Cash for Clunkers 'a very good program'
Posted: 08.26.2009 at 5:39 PM
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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- The Cash for Clunkers program officially ended Monday evening after getting more than 700,000 so called clunkers off the road.

The federal government provided $3 billion to car dealerships across the nation to boost the auto industry and increase fuel efficiency on our roads.

But some dealers were upset with the program saying they weren't happy with the way it works.  Others say it really helped boost their sales.

“I think it was a very good program, I tell you what, it really hit Main Street USA.  So many times when you have government programs and our customers or we say well how does that affect us.  This one really did affect Northeast Missouri in a very positive way,” said Owner of Lovegreen Ford-Mercury Bill Lovegreen.

Another problem is some dealers don't think they'll get money from the government.  Bill Lovegreen says it's taking a while to get the money but he's confident it will come.

“They didn't realize how strong this program was going to be and how fast it was gonna happen.  So they went out and hired people.  And that's a good thing because we don't want them to be staffed to where they're ready for something like this.  Secondly they combed through each one of these transactions to make sure there's no fraud,” said Lovegreen.

Lovegreen says he's already received more than a third of the money he's owed. 

“The factories are ramping up so that they will have a stronger build this fall and so that puts people to work that makes people drive the economy instead of the federal government so I think it’s good,” said Lovegreen.