U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin stopped in Carbondale Thursday touting legislation he is sponsoring that would give new car buyers federal discounts for improving their gas mileage.

The bill, dubbed ‘Cash for Clunkers,’ would give new car buyers $3,500 if their new car goes four miles farther on a gallon of gasoline than their trade-in. If the new car improves the customer’s gas mileage by 10 miles, the discount would go up to $4,500.

The old vehicle must get fewer than 19 miles per gallon in order to qualify for the discount, according to legislative documents.

Standing in the sales lot of Vogler Ford, Durbin said the bill could encourage people to buy that new car they have been contemplating, which in turn would help the struggling automotive industry.

‘At this point, to get the economy moving again, we’ve got to get people buying cars,’ he said. ‘You just cannot imagine how many other businesses around our state and around our nation are connected to the

car industry.’

The program would be funded by $4 billion set aside in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, meaning the discounts would be based on a first-come, first-serve system, Durbin said.

Congress is scheduled to vote on the bill within the next two months, Durbin said.

Tim Hirsch, sales manager at Vogler Ford, said his dealership sells more trucks than hybrids. Owners of a truck weighing at least 6,000 pounds could receive a $3,500 discount if they buy a new truck with one mile per gallon improvement, according to

the documents.

Though the bill has received bi-partisan support in the Legislature, some mechanics are not so excited to see this proposal’s approval. Robert Redding, government liaison for the Automotive Service Association, said the bill would mean fewer post-warranty cars on the road in need of repair.

‘The more of those you take out of the market, the more repair orders you take away from the small business persons and will lead to some job losses,’ he said.

Redding said he would have preferred the bill give incentives to car customers who buy a new vehicle with better emissions standards instead of fuel efficiency.

Durbin said he understands the argument from people wanting the incentives to go to customers who purchase the most environmentally friendly vehicles, but said this bill would be a good place to start.

Redding said a follow-up to this bill would be difficult to pass through the Legislature.

Daily Egyptian reporter Barton Lorimor can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 263 or [email protected].