The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 65
vehicles). They went to the United States Congress in Washington, DC. So regardless of how international GM and Ford and Chrysler pretend to be; they are
still just American companies, not global companies. And because they are
seeking a bailout from all the American people, not from American union pension funds, it’s the American people (all the people, not just auto workers) that
they must serve. They have a responsibility to do what is right for America, not
what is expedient for the oil producers or unions.)
This is where the congressional intervention comes in: The United States Congress can provide the financial stimulus and enact laws that mandate the necessary changes, and in the process possibly redefine what “American auto industry” means in the 21st Century (a financially viable American auto industry
doesn’t necessarily have to include American brands or American brands as
we know them today.)
If Congress is willing to bailout a mismanaged insurance company and banking
group, whose significance to our national well-being pales by comparison to the
energy-fuel-transportation issue, then they can and should put the American
auto industry back on track.
But Congress’ own resolve must match the level of the financial commitment
that Detroit requires and the importance of the intended result. For Congressmen to truly be helpful they must overcome their own personal real-world incompetence, selfish pork-barrel entanglements, and addiction to oil company
inducements.
The specific dollar amount(s) provided to the auto industry is less important
than the stipulations that must be put in place to ensure that the funds are used
appropriately, and the dollar amount and the stipulations are less important than
the clear laws that must be swiftly enacted to ensure that there is no misinterpretation of what the goal is. For example:
No loop-hole laws that permit the continued production of grossly inefficient
gasoline-guzzling vehicles under a deceptive fuel-efficiency averaging formula.
Each vehicle must stand on its own as being fuel-efficient and operate without
gasoline.
If any vehicle manufacturer wants to sell their products in the U.S., then the
vehicles must be manufactured or assembled in the U.S., with the requirement
that a “reasonable” portion of the parts required for domestic assembly be manufactured in the U.S.
