Big 3 Automakers to Meet With Bush

[Newbiewar]

Link to Article

Big 3 Automakers to Meet With Bush

WASHINGTON (AP) - Leaders of the Big Three U.S. automakers plan to meet with President Bush at the White House next month to discuss issues faced by the industry, officials said Thursday.

Bush will meet with Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford, General Motors Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner and Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda in their first joint meeting with the president during the Bush administration.

Ford spokesman Josh Gottheimer confirmed plans for the meeting, calling it a "continuation of a constructive conversation with the White House." Officials with GM and DaimlerChrysler AG declined comment.

The New York Times reported Thursday the meeting was expected to take place on May 18. White House spokesman Alex Conant could not confirm or deny the meeting, noting the president's schedule is typically not available that far in advance. He said the president "always appreciates hearing the concerns of America's manufacturers."

Officials helping plan the meeting expected it to involve discussions of environmental and energy concerns, including ways of expanding the availability of ethanol, along with health care and pension costs faced by the industry, and currency issues.

With energy security and high gasoline prices on the minds of Americans, Bush has touted the benefits of ethanol, an alternative energy source typically derived from corn in the U.S, along with vehicles powered by hybrid and clean diesel engines.

"I set a goal to replace oil from around the world. The best way and the fastest way to do so is to expand the use of ethanol," Bush said in an address Tuesday to the Renewable Fuels Association.

One of the main barriers to an expansion of ethanol is availability. The National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition estimates that about 685 out of the 165,000 fueling stations across the country offer ethanol blends -- less than 1 percent of the stations -- and most are found in Midwest states.

Bill Ford told the Times in an interview that many of the 1.5 million motorists who own Ford flexible-fuel vehicles, which are capable of using blends of ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, either do not know about the benefits or cannot find ethanol-based fuels in their communities.

Ford said in the interview the meeting would not involve discussions about a federal bailout for the industry similar to the 1979 move by Congress to save Chrysler. U.S. automakers and their allies in Congress have stressed that no bailout is necessary, but they note the U.S. auto industry face competitive disadvantages against foreign automakers, such as Toyota Motor Corp., on issues such as trade and health care.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Intrepidation]

they shoudl also include the unfair trade policies that keep them from exporting while the like of toyota can do whatever they want

[Ravenfreak13]

And maybe some ad money for domestic brands to advertise in the US.

[Chicagoland]

Should make GW drive some of the products he calls 'irrelevant'.

And maybe GM should pull his Caddy limo back.

[Northstar]

Hopefully they can get something worked out with health care. I don't think they should dump all of it on the government, but they could use the fact that Canada pays for health care when it comes time to build a new plant. If GM demolishes a US plant and builds a new one in Canada, they don't have to worry about health care because the Canadian government pays for it.

[Newbiewar]

Hopefully they can get something worked out with health care. I don't think they should dump all of it on the government, but they could use the fact that Canada pays for health care when it comes time to build a new plant. If GM demolishes a US plant and builds a new one in Canada, they don't have to worry about health care because the Canadian government pays for it.

exactly... these automanufactures have to ask bush, why should we keep jobs here in the states?

many of the govenors are giving massive deals to toyota or hyundai to build a plant in their state... why doesnt that happen for GM or Ford?

[Brandon Lutz]

exactly... these automanufactures have to ask bush, why should we keep jobs here in the states?

many of the govenors are giving massive deals to toyota or hyundai to build a plant in their state... why doesnt that happen for GM or Ford?

Odds are the foreign made automakers have passed money under the table to select politicians to get those lucrative "deals". It is about the only way I can explain it. That and some places are so desperate for jobs, they are willing to bend to the will of a corporations demands in order to get that job rate filled up.

Kinda reminds me of how Walmart operates, well at least around here. They refuse to build a store anywhere around here unless the local and state government grants them a 20 year tax break. Then, when the store is older than 20 years they tear it down and build a "Super Walmart" claiming it is a different type store and they want another 20 years of tax breaks.

Which goes to show you, this is what is exactly wrong with our government on levels today. They bend to big business and screw the little man.

Ok, I got off of topic there a little bit

[PontiacTechNJ]

Hopefully they can get something worked out with health care. I don't think they should dump all of it on the government, but they could use the fact that Canada pays for health care when it comes time to build a new plant. If GM demolishes a US plant and builds a new one in Canada, they don't have to worry about health care because the Canadian government pays for it.

Canada is a mess . Socialized medicine is joke .

You get sick in Canada , visit the best doctors - in the United States !

Just bring cash

[Intrepidation]

Canada is a mess . Socialized medicine is joke .

You get sick in Canada , visit the best doctors - in the United States !

Just bring cash

how do you know where the best doctors are? i don't live in canda, but your statement was kinda...stupid.

[evok]

Should make GW drive some of the products he calls 'irrelevant'.

Well for once I will give GW credit. GM and Ford lack strategery!

[Polish_Kris]

Hopefully they can get something worked out with health care. I don't think they should dump all of it on the government, but they could use the fact that Canada pays for health care when it comes time to build a new plant. If GM demolishes a US plant and builds a new one in Canada, they don't have to worry about health care because the Canadian government pays for it.

LOL, why wont the entire big three just move up here, $h!, I shouldn't joke about that, it just might happen. Gm wouldn't have a problem, they just move on the other side of the river to Windsor.

[Polish_Kris]

Canada is a mess . Socialized medicine is joke .

You get sick in Canada , visit the best doctors - in the United States !

Just bring cash

And you know that, because you live here in Canada, right?

[Flybrian]

Should make GW drive some of the products he calls 'irrelevant'.

And maybe GM should pull his Caddy limo back.

For real. Take back his DTS limo and have Lexus make an LS480hL for him. Boeing should get back their 747s as well. I would tell Sikorsky to reposess their Blackhawks, but Bush did that already by choosing a Eurocopter for the next Marine One.

Buying inferior foreign-designed products. What a legacy.

[Mr.Krinkle]

sometimes it just feels like he hs soiled the presidency...i can only hope the next to be elected restores some of the dignity that has disappeared these past few years.

eurocopter. let me guess, it tackles those corners better.

what good could possibly come from this meeting anyway. he seems to not mind gas prices as high as they are because his solution is to have cars get a few extra miles to the tank. thanks for looking out for us.

wheres that rally monkey?

[haypops]

I have read a few careful studies of medicine in England and Canada. Although it is true that elective surgeries have much longer wait times there, apparently emergency care, wellness care, and infantile mortality rates are all much better there than here. Of course the $$ is much less.

[evok]

i can only hope the next to be elected restores some of the dignity that has disappeared these past few years.

Wasn't GW's 2000 campaign message to do just that.

[regfootball]

the Texans passed on BUSH?

oh, Reggie Bush, not GW Bush. I'll bet the texans don't care much for GW anymore either.

You mean GM is meeting with REGGIE BUSH?

[MatizNiels]

Buying inferior foreign-designed products. What a legacy.

Yes. I'm also glad they are choosing to consider the whole world marked instead of having the national socialistic stigma we see in most other countries. But what makes you think the products are designed outside of USA? I'm pretty sure the DTS was designed in USA and it is not inferior when you only consider home marked competitors.