Clinton offers Detroit automakers health care aid

[Oracle of Delphi]

Hmmm a deal with the Devil or not?

DETROIT, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday offered a double-barreled campaign message for the struggling U.S. auto industry: accept tougher fuel economy standards in exchange for federal help with the costly burden of retiree health care.

Speaking at a union hall, Clinton also pledged new U.S. government investment in technologies that promise sharp gains in engine efficiency, such as lithium-ion batteries, an area where Japanese suppliers lead the pack.

"I know we have to do more to support the American auto industry and to support the American auto worker," she said.

Article Continues: http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybri...News&rpc=44

Edited June 10, 2007 by Pontiac Custom-S

[ocnblu]

To hell with mandating higher CAFE standards. The MARKET is smarter than politicians... let the market lead the manufacturers, not some silly escalation of CAFE. The rest of her ideas relating to the domestic auto industry in your post look agreeable so far. I just personally do not like her. Edited June 11, 2007 by ocnblu

[Oracle of Delphi]

To hell with mandating higher CAFE standards. The MARKET is smarter than politicians... let the market lead the manufacturers, not some silly escalation of CAFE. The rest of her ideas relating to the domestic auto industry in your post look agreeable so far. I just personally do not like her.

Don't shoot the messenger!

[mustang84]

I don't know why politicians feel they have to stick their nose deeper into the business of emissions, especially the state of California. Auto emissions are only a tiny fraction of the world's pollution, especially here in the U.S. where we already have strict standards for air quality. Environmentalists will tell you that our automobiles give off the most CO2 in total...well, it's quite simple, we have the largest market! When I was over in Europe, I noticed a VAST difference in the quality of air there vs. here, and not for the better. In the urban centers of Italy, you would walk around town with diesel lung from all the little Fiats and Pugeots puttering around. The difference in air quality here is very noticeable.

I read somewhere that one volcano eruption gives off enough pollutants to equal a good percentage of American auto emissions over the course of the year, and there are usually 20-30 volcano eruptions annually. Look at China who has virtually no air regulations and constant brown pea soup that hangs over their cities.

The real issue, especially for states like California, is instead of blaming the automakers for the endless amount of smog they need to stop the population sprawl that consumes vast resources. LA is still spreading out into the desert like a wildfire. They need to put the pedal to the metal to develop smart-growth communities and put more funding toward mass transit rather than widening the freeway. It's just common sense. Even Omaha, Nebraska, is looking to put in a light rail line that would stretch to Lincoln, and they only have a metro area of 800,000. I've heard about the high speed train that will connect the northern and southern part of the state, but what are metro areas like LA and San Diego doing to combat sprawl?

Basically, I don't want to be forced into some little fuel-miser go kart because of CAFE. Like 'blu said, let the market decide. Idiotic legislation such CAFE calling carbon dioxide a "pollutant" shows how out of touch politicians are with reality.

[CARBIZ]

Take CAFE or imposing gas taxes to get the price of gasoline in North America up to world standards. We are living in a bubble, kids. Nowhere else in the world do they drive what we do. That is a fact. I know this isn't popular around here, but we have to stop guzzling so much damned gasoline like it is our God given right. We have been foot dragging on this for decades - and she has a point about Detroit. They have fought this tooth and nail, then Japan Inc realized that money could be made on small cars while Detroit convinced us that an SUV was what one needed to drive to work every day.

Come on - that just isn't right. Believe me, I would love to go back to the glory days of the late '60s when every second car on the road is something I would have given my eye teeth for, but that just isn't going to happen. Let's follow the European example and build cars that are fun to drive AND get good gas mileage - like the Focus that they sell over there.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Take CAFE or imposing gas taxes to get the price of gasoline in North America up to world standards. We are living in a bubble, kids. Nowhere else in the world do they drive what we do. That is a fact. I know this isn't popular around here, but we have to stop guzzling so much damned gasoline like it is our God given right. We have been foot dragging on this for decades - and she has a point about Detroit. They have fought this tooth and nail, then Japan Inc realized that money could be made on small cars while Detroit convinced us that an SUV was what one needed to drive to work every day.

Come on - that just isn't right. Believe me, I would love to go back to the glory days of the late '60s when every second car on the road is something I would have given my eye teeth for, but that just isn't going to happen. Let's follow the European example and build cars that are fun to drive AND get good gas mileage AND ARE DEATH TRAPS - like the Focus that they sell over there.

Fixed.

[mustang84]

Take CAFE or imposing gas taxes to get the price of gasoline in North America up to world standards. We are living in a bubble, kids. Nowhere else in the world do they drive what we do. That is a fact. I know this isn't popular around here, but we have to stop guzzling so much damned gasoline like it is our God given right. We have been foot dragging on this for decades - and she has a point about Detroit. They have fought this tooth and nail, then Japan Inc realized that money could be made on small cars while Detroit convinced us that an SUV was what one needed to drive to work every day.

Come on - that just isn't right. Believe me, I would love to go back to the glory days of the late '60s when every second car on the road is something I would have given my eye teeth for, but that just isn't going to happen. Let's follow the European example and build cars that are fun to drive AND get good gas mileage - like the Focus that they sell over there.

I have no problem with getting better gas mileage...if someone could build me a full-size V8 car that got 40 mpg on the highway, I'd buy it! I'm all for technological advancements that will give us more efficient cars. But, I don't want to see a repeat of 1973 where suddenly we're stuck with a bunch of anemic big and little cars. Make fuel-sipping small cars that bring America back to the forefront of the industry, but don't kill off the horsepower wars or the V8s like I envision CAFE regulation trying to do.

I didn't grow up in the 60s so I missed out on all the good stuff that you guys got to see. That's why the horsepower wars and the return of the Camaro and Challenger is so cool to me...I've grown up with molded plastic jellybean cars.

Edited June 11, 2007 by mustang84