They and a couple dozen others were out in force Friday, publicly wondering what people like them will do for affordable transportation if all
the vehicles surrendered in the Cash for Clunkers program are destroyed as the law requires. The protesters lined part of Interstate 80 in Fairfield on Friday afternoon protesting what organizers say is the dark cloud beneath the Cash for Clunkers silver lining. With hand-painted signs bearing phrases like “Save our Cars,” “Mr. President Don’t Destroy Our Wheels,” and “Will Work for Cars,” several people associated with the Fairfield-based Mission Solano nonprofit held the event. They hoped to draw attention to the belief that one man’s clunker is another man’s best hope for affordable, convenient transportation. “We hope to get enough attention from the president and Congress to get them to consider a mid-course correction on the Cash for Clunkers program,” Mission Solano board chairman Tim LeFever said. The program is intended to spur new car sales nationwide and get gas guzzlers and dangerous emissions producers off the road. This, in turn, should kick-start new car production and from there, the larger economy, program proponents say. With passing motorists honking their support, Mission Solano officials explained the problem as they “These cars have to be destroyed as a condition of the program,” LeFever said. “We like that the program has stimulated car sales, but for some people, these are the best cars they can buy. Let’s get them into their hands.”
For a decade, Mission Solano has operated a donated car lot in Fairfield, its operations manager Raymond Courtemanche said. The donated cars are given away as incentives for some clients and also sold to raise operational funds. Since the federal rebate program began in July, the nonprofit has seen its cache of donated cars dwindle from an average of 25, to about a half dozen.