their used one is perfectly functional.
What happens when those Americans can't afford a new car? Then the inflated sales figures based on materialism instead of real need collapse. And in the jungle that is the free market system it will be the weak and infirmed who fall first. See: Detroit.
Hyundai has just announced a program they call "Hyundai Assurance." If you buy or lease a new Hyundai and lose your income anytime during the first year they will take the car back. Their sub-compact, the Accent, starts at under $10,000. Kia will offer the Soul in the spring, a sharp looking small car with surprising performance and their standard 100,000 mile warranty.
Anybody think Detroit is going to be an industry leader, providing product or programs to get buyers back?
As long as we're doing the automotive theme tonight, have you heard the buzz about increasing the gas tax? Several states are moving on that, and a federal commission will recommend to Congress when they reconvene that they raise the federal tax rate on gas and diesel. These governmental proposals call for increases of a few cents per gallon. Ray, of Click and Clack, the Car Talk guys, has called for a 50-cent increase! I think he makes a lot of sense. He says that a 50-cent increase would generate between $50 and $100 billion! And that steep a tax still wouldn't get us to what we were paying per gallon just six months ago.
I'm in! I'm not sure I see a downside. It would help restore some pressure that we've lost to get rid of the 2-ton gas guzzlers! Yeah, like the beasts Detroit has been turning out.
I'm stressed about tomorrow. Paul's discussion of the two wisdoms in 1 Cor. 1:18-31 doesn't yield to neat homiletical treatment. It is, however, extremely relevant given the current zeitgeist.
I may be up late chewing this some more.
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