Here's my pick for Obama to name as the new Czar of the Auto Industry:
Mitt Romney
This is the right choice for several reasons:
1- Bolsters Obama' non-partisan credentials.
2- Auto Industry will respect him, since he is pro-business Republican.
3- Track record of success in business.
Romney is a team player and will work hard for Obama. Obama needs to set a strong direction for a rapid move away from cars that run on liquid hydrocarbons to to plug in hybrids.
Bill Clinton has no business experience, and his personality would overshadow the job. Ditto for Rudy Giuliani.
Appointing an ideologue from either party is the wrong move. Romney is pragmatic and forceful. Give Mitt a chance....
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Auto Industry
So yes we will bail out the auto industry in one way or another.
And not for the right reason.
These companies know full well the distribution of auto related jobs across the country and they that fact works for them.
This is the same reason why weapons systems are so hard to vote down. When a new fighter jet is being made, the companies make sure that hundreds of congressional districts have some small amount of manufacturing supplying parts. They make sure hundreds of congress members have at least some local economic stake, and they use those numbers to their advantage ("Congressman, cancelling the XYZ bomber would eliminate 123 jobs in your district"). Most congressmen would vote to spend billions if it means they cannot be accused of destroying jobs.
Autos are the same way. The biggest point we hear is that it is not so much the direct employees of the big three, but the parts suppliers and ancillary industries.
I think we should bail them out, but the reason should be that we need to use the auto industry as a springboard into the future of reduced dependence on imported oil.
Bail out the companies, with the condition that all R&D going forward is dedicated to producing plug in hybrids exclusively within 10 years. No more cars made in the USA should burn oil as their primary fuel. There is a lot of electrical generating capacity in the US, especially at night, when most hybrids would be recharging.
That is the right reason to bail them out.
And not for the right reason.
These companies know full well the distribution of auto related jobs across the country and they that fact works for them.
This is the same reason why weapons systems are so hard to vote down. When a new fighter jet is being made, the companies make sure that hundreds of congressional districts have some small amount of manufacturing supplying parts. They make sure hundreds of congress members have at least some local economic stake, and they use those numbers to their advantage ("Congressman, cancelling the XYZ bomber would eliminate 123 jobs in your district"). Most congressmen would vote to spend billions if it means they cannot be accused of destroying jobs.
Autos are the same way. The biggest point we hear is that it is not so much the direct employees of the big three, but the parts suppliers and ancillary industries.
I think we should bail them out, but the reason should be that we need to use the auto industry as a springboard into the future of reduced dependence on imported oil.
Bail out the companies, with the condition that all R&D going forward is dedicated to producing plug in hybrids exclusively within 10 years. No more cars made in the USA should burn oil as their primary fuel. There is a lot of electrical generating capacity in the US, especially at night, when most hybrids would be recharging.
That is the right reason to bail them out.
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