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[h1]Editorial: Put the brakes on CAFE[/h1][h2]President should heed the plea of UAW, Michigan Congress members to relax mileage standards[/h2]
The UAW is urging its good friend in the White House to slow down the rush to adopt excessively high fuel economy standards for the auto industry. The Obama administration should take that advice.
What the UAW knows and what President Barack Obama should try to understand is that regulating an industry ahead of available technology is a recipe for killing jobs. The president intends to use his salvation of the domestic auto industry as a selling point in his re-election campaign next year. But his status as a hero of automakers and autoworkers will crumble if he forces mandates that can't be met.
What the administration wants is a corporate average fuel economy standard of 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025. Automakers are now scrambling to meet a standard of 34.1 miles per gallon by 2016. It has been estimated that to get to where Obama wants to go will add $30 billion annually to the cost of new vehicles, assuming sales of 15 million, and slice close to a quarter of a million auto-related jobs.
It will almost certainly kill or sharply reduce the Detroit automakers' ability to produce highly profitable pickups or sport utility vehicles. These are products America's consumers want and which Detroit's Big Three make very well.
Michigan's congressional delegation joined the UAW in pressing the White House to approach CAFE at a much slower pace. The delegation also wants a mid-period review of any new standards to make sure they are technically achievable and affordable.
Automakers are also asking for different fuel efficiency standards that would allow the continued production of trucks and SUVs.
A president whose re-election hinges on a rebound in jobs should listen to the warnings that oppressive CAFE mandates would have a negative effect on employment.
Environmental groups have launched an intense lobbying effort to prevent the White House from backing off the 56.2 miles per gallon standard. But the environmentalists don't have to worry about jobs. The president does.
The auto industry is recovering nicely, but its long-term viability is far from certain. At the same time, the recovery of the national economy remains uncertain as well. There will be time to deal with CAFE when both the industry and the economy are on surer ground. For now, the best approach for a president who is trying to heal the economy is to do no harm.
http://detnews.com/article/20110717/OPINION01/107170314/1007/rss07
The UAW is urging its good friend in the White House to slow down the rush to adopt excessively high fuel economy standards for the auto industry. The Obama administration should take that advice.
What the UAW knows and what President Barack Obama should try to understand is that regulating an industry ahead of available technology is a recipe for killing jobs. The president intends to use his salvation of the domestic auto industry as a selling point in his re-election campaign next year. But his status as a hero of automakers and autoworkers will crumble if he forces mandates that can't be met.
What the administration wants is a corporate average fuel economy standard of 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025. Automakers are now scrambling to meet a standard of 34.1 miles per gallon by 2016. It has been estimated that to get to where Obama wants to go will add $30 billion annually to the cost of new vehicles, assuming sales of 15 million, and slice close to a quarter of a million auto-related jobs.
It will almost certainly kill or sharply reduce the Detroit automakers' ability to produce highly profitable pickups or sport utility vehicles. These are products America's consumers want and which Detroit's Big Three make very well.
Michigan's congressional delegation joined the UAW in pressing the White House to approach CAFE at a much slower pace. The delegation also wants a mid-period review of any new standards to make sure they are technically achievable and affordable.
Automakers are also asking for different fuel efficiency standards that would allow the continued production of trucks and SUVs.
A president whose re-election hinges on a rebound in jobs should listen to the warnings that oppressive CAFE mandates would have a negative effect on employment.
Environmental groups have launched an intense lobbying effort to prevent the White House from backing off the 56.2 miles per gallon standard. But the environmentalists don't have to worry about jobs. The president does.
The auto industry is recovering nicely, but its long-term viability is far from certain. At the same time, the recovery of the national economy remains uncertain as well. There will be time to deal with CAFE when both the industry and the economy are on surer ground. For now, the best approach for a president who is trying to heal the economy is to do no harm.
http://detnews.com/article/20110717/OPINION01/107170314/1007/rss07
reposted since ninjahood likes to ignore responses
all that list shows is that im right...that a american TRUCK is outselling foreign automaker's cars ya wanna move da goal posts by combining ALL of em vs number 1 then hey be my guest
