Hawai`i should follow California's example

According to the Nov. 4 issue of the Honolulu Advertiser, the California state government will be buying old cars for $500 each to reduce air pollution.

The state will record the vehicles' emissions to ensure the benefits of such measures, which will probably be significant.

If enacted in Hawai`i, this policy might be also be beneficial, although for different reasons.

By paying for old automobiles, the state would help produce more street-side parking for residents, something particularly important in valleys and neighborhoods like Palolo and Kalihi.

It would also be a great way to recycle steel that would otherwise be of no use to anyone. The cars could be compacted and resold to Mainland customers.

Buying old cars would also keep with the Democrats' policy for injecting money into the economy: from the bottom up. And many used car owners are in lower income brackets (the traditional Democratic stronghold), making it a politically feasible maneuver.