Posted on 02/21/2010 4:31:28 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
Internal Toyota documents derided the Obama administration and Democratic Congress as “activist” and “not industry friendly," a revelation that comes days before the giant automaker's top executives testify on Capitol Hill amid a giant recall.
According to a presentation obtained under subpoena by the House Oversight and Government Relations committee, Toyota referred to the “changing political environment” as one of its main challenges and anticipated a "more challenging regulatory" environment under the Obama administration's purview.
This document, in addition to piles of other records, will be front and center this week as the Japanese automaker girds to face lawmakers hungry for answers about a recall that has the company teetering.
Upwards of 8 million cars have been recalled in the U.S. and worldwide, amid reports of Toyota's vehicles accelerating rapidly. The problems have turned political, as the company has shuttered some American factories, potentially resulting in layoffs.
The oversight committee, which is led by Democrat Ed Towns of New York and Republican Darrell Issa of California, will seek to discover if Toyota was forthright in disclosing problems with rapid acceleration – and if the government was responsible and quick in investigating such complaints.
Toyota has launched an image rehabilitation campaign on Capitol Hill, and its top lobbyist has sent emails to Congressional aides in an attempt to shape its image amid this crisis.
Committee aides say the presentation, which was obtained by POLITICO, gives the clearest view into the minds of Toyota executives.
Aides believe the presentation was an explanatory slideshow prepared to explain the inner-workings of Toyota’s Washington lobbying operations. It includes a responsibility flow chart, in addition to resources the office calls upon, including The Brookings Institution and the Chamber of Commerce.
The slideshow is titled “Toyota Washington, DC” and the cover sheet is labeled “Yoshi Inaba” – the president of Toyota North America, who is slated to testify.
It is a peek into how Toyota executives view the American political environment.
The “Activist Administration & Congress – increasing laws & regulations” is listed as one of “Toyota Challenges,” as is “Massive government support for Detroit automakers.”
The July 2009 presentation also says the Department of Transportation and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration “under Obama administration” is “not industry friendly,” and anticipates a “more challenging regulatory and enforcement environment.”
It says the NHTSA “new team has less understanding of engineering issues and are primarily focused on legal issues.”
“While the administration may have changed, the bureaucracy itself has not and we must ensure that government regulators give every possible consumer concern its due diligence,” said Republican Oversight spokesman Kurt Bardella.
amen Mr. Reagan (and you)
Good thing you said Toyota. Because Mitsubishi has a history of flying airplanes into our aircraft carriers!
O.k. Thanks to the recent SCOTUS ruling, Toyota can donate a gazillion dollars (and they have the money; believe me) to defeat all the Democrats.
Cough it up Toyota; cough it up. Let’s clean out Congress.
Socialist moles embedded at Toyota. Its all part of the Internationale.
So boycott ‘subishi.
Jeep, and Government Motors lost a loyal costumer, and Toyota has gained one (we generally get a new car every three years).
Shoot, why does the attention even have to be lopsided? Granted, it hurts more if it is, but even if it’s applied “fairly” it makes it harder and less profitable to be in their business.
Toyota, as sad as I am to suggest it, should simply state "It's obvious that you don't want us here" and shut down manufacturing operations in the US.
Of course the shareholders won't like it, but the grass may be greener in Mexico and Canada.
They may do it, if they think such a move could anger voters toward Obama being responsible for it, and punish him at the polls in 2010, by awarding Toyota with a friendly, Conservative Republican majority which will not stoop to these crass, Marxist Walter Reuter UAW/SEIU type activities.
The government is industry friendly to the companies they own. Just not their competitors.
日本＊ピング＊ (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)
Just bein’ funny...
bingo...I was wondering why the MSM was going on and on about the recall at full blast and then I realized they were doing it to help gov’t motors.
Very dicey. The current crop of Americans has the intelligence and attention span of a cabbage. Obama might be able to convince a majority of people that after screwing them with bad quality and a coverup, they stole people's jobs too.
If it was fair, the American brands would start to show their grody underbellies.
The hue and cry against Obama would be immense if Toyota made such an announcement, preceded by a stinging indictment of where the “other brands” fit in the same picture.
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