More from Cynthia Davis: Hunger is a motivator for children, but Cash for Clunkers is an assault on the poor

In her latest Capital Report, Rep. Cynthia Davis, R-O'Fallon, the same woman who came under fire from virtually all corners for her statement that hunger is a great motivator for children, is up in arms over the Cash for Clunkers program, claiming it is an assault on the poor.

Mrs. Davis writes, "In a recession, it is even more important to have “hand me down” cars, not take drivable cars out of circulation. If we remove hundreds of thousands of drivable vehicles from the reach of those who would have benefited from having them, it is further reducing options for those on the lower end of the ladder."

At one point in the column, she writes, "I feel like the leadership of America is reading a book called, How to Ruin the World’s Greatest Country for Dummies." Please fill in your own joke.

Here is this week's report:

Last week I attended Cato University’s Economic Crisis, War and the Rise of the State. Some may think San Diego is a lovely vacation spot, but the only part of San Diego I saw was from the window of the shuttle van on my way to and from the airport. The Cato conference was a great opportunity to learn about our nation’s history as well as where our nation is headed if nothing is done to stop this run away “freight train” of spending, taxing and increasing government intrusion into our lives.

When I was the Chairman of the Interim Committee on Poverty, we were honored to have Michael Cannon, director of Health Policy Studies from the Cato Institute, come to Missouri and share some practical solutions. At the conference this year, one of the most informative speakers was Professor Robert McDonald from the Department of History at the U.S. Military Academy - West Point. He spoke of the War for Independence and said it was as if the King of Great Britain had read a book called, How to Lose an Empire for Dummies. He recited many instances where King George made dreadful mistakes that changed the course of history for both countries. In many ways, I feel like the leadership of America is reading a book called, How to Ruin the World’s Greatest Country for Dummies.


Looking at what has happened in the last few months, our national government has passed legislation:

Ø Inhibiting our freedom of speech through “hate speech” A.K.A. “thought police” legislation.

Ø Squandering trillions of taxpayer dollars with efforts to interfere with and impede our free markets, thus putting future generations into oppressive levels of debt.

Ø Destroying many vehicles that could have helped those in poverty through the “Cash for Clunkers” program. Aside from the problem of government subsidizing private industries, this program forced these cars to be crushed. When government removes lower-end transportation from the reach of those who could have benefited from their usefulness, they further diminish our prosperity. Those who can afford a new car don’t need the other taxpayers subsidizing their upgrades. Others may be enticed to go into debt by obtaining a car loans when driving their older cars would have been a more fiscally beneficial option.

In a recession, it is even more important to have “hand me down” cars, not take drivable cars out of circulation. If we remove hundreds of thousands of drivable vehicles from the reach of those who would have benefited from having them, it is further reducing options for those on the lower end of the ladder. No wonder the car dealers like this program. Driving your own car is still far less expensive per mile than the actual cost of public transportation.

Ø And now the national government is attempting to ruin the best health care system in the world that would force all of us to pay for abortions and encourage people to die prematurely. While some may argue we could save money if more people are dead, this is the wrong approach to healthcare. Even if you are not concerned about the moral problems of this bill, consider the negative effects of rationing your healthcare.


Note: These are products of the national, not the state government, however all citizens are affected by these changes. The national government has no business passing any legislation suppressing our speech, free markets or healthcare.



While some may view this as discouraging news, there are several reasons to have hope. On Saturday, I joined about 80 others to stand along the corner of Highway K and N to practice our freedom of speech. For years apathy was more common. Today it seems like people are becoming interested in doing something about our condition. Look for us every Saturday from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. from now until Congress goes back into session. If the people in Washington DC cannot hear us, our only choice is to turn up the volume.