He was going to take this, but it died halfway out of his driveway
Well, the Big 3 are going back to Washington to ask for $25 billion. Last time, Congress laughed them out of the building. Will this time be any different? Maybe.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally says he actually has a plan this time. Ford will not give any bonuses or pay increases to their salaried employees. In fact, Mulally himself says he will take a $1/year salary next year if Ford does get any bailout money. Also, more hybrid and plug-in cars will be on the way, with a plug-in van scheduled for 2010 and a plug-in car for 2011. General Motors and Chrysler have not yet released their plans, but as Ford is the most profitable of the Big 3, I wouldn't expect the other two to differ much form Ford's plan.
We won't know until later this week whether this is enough to sway a skeptical Congress. Congressional Democrats will really be looking for tough fuel efficiency and environmental standards (which the Big 3 resisted for years) while Congressional Republicans will be hesitant to back any bailout after the earful they caught from their conservative constituents about the Wall Street bailout. But at least Detroit is taking a step in the right direction PR-wise, as Mulally will go to DC not in a private jet, but in a hybrid.
We'll see if this sways aynone.
2 comments:
Plug in cars would cost the equivalent of 60 cents per gallon to drive at the current average electric rates. The electricity to charge them could conceive ably come from solar or wind.We spent 168 billion on the last stimulus pkg that did nada for our economy. Why not invest in getting some alternative energy projects set up and running. It would create cheap clean energy and create new badly needed jobs. This past year the high cost of gas seriously damaged our economy and society. While we are doing the Happy Dance around the lower pierces at the pump OPEC is planning strategy to raise the price per barrel back up to between 75-100. per barrel.We really need to get on with alternative energy. Bail us out of our dependence on foreign oil and the control it has over our economy and society. There is a great new book out called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW by Jeff Wilson. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is worried about our economy and would like to see our country become energy independent. www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
Ahhh. The Pinto...almost forgot about that little bean....:)
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