I believe that the Federal Government should replace every police car in America with a brand new Ford Crown Victoria P71 Police Interceptor, Chevrolet Impala 9C1, or Dodge Charger Police.
This could be done instead of, or in addition to, aid to the carmakers and state & local governments.
There would be many benefits to this stimulus:
--Obviously, Ford, Chrysler and GM would make a profit on these vehicles... but it's not about the profit, it's about the production costs. These costs would be distributed to UAW members, mid-level GM management, OEM parts suppliers, vehicle transport companies, and every other person & company involved in producing and delivering the cars.
--State and local governments would be able to increase the size of their fleets at little or no cost, simply by not selling off some of the vehicles replaced. This would make it easier & cheaper to put more cops on the street.
--Enlarged government fleets would require more parts and maintenance, which would benefit mechanics, aftermarket parts manufacturers, and local auto parts stores.
--Since most government fleets don't need (or can't afford) to double in size, older surplus vehicles would be sold off sooner than scheduled. The increased cashflow would be a huge benefit to cash-strapped states, counties and municipalities.
--There would be a huge surplus of newer, lower-mileage used police cars on the market. Such cars are very popular with taxi companies and other fleets. Replacing older cars with these newer, cleaner and more economical vehicles would save fuel and decrease harmful emissions. Local car dealerships would create more jobs and make considerable profits by buying, repairing and selling these many thousands of cars. Cash-strapped car buyers would have the opportunity to pick up heavy-duty vehicles, with many reliable miles left in them, at considerable savings.
--Repairing and refitting the sold-off cars would provide yet another boost to the auto parts & repair industries, and there woud be a corresponding uptick in customization & high-performance parts for these suddenly plentiful vehicles.
Granted, I do have a selfish interest in seeing this happen:
This 2001 Police Interceptor is the best automotive bargain I've ever owned. I paid less than $3000 for it. With only 90,000 miles on the odometer, it's barely broken in. It gets about 20 miles per gallon, despite my heavy right foot, and meets all the emissions standards. Best of all, all the repairs and improvements it gets over the next several years will involve American parts and local American labor.
I want to share this delightful bargain with the rest of America... and make sure I can find a clean '09 model when I'm done running this one into the ground.