The new Stimulus bill created by Congress may be more than 750 pages long, and include about $800 billion in various programs, but thanks to the efforts of SEMA and concerned gearheads the proposed inclusion of a vehicle scrappage program didn't make the final cut.

The programs of concern targeted vehicles such as pre-2004 large pickups and SUVs that average less than 18 miles per gallon (virtually all our tow vehicles), with another that proposed providing cash vouchers to citizens that allowed their older model vehicles to be destroyed. The vouchers could be used when buying newer model vehicles or for the purchase of mass transit passes.

Clunker laws have been around for years, and fortunately, most levels of government now see the programs do very little to either improve air quality (the original intent) or improve the nation's fleet fuel economy (the latest ruse.) The simple fact remains that any vehicle turned in for what amounts to a pittance is one that's rarely used to start with.

For more info on the defeat of the scrappage program, check out SEMA's article here.