Comments on: Forget GM’s Plan — Where’s The Government’s Plan? http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/ Firedoglake weblog Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:07:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: buygreen http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741341 buygreen Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:14:07 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741341 <blockquote><p>There are a variety of ways to create that demand. The most effective would be to impose a substantial gas tax. Another would be to tax weight or horsepower, as many countries do….You can ask them to be profitable, or you can ask them to be energy efficient. If the government wants them to be both, they have to create the market conditions for that to happen.</p></blockquote> <p>Spot on! However, the government has to not only create market conditions for alt-energy cars or better MPG cars, but they need to MONITOR how the car companies/execs will spend that money. The government has the obligation, and should have the ability, to make sure these companies are frivolously spending tax dollars on private jet fleets, golden parachutes and year-end bonuses for bankrupt causing players.</p> <p>——————————-<br /> Bailout Bums: Stealing YOUR Money: <a href="http://tv1.com/playlists/80" rel="nofollow">http://tv1.com/playlists/80</a></p>

There are a variety of ways to create that demand. The most effective would be to impose a substantial gas tax. Another would be to tax weight or horsepower, as many countries do….You can ask them to be profitable, or you can ask them to be energy efficient. If the government wants them to be both, they have to create the market conditions for that to happen.

Spot on! However, the government has to not only create market conditions for alt-energy cars or better MPG cars, but they need to MONITOR how the car companies/execs will spend that money. The government has the obligation, and should have the ability, to make sure these companies are frivolously spending tax dollars on private jet fleets, golden parachutes and year-end bonuses for bankrupt causing players.

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Bailout Bums: Stealing YOUR Money: http://tv1.com/playlists/80

]]> By: Knut http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741321 Knut Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:24:27 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741321 <p>The low incomes that most people are going to experience over the next few years will dampen enthusiasm for gas guzzlers, and maybe some will get into the habit of driving smaller vehicles. I drive small because I’m basically cheap (plus I like the handling of a small car). I probably save $1000 a year driving a smaller car with a light foot. Tax free income. But not everyone is that obsessive about saving money.</p> The low incomes that most people are going to experience over the next few years will dampen enthusiasm for gas guzzlers, and maybe some will get into the habit of driving smaller vehicles. I drive small because I’m basically cheap (plus I like the handling of a small car). I probably save $1000 a year driving a smaller car with a light foot. Tax free income. But not everyone is that obsessive about saving money.

]]> By: waynec http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741288 waynec Thu, 27 Nov 2008 20:25:45 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741288 <p>I build stairs for a living. I drive a 2X2 Toyota Tacoma, extended cab. It has a 2.7 litre, 4 cylinder engine. I have a shell over the back. Under the shell, I have built two drawers that extend from one side of the bed to the other and from the front to the back. Inside the drawers are all the tools I need to build a staircase. They weigh about 600 pounds. I have helper springs and air bags to help distribute the weight. I use mud and snow tires, and with the added weight, I seldom need to chain up in winter. I get btwn 19 and 20 mpg in the “city” (I live in the boondocks) and 25 on the highway. the truck is 1997 and has 224,000 miles on it and it keeps going. I’ve changed the clutch twice and had one break job. </p> <p>If the Big 2.5 built a small truck that fit my profile, I’d buy it.</p> I build stairs for a living. I drive a 2X2 Toyota Tacoma, extended cab. It has a 2.7 litre, 4 cylinder engine. I have a shell over the back. Under the shell, I have built two drawers that extend from one side of the bed to the other and from the front to the back. Inside the drawers are all the tools I need to build a staircase. They weigh about 600 pounds. I have helper springs and air bags to help distribute the weight. I use mud and snow tires, and with the added weight, I seldom need to chain up in winter. I get btwn 19 and 20 mpg in the “city” (I live in the boondocks) and 25 on the highway. the truck is 1997 and has 224,000 miles on it and it keeps going. I’ve changed the clutch twice and had one break job.

If the Big 2.5 built a small truck that fit my profile, I’d buy it.

]]> By: ThingsComeUndone http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741285 ThingsComeUndone Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:48:43 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741285 <p>If we retool all the factories all the cars can be hybrids all the big trucks could be diesels, or even better diesel hybrids.</p> <blockquote> <p>We are extremely excited to introduce this remarkable technology to the refuse market. Our ProPulse hybrid drive system could significantly reduce fuel costs. During extensive customer field tests, it has shown improved fuel efficiency of 20 to 50 percent over the typical refuse trucks.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/11/oshkosh_truck_u.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.greencarcongress.co.....uck_u.html</a></p> If we retool all the factories all the cars can be hybrids all the big trucks could be diesels, or even better diesel hybrids.

We are extremely excited to introduce this remarkable technology to the refuse market. Our ProPulse hybrid drive system could significantly reduce fuel costs. During extensive customer field tests, it has shown improved fuel efficiency of 20 to 50 percent over the typical refuse trucks.

http://www.greencarcongress.co…..uck_u.html

]]> By: ThingsComeUndone http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741284 ThingsComeUndone Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:29:01 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741284 <p>There will be higher gas prices again we cannot afford another war. Tell people the more money the middle east makes off of oil the more money Ossama gets! Fight a PR campaign the desire for big cars vs Hatred of Ossama.</p> There will be higher gas prices again we cannot afford another war. Tell people the more money the middle east makes off of oil the more money Ossama gets! Fight a PR campaign the desire for big cars vs Hatred of Ossama.

]]> By: ThingsComeUndone http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741283 ThingsComeUndone Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:26:05 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741283 <p>A gas tax will hit the poor the most and let the rich slide the GOP will love raising gas prices will kill our political support.<br /> You are assuming that we have to the let free markets decide things. Just ban any car that does not get 30 mpg or truck that doesn’t get 25 mpg and actually I favor higher mpg numbers.<br /> We can ban imports that do not meet our standards too. We do need clean diesel fuel for higher mileage trucks and SUVs Diesel engines get better mpg and can haul more weight than gas engines.<br /> What moron decided to waste gas putting gas engines in heavy work trucks, SUVs and Humvees is a hack engineer, a sell out.</p> A gas tax will hit the poor the most and let the rich slide the GOP will love raising gas prices will kill our political support.
You are assuming that we have to the let free markets decide things. Just ban any car that does not get 30 mpg or truck that doesn’t get 25 mpg and actually I favor higher mpg numbers.
We can ban imports that do not meet our standards too. We do need clean diesel fuel for higher mileage trucks and SUVs Diesel engines get better mpg and can haul more weight than gas engines.
What moron decided to waste gas putting gas engines in heavy work trucks, SUVs and Humvees is a hack engineer, a sell out.

]]> By: KayInMaine http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741282 KayInMaine Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:15:28 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741282 <p>For them to think we wouldn’t buy them if they sold them here in the US is ridiculous, but then again, this is how the capitalists think! They’d rather be our voice than let us have our own.</p> For them to think we wouldn’t buy them if they sold them here in the US is ridiculous, but then again, this is how the capitalists think! They’d rather be our voice than let us have our own.

]]> By: Crosstimbers http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741281 Crosstimbers Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:15:05 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741281 <p>I don’t know a good answer. It seems like the fastest way to have Americans turn back to the “governement is the enemy” mantra is to impose limitations on mobility when the public can’t see some external cause. It seemed to me that Jimmy Carter’s loss in popularity was as much due to preaching restraint and belt tightening as it was to the hosatage crisis and rising interest rates. The public was only too ready to believe the “there you go again” was great communication and “it’s morning in America” sent us down the current road for three decades. Whatever congress and the Obama Administration do may have to be gradual to avoid a resurgeance of the only recently discredited Reaganism. Unfortunately, the decline in gas prices may have removed that part of the crisis from the public ADD effected consciousness.</p> I don’t know a good answer. It seems like the fastest way to have Americans turn back to the “governement is the enemy” mantra is to impose limitations on mobility when the public can’t see some external cause. It seemed to me that Jimmy Carter’s loss in popularity was as much due to preaching restraint and belt tightening as it was to the hosatage crisis and rising interest rates. The public was only too ready to believe the “there you go again” was great communication and “it’s morning in America” sent us down the current road for three decades. Whatever congress and the Obama Administration do may have to be gradual to avoid a resurgeance of the only recently discredited Reaganism. Unfortunately, the decline in gas prices may have removed that part of the crisis from the public ADD effected consciousness.

]]> By: alank http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741279 alank Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:03:31 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741279 <p>I don’t believe ‘attractive’ is what buyers of bloated gas hogs have in mind when they them. It’s mostly about empowerment by vehicle where size seems to matter most.</p> I don’t believe ‘attractive’ is what buyers of bloated gas hogs have in mind when they them. It’s mostly about empowerment by vehicle where size seems to matter most.

]]> By: foothillsmike http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741278 foothillsmike Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:01:07 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/27/forget-gms-plan-wheres-the-governments-plan/#comment-1741278 <p>Prius 48 mpg city, 45 mpg hiway</p> Prius 48 mpg city, 45 mpg hiway

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