Europe Officially in Double-Dip Recession

The European Central Bank will decide upon monetary policy today just as Eurozone GDP fell 0.1% in the third quarter. The falling GDP confirms that Europe is in a "Double-Dip" recession and raises fears that the European economy could drag in 2013.

The Guardian reports:

The head of the European Central Bank has warned that time is running out to resolve the crisis in the eurozone as the latest figures showed the 17 nations of the single currency have slid into a double-dip recession. With financial markets convinced that even worse data will emerge over the winter, Mario Draghi urged policy makers to take full advantage of the breathing space won by the ECB when it announced in the summer it would buy unlimited amounts of government bonds from troubled euro zone countries.

A double-dip recession is the description of an economic growth curve that falls into recession (negative or slow growth) and then, after a short period of stronger growth, falls a second time into recession. The European double-dip points to "far worse to come" per Jennifer McKeown of Capital Economics, but that may prompt the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates from .75% to .5% in an attempt to stimulate the economy.

Our "fiscal cliff" as devised by Democrats in the U.S. Congress is now President Obama's political goal. He is currently pushing America into another recession by forcing higher taxes on middle class and other Americans. His strategy is to then blame his opponents and eventually claim tax cuts "to save the middle class." This political posturing will cost about 1.5 million American jobs and untold poverty among foreigners who rely upon our economic strength.

China is also facing slower growth in 2013, leaving the world's economy facing weak economies in Asia, America and Europe. Next year's world economy will be a tough one. Maybe those Mayans were talking about the economy.

Cash for Clunkers Continues with CARB's VAVR Program

Bloomberg/Businessweek is reporting a surge in new car sales:

Light-vehicle sales in December, set for release tomorrow, may have run at a 13.4 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, the average estimate of 14 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, up from the 12.5 million pace a year earlier. While the rate may trail the 13.6 million seasonally adjusted pace in November, typically a slow sales month, the number of units sold increased in December, according to the average of five estimates.

They have failed to report the fact that many low income consumers are now without transportation. Cash for Clunkers is still alive and well in California as Voluntary Accelerated Vehicle Retirement (VAVR). The misconceived program makes vehicles unattainable for young and low income people. VAVR also pushes middle income people into debt for new cars with the cost of adherence to environmental regulations combined with large cash incentives.

The State’s recently enhanced Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) was developed by the ARB in consultation with BAR and provides $1,000 per vehicle and $1,500 for low-income consumers for unwanted vehicles that have either FAILED or PASSED their last Smog Check Test. (CA.gov Car Scrappage webpage)

Maybe I need a second pair of eyes on that sentence; does it read $2500 for a clunker? (UPDATE) Thank you for helping resolve this conundrum, it is $1000 or $1500 per this application.

The VAVR program uses tax money to remove fully functional and smog compliant vehicles from the road. The California market is gentile on used cars due to the favorable weather. Southern California has the best climate in the country and many of the region's cars and light trucks gain a greater operational life than vehicles from colder, saltier and more humid climates. Regardless, our environmental overlords have decided that the back of a bus is better suited to low income citizens.

...monetary or other incentives to vehicle owners to voluntarily retire their older, more polluting vehicle. (CA.gov VAVR webpage)

This is a program that trickles down to every used car consumer in America because the "retired" vehicles are dismantled.  (A list of "auto dismantlers" can be found on this FAQ sheet.)  Here is a quick list of the immediately foreseeable negative consequences of this policy:

• Hinders employment for those who cannot find cheap reliable transportation. 
• Spawns a new breed of exploitative scams against the old and low income. 
• Wastes scarce tax money.
• Calls for higher taxes to pay for "firemen, police and teachers" when the real problem is wasted money.
• Falsifies economic indicators as the choices to purchase used cars are reduced.
• More union money stolen from consumers and "redistributed" into politician's back pockets.
• Class warfare exacerbated as poor and old are left even more dependent.
• More pollution as smog compliant vehicles are "dismantled" leaving low income people with bad alternatives.
• Increased pollution as a few more coal powered, toxic-battery powered electric vehicles are pushed into service.
• Increased human misery as more people are forced into illegal, immoral and undignified behavior.
• Price gouging for new and slightly used cars due to lack of alternatives
• That's enough for now...but more in-depth analysis is available from Beers with Demo.

This is more fascism attributed to the blind environmentalist cult known commonly as progressives. Maybe we should redefine this as Mayan Economics, in honor of 2012.