var json_comments = new Array("
\"user-pic\"
Jon Mason
October 16, 2009 4:51 PM
Moderate | Flag for review

They should call it the \"Greenback\" program. As in, go green and get some greenbacks back...

Reply
2 replies
","
\"user-pic\"
madanthony
October 16, 2009 4:54 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Sweet. Time to pull out and throw waway all my perfectly good, nearly new basic white appliances and trade them in for shiny stainless steel ones - and make future generations pay for it! That will save the earth!

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
econobiker
October 16, 2009 6:56 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@madanthony: Make sure you watch them disable the old perfectly good ones so that other poorer people cannot use them.


My wife's mother has a 1960s era chest freezer that has been leaking its oil for a couple of years. It is the basement and has been shut off for about 3 years - they even got the m-i-l a newer small chest freezer for her kitchen as she doesn't do stairs well now. Probably wait and then trade the monster on a new chest freezer. It probably has more metal content than some of the cars traded under cash for clunkers.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
TCama
October 16, 2009 5:17 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

The acronym almost sounds like \"syrup.\" Almost.

Here are some ideas:

- Money for Machines
- Greenbacks for Gadgets
- Cash for Contraptions
- Dineros for Devices
- Wealth for Widgets
- Wherewithall for Whatchamacallits

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
TCama
October 16, 2009 5:24 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Huh. My last comment disappeared somehow.

Here are my ideas:

- Money for Machines
- Dineros for Devices
- Greenbacks for Gadgets
- Greenbacks for Gizmos
- Cash for Contraptions
- Wealth for Widgets
- Wherewithall for Whatchamacallits

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
TCama
October 16, 2009 5:27 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@TCama: Oh there it is. Nice. Wasn't there before. Edit comment feature anyone?

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Applekid
October 16, 2009 5:25 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Heh... I bought a house a few months before the $8000 in free money, I bought a car a few months before before the Cash for Clunkers, I bought new appliances a few months before hearing about this.

Reminds me of my social life.

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
morlo
October 16, 2009 5:55 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

FUBAR: Federal Unearned Bailout Appliance Rebate

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
gStein_*|bringing starpipe back|*
October 16, 2009 6:16 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

why is this so difficult to divide up?
$300 million... we have just over 300 million people in this country...
just give each person $1 and be done with it!

all joking aside, we NEED a new dryer... it's getting louder, you can hear the drum hitting the sheet metal...
if you stop it mid-cycle, it won't restart until it's cooled down again. (i think the thermostat has gone bad, among other things)

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
legwork
October 17, 2009 12:54 AM
Moderate |Flag for review

@gStein: Time for a voyage to Craigslist, sir. Spend the $350 you save on something with better gains.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
TheFlamingoKing
October 16, 2009 6:26 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

\"The program, part of the federal economic stimulus package, also has the disadvantage (perhaps) of being administered by individual states, instead of federally.\"

Bias. Could you maybe cite some facts or research about why a program administered at the state level will automatically be worse than one administered at the federal level? No, you can't - you just want to reinforce your stereotype that only the federal government can administer programs.

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
chiieddy
October 16, 2009 6:35 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

They're just calling it Cash for Clunkers here.

Reply
","","","
\"user-pic\"
Saboth
October 16, 2009 7:53 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

Honestly, I'd like new appliances, but I'm afraid of them. After checking out a myriad of them on Consumer reports, along with appliance forums...I just get the impression that older appliances are built a LOT better. For instance...I have a 15+ year fridge that has run great. No repairs/problems. I have an even older dishwasher (now, it doesn't get the dishes spotless, but does an ok job). My oven is also about 15 years old and works fine. I'd like to buy appliances that are more energy efficient, but it seems these $500-2k new fangled appliances just aren't as reliable as the good 'ol days.

Reply
1 replies
\"user-pic\"
HawkWolf
October 16, 2009 9:43 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

@Saboth: I'm worried about the same thing. I'm getting a functional 80's fridge for free from a coworker, for my new house. I'm certain it's not very efficient, although I was surprised to find that it has a 'powered' condenser instead of the passive coils on the back. If I get some kind of rebate for eventually turning it in, that'll be nice... but the thing I buy to replace it will probably fail within a few months and cost more to repair than it did to buy. Right?

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Skankingmike
October 16, 2009 7:56 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

When does China and Japan just stop buying our crap debt?

Reply
","
\"user-pic\"
Blueskylaw
October 16, 2009 8:12 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

3D program


Dough for Dilapidated Dishwashers

Reply
","","
\"user-pic\"
ChuckECheese
October 16, 2009 11:16 PM
Moderate |Flag for review

This post about catchy names reminds me of a great program name I encountered awhile back. While a graduate social work intern, I evaluated proposals for a federal urban improvement program that included subsidies for schools to obtain equipment and supplies to do their own projects.

At one private school applicant, located in Ladue, MO, the school's administrators wanted to impress me with their commitment to public service. They showed me posterboards and photos of their most recent project, which included a number of change cans stationed next to the cash registers in Ladue businesses, with the proceeds of said cans being donated to charity.

Their project was called \"pennies for the penniless.\"

Reply
","");