We break for cars.

• Author: Engel, Jon
• Position: Letters

Tyler Cabot ("The Tow-Away Tax Break," June) concludes that "with each car towed in the name of charity, donors benefit greatly, fundraisers obscenely, and the poor only occasionally" However, this is not always the case. The Working Cars for Working People program of Community Action Inc. in San Marcos, Texas, is a prime example of a car donation program that really works. One-hundred percent of the benefit of the program accrues directly to the low-income family that receives a car through the program.

Unlike the programs Mr. Cabot describes, Working Cars for Working People does not aim to raise funds for the not-for-profit organization that operates it. Rather, it aims to provide poor people who are ready and able to work with the transportation they need to gain and keep employment. In November and December of 2001, the program provided working cars to 23 families. Within 30 days of receiving a car, 65 percent of the recipients reported increased earnings from work, 57 percent obtained health insurance through their employer, and 44 percent left the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

The government and the...